That's just souper

I love soup! I love this time of year because soup just tastes better when it's cold outside. I'm joining in the fun that BooMama is having today with her soup carnival. Here is my recipe (which is really a Rachael Ray recipe tweaked by me) for Double Chicken Dumpling Soup. Everyone in our family loves it! It's a bit of a twist on regular chicken soup because it has little chicken meatballs and it is fast and good. It makes A LOT of soup!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
One 1-pound package gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas
Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (sometimes this doesn't make the cut if I don't have it and it's just as good)


Directions:
1. In a soup pot, heat the olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onions, carrots and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, cover the pot and bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic and nutmeg. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized meatballs (you'll have about 40) and add to the pot. Simmer for about 10-12 minutes while you wash up. Add the gnocchi to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the peas and parsley and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat, discard the bay leaf and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with bread.