Vegan Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter (or oil) (see note 1 to make oil-free)
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 large rib celery (or 2 small ribs), finely chopped
• 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
• ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon black pepper + more for serving
• 2- 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (see note 2 to make gluten-free)
• 1 ½ cups or a 15-ounce can cooked chickpeas (see note 3 for substitutions)
• 4 - 5 cups vegan chicken broth, to taste (see note 4)
• 16 - 32 ounces gnocchi (see note 5)
• ½ cup or more (up to 1 cup) of vegan cream, to taste (see note 6 for options)
• 1-2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped, optional