Gnocchi Italian Soup

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ cup chopped basil leaves, plus additional for serving if desired
• 15-ounce can chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pinches red pepper flakes
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 28-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 15-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1 ½ cups frozen (or fresh) cut green beans
• 1 pound gnocchi
• 4 to 6 cups spinach leaves
• Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)*

Instructions

1. Chop the onion and mince the garlic cloves. Chop the basil. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and basil for 1 minute. Add the chickpeas, red pepper flakes, broth, both cans of tomatoes and their juices, kosher salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the green beans, then simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Break apart any clumps in the gnocchi, then add them to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach until wilted, about 1 minute.
4. To serve, ladle soup into bowl and top with Parmesan and basil leaves if desired. Allow to cool slightly before diving in!