Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients

•     6 Chicken Thighs, bone in, skin removed
•     10 C. Chicken Broth
•     1 t. Pepper
•     1 T. Coarse Salt
•     1 large Onion, chopped
•     4 Carrots, grated
•     5 stalks Celery, Chopped
•     2 T. Fresh Thyme
•     1 T. Garlic, minced
•     1 stick(8 T. or 1/2 C.) Butter
•     3/4 C. Flour
•     1 lb. Gnocchi(dried or fresh)
•     6 oz. fresh Spinach

Instructions

•     Place the chicken, chicken broth, pepper, and salt in a slow cooker.
•     Cook on high for 4 hours.
•     Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool.
•     Run the broth through a fine mesh sieve and pour back into the slow cooker set to high. Add the onion, carrots, celery, thyme, and garlic. Let cook for 1 hour.
•     After 1 hour, make a roux by melting the butter in a small saute pan. When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir to make a thick paste(will be very thick). Cook the roux for 30 seconds, stirring constantly as to not let it brown.
•     Add the roux to the slow cooker. Whisk it into the liquid until there are no lumps left. Soup will thicken slightly and continue to thicken as it cooks.
•     Shred the cooled chicken(make sure to remove all bones and debris first) and add it to the soup.
•     Add the gnocchi to the soup and let cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour.
•     Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
•     Just before serving, add the spinach. It will seem very bulky at first, but as you fold it into the soup it will wilt significantly. 

***Something you may not know: All slow cookers are a little different, heat-wise. If your slow cooker runs very hot, or you are halving the recipe, you may want to cook on low to medium heat.

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