Gnocchi Chicken Minestrone

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine last year.  Since then I've made this hearty soup several times.  The gnocchi certainly makes this soup standout from other minestrone recipes.

GNOCCHI CHICKEN MINESTRONE

1 ¼ lbs. chicken tenderloins, cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ t dried oregano
¼ t each salt and pepper
2 T olive oil, divided
1 each small green, sweet red and yellow peppers, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
1 c fresh baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
⅓ c chopped red onion
⅓ c bacon, crisp-cooked and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
¾ c canned white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
½ c frozen peas
3 T tomato paste
1 pkg. (16-oz.) potato gnocchi
½ c shredded Asiago cheese

Sprinkle chicken with oregano, salt, and pepper. In a Dutch oven, sauté chicken in 1 T oil until no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, cook the peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and onion in remaining oil until tender. Add bacon and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, peas, tomato paste, and chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain; stir into soup. Garnish each serving with cheese and basil. Makes 8 servings.