Chicken and gnocchi soup

Under R160 • Serves 4 • Preparation: 25 minutes Cooking time: about 30 minutes

• 300g mini chicken fillets, cubed

• 45ml olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 medium carrots, chopped

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 bunch fresh spinach, veins and leaves chopped separately

• 1 garlic clove, chopped

• 30ml flour

• 750ml chicken stock, hot

• 500ml milk

• 400g fresh gnocchi

• 125ml grated Parmesan

1 Season the chicken cubes with salt and pepper and fry in the olive oil until golden-brown and fragrant; scoop out and set aside. Now fry the onion, carrots, celery and spinach veins slowly in the same pot until the vegetables are tender and start to brown.

2 Stir in the garlic and flour and fry for another minute. Beat in the stock and milk, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

3 Return the chicken to the pot, along with the spinach leaves, and simmer for another 5 minutes.

4 Stir the gnocchi into the soup and simmer until cooked through (ready-made gnocchi takes up to 8 minutes and fresh gnocchi only about 3 minutes; consult the packet). Serve the soup piping hot with a sprinkle of Parmesan.