Pheasant and Gnocchi Soup

Written by Jenny and Rick Wheatley

Prep Time: 30 Min - Cook Time: 30 Min

This pheasant, kale and gnocchi soup makes a nice meal during the colder months of the year. It’s creamy, hearty and full of vegetable goodness in addition to making good use of leftover game meat. I like heavy vegetables and little meat in soup, whereas you might like the opposite. Add or subtract ingredients to your liking.

If you don’t have leftover cooked pheasant (or other light-meat game bird), my preferred method is gently poaching the breasts in water. To do this, submerged breasts in water in a saucepan. Turn on heat and gently simmer until the thickest part of the breast reads 145°F, about 7-10 minutes. Immediately remove the pheasant, sprinkle salt on the meat and set aside to cool. You may also cook the pheasant by searing, roasting or baking.

Ingredients

1 package of potato gnocchi

6 oz cooked pheasant breasts, or more

1 tbsp Butter

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Half a large onion, chopped

3/4 cup(s) diced celery

2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cup(s) chicken stock or light game stock

2 cup(s) roughly chopped kale leaves

2 cup(s) half and half

Instructions

Step #1 In a medium soup pot, sweat oil, butter, onion, celery, carrot and a pinch of salt over medium heat, stirring frequently. When onion becomes translucent, add thyme and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add chicken stock and kale. Then cover the pot and simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Step #2 Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package directions – typically boiled in salted water. Then strain gnocchi and add to the soup pot.

Step #3 Cut cooked pheasant into bite-size pieces. Stir in half and half and pheasant. Heat through and season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe Card

Pheasant and Gnocchi Soup

Written by Jenny and Rick Wheatley Visit : Visit authors website

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Prep Time: 30 Min - Cook Time: 30 Min

Ingredients

1 package of potato gnocchi

6 oz cooked pheasant breasts, or more

1 tbsp Butter

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Half a large onion, chopped

3/4 cup(s) diced celery

2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cup(s) chicken stock or light game stock

2 cup(s) roughly chopped kale leaves

2 cup(s) half and half

Instructions

Step #1 - In a medium soup pot, sweat oil, butter, onion, celery, carrot and a pinch of salt over medium heat, stirring frequently. When onion becomes translucent, add thyme and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add chicken stock and kale. Then cover the pot and simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Step #2 - Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package directions – typically boiled in salted water. Then strain gnocchi and add to the soup pot.

Step #3 - Cut cooked pheasant into bite-size pieces. Stir in half and half and pheasant. Heat through and season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

About the Author

Jenny and Rick Wheatley

Visit authors website

Jenny and Rick Wheatley both grew up in Southern California and connected over a shared love of the outdoors. They started their wild game cooking blog Food for Hunters in 2011, where they share recipes, photos and thoughts on wild food. Today, Jenny and Rick continue to hunt, fish, forage and cook in the Cornhusker State of Nebraska. Their recipes have appeared in numerous publications, including Petersens Hunting, Game and Fish, Nebraskaland and North American Whitetail magazines.

The Nebraska Center for the Book awarded their book Hunting for Food: Guide to Harvesting, Field Dressing and Cooking Wild Game the Wildlife Honor Award in 2016.