Chicken & Dumpling Soup {All items from Aldi!}

Now that fall is in full swing, it's time to break out the soup recipes.  I LOVE a good bowl of soup!  This recipe tastes like it has been cooking all day, but can be whipped up in less than 20 minutes.   I like to make a whole roasted chicken on a weeknight and use the leftovers for soup. 

All of the ingredients bought for this soup were from Aldi (you know I love that place!).  You can buy them elsewhere, of course, but you will pay much more!  Their gnocchi is $1.49 and the cheapest other stores have it for is $3.50!  It freezes well, so we stock up during our monthly shopping trip.  Even with a sale at Meijer, it's hard to find a whole chicken for $0.89 per pound!

TIP: After the chicken is roasted, I boil the whole thing in water.  I remove the meat and then save the broth for soup.  It adds a great flavor, although sometimes I still need to add bouillon cubes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of shredded leftover chicken
• 1 package gnocchi
• 1 can of Fit n Active Cream of Chicken soup
• Milk (fill the soup can after empty)
• 2 cups chicken stock 
• If using leftover stock from roasted chicken, add 2 bouillon cubes for extra flavor
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled & chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped (save the leaves for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Dash of nutmeg

Let's Cook!

1. Heat oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, onion and celery.  Cook 3-4 minutes until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Create a little circle in the middle of the pan, add butter to melt.  Sprinkle flour and mix everything together.  Cook for 1 minute.
3. Slowly pour chicken stock into pan, letting thicken.  Add cream of chicken soup, then fill the can with skim milk.  Allow to thicken.
4. Add a dash of nutmeg (shhh, it's my secret ingredient).  Allow to bubble for 4-5 minutes.
5. Finally add gnocchi and chicken.  If too thick, add a splash more chicken stock.
6. Garnish with celery leaves, or parsley. 

 Are you an Aldi shopper?  What's your favorite item?