Italian Vegetable Soup with Gnocchi

... or as Soeren (my 3 year old) calls them Pinocchis!

Just come back home from a hard day at work, slogged yourself home in that pouring April rain, or just looking for something quick but tasty to make on a Saturday for you and the kids? Well, I can guarantee one thing about this soup, whether you came home soaked like a poodle and need a bit of warmth and comfort or you were out in the garden with the kids and want something fast and nourishing served up, this Vegetable Soup with Gnocchi will satisfy whatever needs you want satisfying.

For those visiting my blog for the first time: Please excuse the quality of the photos you see here. Last weekend my camera got stolen and I have been a bit handicapped ever since. I have been trying to take the pictures with my HandyCam which explains the crappiness of the photos.

For my regular readers: I know I am whining on about it! You will be glad to hear, that it almost has an end. I have found a new camera! I just have to order it (and pay for it). So, you just have to put up with the whining for a few more days ;-)!



Ingredients:

200g Fresh or ready made Gnocchi
olive oil
1 liter Vegetable stock - either pre-prepared or self made (Vaishali of Happy Burp has an easy recipe for this).
2 tablespoons of fresh basil chopped
2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 tablespoons tomato purée
500g mixed vegetables:
zucchini, green beans, onions, broccoli, red bell peppers, carrots - cut these in either slices or bite sized pieces
Parmesan cheese - grated
salt & pepper



Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the chopped garlic and gently sauté until soft. Add the tomato purée and cook for another 1- 2 minutes. Throw in all the vegetables and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer for another 5 minutes.

In the meantime boil enough water for the gnocchi and cook the gnocchi for 2 minutes.

In the soup add salt and pepper to taste. Pour some soup in a soup plate. Place some gnocchi into the soup sprinkle with basil and grated parmesan.

My tips: Cook the gnocchi separately and not in the soup. Often one has a bit of leftovers, cooking the gnocchi in the soup makes it mushy for the next round.

If you steam the vegetables for 2 minutes prior to adding it in the soup and then running these under cold water, they will retain their bright colors. Add the steamed vegetables to the soup after you have added the stock to the tomato purée mixture.



Verdict:
There is a burst of tastes when you spoon this soup into your mouth. The crunchy vegetables, the cheesy parmesan and the soft gnocchi, not to mention the herby basil and the gorgeous garlic. Delightful!
Soeren enjoys his pinochhi every time. They are the first to disappear from the plate. Most of the time it is only the bell peppers that remain otherwise the soup is a great hit for him.
Tom too is impressed by the variety of tastes the soup offers. With the gnocchi it is a filling meal and there is really no need for bread as a condiment. The only thing he did not like was the fact that I made a small portion, as there was no soup leftover - only some gnocchi!

This is also my entry for Cate's ARF/5-A-Day Tuesday.

PS. I look forward to welcoming you to My Monthly Mingle next month. Hope you can make it.
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8 comments:

  1. Another cracking recipe!!!

    Sounds really delicious, it's a bit too hot here for soup at the moment but when the weather changes again (as I'm sure it will) I'll definately give this a try.

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  2. We've had the typical April weather, showers, cold this morning, now it's warm and sunny. Make sure you give your verdict when you thry it out!

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  3. My kinda dish again. The 'Blog Patrol' will give you the verdict soon. :)

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  4. Meeta!!! U gotta stop cribbin! I mean I completely sympathize with the loss of yr cam but reaing abt it in every post makes me wanna not visit yr blog ever again..ahem..actually till u get the new one! I love yr blog otherwise :-)

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  5. Meera, my cribbin finally has an end! I promise no more cribbin ;-)! It is just everytime I see the photos it makes me sooo angry! Anyway, I ordered my new cam last night, and hopefully by the end of the week I'll have it.
    Hope you continue to visit the blog though!

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  6. Meeta - I LOVE Italian soups!! Will definitely give this a try for sure! Thanks for posting it.

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  7. Meeta, this is the first recipe I tried from your blog and it came out perfect. I added little bit of white pepper to give a little kick and it was a party hit. Thanks for sharing.

    Monal

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  8. Your blog about Italian food is really awesome. I like various cuisine food very much. I like Italian culture, tradition, Italian food etc . I like to travel different places. Last summer I have visited Italy as well as I have visited Italian restaurant. I like to drive Italian road at night . I have enjoyed Italian food very much.

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Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hugs
Meeta