Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 pint fat-free half-and-half
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat
• 1 (16 ounce) package small gnocchi
• 2 cups torn fresh spinach
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

Melt butter with olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Cook and stir zucchini, celery, onion, red bell pepper, carrots, and garlic in the hot butter and oil until vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir flour into mixture, coating vegetables; cook 2 more minutes.

Stir chicken broth into vegetables, stirring until flour paste combines with broth and soup is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Pour in both kinds of half-and-half; bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 more minutes. Gently fold chicken, gnocchi, and spinach into soup. Season with salt, black pepper, thyme, and nutmeg. Adjust thickness by adding more chicken broth, if desired.