Pumpkin Gnocchi Chicken Soup

Spicy, savory sage pumpkin broth with sweet pumpkin gnocchi, shredded chicken, smoked turkey, carrots, and kale, creating a comforting, hearty chicken gnocchi soup.

PSL Season!

When fall comes around, pumpkins are guaranteed to be at every North American market. Thanks to Starbucks, we have the "PSL" season. Get with the program if you do not yet know what this means.

And no, we are not talking about the "Party for Socialism and Liberation." I looked it up. Thanks, Google. It also stands for "Pumpkin Spice Latte." Now you can get pumpkin spiced everything.

The other day, I tried pumpkin spiced madeleine cakes. You know, that French pastry that looks like a long shell? I'm not going to lie; I liked it, plus I gave up; it was delicious.

And yes, I may be late, but I had my first PSL, but not at Starbucks. But at Dunkin' Donuts. They were closer, and I didn't want to give in too much. Honestly, it was interesting.

And it tasted like I expected—coffee with spices that you would put in a pumpkin pie. Plus, getting a whole bunch of whipped cream on something was a great excuse. Hey, life is short, and you gotta have fun.

Little things like these create memories and are things to look forward to, so why not? Create foodie memories with Chicken Meatballs & Israeli Couscous Vegetable Soup; it's so good! And for a citrus lemony kick, try the Green Lentil Kale Stew.

Move over, pumpkin! I think you have competition with butternut squash and sweet potato. Check out my Butternut Squash Chicken Chili and Spicy Red Bean Stew with Dumplings and Smoked Turkey recipe. However, if you want more gnocchi soup recipes, try my Curry Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Spinach and Mushrooms.

Jump to:

• PSL Season!
• Thank You, Trader Joe’s!
• Soup Joumou
• K.I.S.S.
• Ingredients and Instructions
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Bacon
• Substitutions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Cooking tip
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Soup Recipes
• Poultry Recipes
• Video: How to Shred Chicken?
• Video
• Recipe
• 📖 Recipe
• Food safety
• Have a Comment or Question?

Thank You, Trader Joe’s!

So, at Trader Joe’s, I got my hands on some pumpkin gnocchi. They are so good! Gnocchi is a miniature dumpling-like pasta. I say pasta because it is usually served with ingredients you would usually serve in Italian pasta dishes, from parmesan cheese and pesto to sage butter or tomato sauce.

They differ from Asian dumplings, which have fillings, and American and Caribbean dumplings, which are mainly made from wheat flour. Gnocchis are primarily made from potatoes.

They have a hint of sweetness and are fluffy and light. If you can't get your hands on pumpkin gnocchi, you can use regular gnocchi from your local market; it will still turn out delicious!

Soup Joumou

The inspiration for this homemade soup recipe comes from my Haitian background with Soup Joumou and, believe it or not, Olive Garden's Chicken & Gnocchi soup.

Soup Joumou is a soup traditionally served on Sundays and in remembrance of Haiti's Independence Day, January 1, 1804, every New Year. It's a spicy beef pumpkin soup with various ingredients, depending on who makes it. The "pumpkin" used is a calabaza squash, a West Indian squash, cooked and then pureed.

The soup usually has flour dumplings, carrots, beef or goat on the bone, and stewed beef or cow feet. In addition, it's a hearty soup with cabbage, carrots, tubers like potatoes or turnips, a type of onion, pasta like spaghetti, macaroni, rigatoni, or Haitian style like penne pasta- that can be a foot long!

Then seasoned with spices like adobo style seasoning, with cloves, herbs, such as thyme, parsley, cilantro, or culantro, and flavored with lime or lemon juice, tomato paste, beef broth or bouillon cubes, with a scotch bonnet or habanero pepper.

Usually, it is served with Haitian bread, a dense, slightly sweet bread, with a sweet yellow banana. There’s just something about that contrast between sweet and savory that goes great together.

K.I.S.S.

