1-First Step: Brown the Sausage In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, brown the ground Italian sausage until fully cooked. This usually takes about 6-8 minutes. Be sure to break it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks to get those perfect little crumbles. Once cooked, transfer the sausage to a plate, but leave some of that flavorful grease in the pot. Italian sausage can be part of a healthy diet when enjoyed in moderation as part of this nutrient-rich soup!

2-Second Step: Sauté the Aromatics In the same pot, add half of the olive oil. Sauté the diced onion for about 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Then, add the diced carrots, diced celery, diced bell peppers, and minced garlic. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened and fragrant. Your kitchen already smells amazing, doesn’t it?

3-Third Step: Deglaze and Build the Soup Base Pour the 1/2 cup of wine into the pot, using your wooden spoon to scrape up all those delicious brown bits stuck to the bottom. This step, called deglazing, is where a ton of flavor comes from! Next, add the 4 cups of chicken stock, the 2 cans of tomato sauce, the can of diced tomatoes, the tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and the teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Stir everything together until well combined, then bring to a gentle simmer.

4-Final Steps: Complete the Soup Return the cooked sausage to the pot and stir to combine. Now it’s time for the star of the show add the package of gnocchi and the two large handfuls of spinach or kale. Cook until the gnocchi float to the surface, which typically takes about 5-7 minutes. Taste your creation and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.