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You guys, this Basil Pesto Kale & Artichoke Soup is bursting at the seams with flavor! To be ENTIRELY honest, this started out as a saucy pasta dish, but after adding too much liquid on my second round of recipe testing, I decided I liked it SO much better as a soup! And maybe it’s because we can all use a little bit of comfort right now, and because it’s been so gloomy and borderline rainy here in Austin, TX…yep, a soup felt much more appropriate.
This recipe calls for Italian seasoning and basil pesto. Store-bought versions of both items do tend to have high FODMAP ingredients like garlic and onion, so in case you don’t have any low FODMAP options on hand, I’ve included ingredients on how to make them both at home to yield the exact quantity needed for the soup. See the notes if you want to make a full cup of basil pesto, instead of the 1/3 cup needed.
I luckily had all these ingredients on hand from my last grocery run (for who knows how long) this past Thursday. I’ve provided some ideas for substitutions that could yield a similar flavor, but I haven’t tried these substitutions myself. I’m all for experimenting in the kitchen, so best of luck to you, my friend. 🙂
Cooked Italian Sausage → Ground Pork
Season your ground pork for extra flavor before cooking! Seasoning ideas: dried parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, cilantro, black pepper, fennel seeds, paprika, red pepper flakes and salt.
Curly Kale → Dino Kale, Spinach, Collard Greens, Swiss Chard
I absolutely LOVE curly kale in soup, but other greens can also work!
Gnocchi → Dried Pasta, Potatoes
It will probably work best to cook the pasta or potatoes before putting into the pot with the rest of the ingredients, since they both take much longer to cook than gnocchi.
Heavy Cream → Unsweetened Coconut Milk
Unsweetened coconut milk is definitely a pantry staple of mine! I’ve tried this recipe with both. The coconut milk does give it a slight coconut flavor, but it’s not super noticeable (and it’s still delicious).
Parmesan → Vegan Parmesan
I’ve seen recipes for vegan parmesan that use pumpkin seeds pulsed with nutritional yeast. I haven’t tried this myself, but it definitely sounds like a feasible substitution!
Looking for other super cozy soups? Try my Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana! Or my Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup.
If you make this Basil Pesto, Kale & Artichoke Soup, be sure to leave a comment, give the recipe a rating or tag me on Instagram! I love it when you guys try my recipes. And I’d love to know if you enjoy them as much as I do!
Basil Pesto, Kale & Artichoke Soup with Gnocchi & Italian Sausage – Low FODMAP, Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp garlic extra virgin olive oil see notes
- 4 stalks green onion green tips chopped, white part reserved in whole chunks
- 3/4 lb cooked Italian sausage sliced
- 4 cups curly kale leaves thick stems removed, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp Italian herb mix store-bought or see below
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- pinch of salt & pepper
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb uncooked gluten free potato gnocchi
- 3/4 cup heavy cream OR unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/3 cup basil pesto store-bought or see below
- 1-12 oz jar marinated, quartered artichokes drained, see notes
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- extra fresh basil, parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes for serving, optional
2 Tsp Italian Herb Mix
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp marjoram
- 1/4 tsp basil
- 1/4 tsp rosemary
1/3 Cup Homemade Basil Pesto, See Notes
- 2/3 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp garlic extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp pine nuts
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- If using homemade basil pesto, pulse all ingredients in a food processor until smooth/an even consistency. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large, wide-mouth sauce pan over medium-high heat. Brown white part of green onion in hot garlic oil before discarding, 2-3 minutes.
- Add sliced Italian sausage and brown slightly, 3-4 minutes.
- Mix in green onion tips, kale, Italian herbs and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and allow kale to cook down slightly, 2-3 minutes.
- Add chick broth and gnocchi. Bring to a boil and cover to allow gnocchi to soften, 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in cream, pesto and artichokes and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in parmesan before removing from heat.
- Soup can be garnished with fresh basil, extra parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes for serving.
Notes
- If using store-bought garlic-infused oil that is not certified FODMAP-friendly, make sure to use a brand that doesn’t list “garlic oil,” “garlic essential oil,” “garlic essence,” “garlic flavoring,” “natural roasted garlic flavor,” or anything similar in the ingredients list. There’s no way to know whether these ingredients are low FODMAP. More on that in this article on FODMAP Everyday.
- Some cans of marinated artichoke hearts will have garlic or onion, so be sure to check the ingredients. If you’re in the states, “spices” cannot include garlic or onion, but “natural flavors” can. You can always go with non-marinated artichoke hearts if you’re unable to find any safe options!
- Tripling the basil pesto recipe to make a whole cup will even out the measurements and will give you extra to use for other meals. The recipe was adapted from simplerecipes.com, and ingredients are as followed:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan
1/4 cup garlic extra virgin olive oil (can use slightly less and it will still turn out good)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves