Parmesan, Mushroom, and Spinach Gnocchi Soup

 After realizing that mushrooms are a good way to fill up my husband (who is allergic to beef, pork, and chicken), I began looking for recipes that use them instead of meat.  Thanks to SaltandLavendar for this and many others great recipes!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 2 sticks celery chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 16 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced or chopped
• 4 cups chicken or veggie broth
• 2 dashes Italian seasoning
• 1 pound potato gnocchi
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. Prep your onion and celery and melt the oil & butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat.

2. Add the onion and celery to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes (it's ok if the onions brown a bit). I like to cut up the mushrooms while it's cooking to save time.

3. Stir in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds.

4. Add in the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or so. Once the mushrooms start to release water, give it a good stir to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. 

5. Add the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and gnocchi to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat so it's gently simmering for 5 minutes.

6. Stir in the cream, spinach, and parmesan cheese. Increase the heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes or until the spinach is tender and wilted, the cheese melts into the broth, and the broth has thickened up a bit. 

7. Season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately. If you wish, you can grate some extra parmesan cheese on top of the bowls