Sausage Gnocchi Soup With Nduja

Gnocchi in soup is a heftier alternative to pasta, but if you’re a spice-averse cook, this smooth and soothing, creamy chicken bacon gnocchi soup will also prove my point!

What is gnocchi?

I am always charmed by a dumpling! It must be my Russian roots. Gnocchi (nyoh-kee) are the Italian version and as equally endearing as the vareniki. Made with either semolina or flour, egg, and mashed potato, they are a delightfully chewy form of pasta that are most often smothered in silken sauces, like creamy butternut squash or sausage gnocchi in romesco sauce.

‘Nduja paste

Once described to me as ‘meat jam’, ‘nduja (pronounced ‘en-doo-ya’) paste is a spreadable salami that is sold in jars. Although I laughed at the time, I find myself using the description now! It does, in fact, have a jammy consistency, but is completely savoury and made from pork, herbs and Calabrian chillies. It’s an unmistakably vivid red and varies in heat intensity. And I cannot be without it. The versatile pot of punchiness seems to work its way into almost anything, and although supermarket versions are reasonably priced, it feels like a touch of luxury. My (current) top 5 uses are: 1) For spicing up a Classic Croque Monsieur. 2) For jazzing up pizza as a dollopy topping, try a drizzle ofhoney over it too. Trust me! 3) A spoonful blended into sauce bases like Bolognese or ragú. 4) For a quick-fix kick in a tomatoey sauce over white fish or steamed mussels. 5) Smeared between flour tortillas in pulled pork quesadillas. I highly recommend adding this wonder condiment to your store cupboard- you won’t be short of applications!

Serving suggestions

This super-soup needs a strongly structured bread to stand up to it, because, really, what is better than dunking hunks of fresh-baked bread into hearty soup? These 3 loaves will maintain their integrity when absorbing soup and not collapse into sogginess: Dutch oven bread – the bread that got me into bread-making, it’s a soft white with a substantial crust. Sourdough bread for beginners – a slight tang to the dough and a decent chew. Sourdough focaccia bread – bubbly on the inside and crisp on the outside. As it’s an Italian-inspired soup, it would be sacrilegious not to include that stalwart side to any Italian dish: garlic bread.

Storage and leftovers

Leftover sausage soup will sit happily flavour-melding in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat on the stove top with a splash of stock or water if the consistency looks a bit thick. And it’s another freezer hero in soup form! Prepare the soup but leaving out the gnocchi, cool completely, and freeze for 2-4 months. When you come to need it, defrost in the fridge overnight. The following day, bring to the boil on the hob and add the gnocchi as per the recipe instructions.