Sometimes life just calls for cozy comfort food.

As we near the end of January (my least favorite month of the year), I feel like it’s time to celebrate with a little soul-warming indulgence. We still have a few months of winter to get through, after all. This Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Soup is just the thing to warm us up, literally and figuratively!

I love tomato soup. Always have. I have fond memories associated with the canned condensed tomato soup that my mom would make us on a chilly winter day, always paired with gooey grilled cheese sandwiches. A childhood comfort for many, I know.

Creating tomato soup from scratch was one of my missions as an adult. I’ve done it a couple times with great success, and this creamy version with pillowy gnocchi and tender kale is no exception.

The key to good tomato soup is to really drive home the tomato flavor. Sounds simple, but I’ve tested a few recipes over the years that were lacking on that quintessential tang and sweetness of tomato. Other batches just tasted like a pot of tomato sauce. Not exactly what I was going for.

After much testing and tweaking, trial and error, I figured it out, and boy oh boy, is it good.

This version features pillowy soft gnocchi, tender lacinato kale, and lots of parmesan cheese. There is a hint of heat from red pepper flakes, and a dash of extra comfort with the addition of heavy cream. It’s like tomato bisque, but with more texture. It’s also one of those bowls of soup that keeps you content and satisfied – even my “soup is not a meal” stating husband would agree.

Let’s get into how to make this pot of creamy tomato-y comfort!

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make this Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Soup:

Olive oil
Butter
Onion
Garlic
Dried Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes
Sugar
Tomato paste
Dry sherry or white wine
Canned pureed tomatoes
Canned diced tomatoes
Tomato juice
Vegetable broth
Shelf-stable gnocchi
Heavy cream
Lacinato kale
Parmesan cheese

How to Make this Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Soup:

Cook the onions in the oil and butter in a large pot.
Add the garlic, dried herbs, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine. Stir in the sherry (or wine) and cook until the sherry has completely reduced.
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato juice, broth, and stir to combine. Season, to taste, with more salt and pepper.
Once the soup is simmering, add the gnocchi, cream, and chopped kale. Stir to combine.
Cook the soup at a low simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the gnocchi and kale are tender.
Serve while hot and garnished with lots of grated parmesan cheese.

Ingredient Notes for this this Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Soup:

I add a touch of sugar, as noted in this recipe, to some tomato recipes because certain canned tomato products can be more acidic than others. The sugar does not make the soup sweet; rather, it balances that natural acidity. It’s totally optional.
The starch from the gnocchi will naturally thicken this soup as it simmers and then even more as it cools and sits. For reheating purposes, I recommend adding a splash of broth if the soup has thickened too much for your liking.
I have not tested this recipe with fresh gnocchi, so I cannot state whether or not it would work well. My initial guess is that fresh/homemade gnocchi would be too delicate for this recipe. Dried/shelf-stable gnocchi is my recommendation here.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Creamy, cozy tomato soup – gosh, is there anything better on a bitterly cold winter day? All that’s missing is the grilled cheese! My version of heaven.