But I decided to keep this homemade soup simple and easy, like Olive Garden's Chicken & Gnocchi soup, by having the creamy soup base, the gnocchi, shredded chicken, carrots, smoked turkey, and kale.

But with seasonings, you would find them in a delicious piping bowl of Haitian soup. Interestingly, neighboring counties in the Caribbean have a pumpkin soup, like Jamaica's Pumpkin Soup, that uses a cock soup thickening spice mixture and may have other vegetables, like chayote and plantain.

If you are Jamaican and/or Haitian, I would love to hear what you put in your pumpkin soup!

Ingredients and Instructions

For this pumpkin soup recipe, you will start by seasoning the chicken breast with salt and pepper and browning it. Then remove the chicken from the pot and let it rest for five minutes to redistribute the chicken juice in the chicken before shredding evenly.

If you don't let it rest, hot chicken juice will leak all over your cutting board. Then add the uncured turkey bacon and sage. After a minute, add garlic and deglaze with white wine to enhance the flavor.

For spicy food, I recommend using Sauvignon Blanc. Add the chicken broth or chicken bouillon, pumpkin puree, chili flakes, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then shred the chicken after it rests and add it to the pot.

Since gnocchi usually takes about three minutes to cook, add this at the end with the shredded carrots and shredded kale.

Once the gnocchi is tender, serve and enjoy! As you can see, I replaced the broccolini with shredded kale; it was much better this way, and the broccoli gets soggy after storing, etc. Kale keeps up much better.

See the gnocchi chicken soup recipe card for quantities.

Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab.  In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there. Learn how to make carrot matchsticks quickly!

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Bacon

Honestly, and in my opinion, there is no such thing as turkey bacon; it's usually seasoned, compressed, chopped turkey meat shaped into what a slab of pork belly would look like, then cured and sliced into the style of pork bacon.

Real bacon comes from the pork belly, where the flesh and adipose tissue fat are connected. As a result, bacon has that layered look. I love pork belly, but guess what? I can't always have it.

However, when it's time to limit my pork intake, my go-to for adding smokiness to a dish will be a smoked turkey leg or turkey bacon and some smoked paprika.

Substitutions

• Pumpkin Puree - Sweet potato, an American yam, can be a great alternative, but cook the sweet potato first, then blend it. Additionally, butternut or Hubbard squash might also work. You can also try to get away with acorn squash; know that this squash has more water content.
• Turkey Bacon - Used regular pork uncured bacon. Try also beef and plant-based bacon, but I have not tried either.
• White Wine Used - I recommend you use Sauvignon Blanc due to its ability to pair with seafood and spicy dishes due to its dry note. Additionally, you do not want to use a sweet wine. However, you may try Pinot Gris if you can't find Sauvignon Blanc. Remember, these are white wines; do not get it confused with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.

Equipment

• Medium Dutch Oven - Dutch ovens are great for soups, especially enameled cast iron ones, like the Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid. In addition, they are great for even cooking and versatility; they can go in the oven.
• Holding Tray - Used to hold the stir-fried vegetables. I suggest using a metal tray like the USA Pan Bakeware Quarter Sheet Pan since it is the perfect size to place next to the stove to keep the ingredients warm.
• Shredding Chicken - You can use the meat shredder, which looks like plastic bear claws that come in a set with long teeth, like the Bear Paws Meat Claws - The Original Meat Shredder Claws. Or you can use two forks. One holds the chicken in place while the other tears small pieces off. Then, you would return to the big chunks you tore off and shred them.

Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.

Storage

• Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the gnocchi chicken soup in a  shallow 2-inch pan to cool down quickly. Then, store in an air-tight sealing container. As a result, the meal will last up to four days.
• Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.

Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food.  For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Soup Recipes

Looking for other soup recipes like this? Try these:

Poultry Recipes

Looking for other poultry recipes like this? Try these:

Video: How to Shred Chicken?

Video

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Recipe

Food safety

• Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
• Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
• Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
• Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

Have a Comment or Question?

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