Kale Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 rotisserie chicken breast
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp basil
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 lb. gnocchi
• 1/2 cup half and half or cream, optional

Directions

1. Cut the onion into dice and finely chop the garlic. Warm the olive oil in a large pot set over medium heat, then cook the onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion turns soft and translucent. As they cook, peel the carrots and cut them into slices. Stir the carrots into the pot and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, strip the kale leaves away from the tough stems, then tear or slice the leaves into narrow ribbons. Wash the kale thoroughly in a colander with cool water. Add it to the pot and cook, stirring, until it wilts to about half of what you started with, 3-5 minutes.
3. Cut or pull the chicken into bite sized pieces. Put the chicken in the pot, then pour in the broth and add the nutmeg, basil, plenty of freshly cracked pepper, about 20 turns of a pepper mill, plus a pinch of red pepper flakes.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Stir in the gnocchi, and let them bubble gently in the soup for 3-5 minutes, until they feel tender and look light. Turn off the heat.
5. Ladle it up without changing a thing, or stir in 1/2 cup half and half or cream first. Taste the broth, then add more salt or pepper if it needs it.