Valentina Ablaev
Homemade chicken and gnocchi soup makes the perfect comfort meal from scratch. A rich and creamy broth loaded with tender chicken and soft potato gnocchi packs flavor into every bite. In just 30 minutes, you can have a restaurant-level soup in the comfort of your own home!
Olive Garden Copycat Recipes
The chicken and gnocchi soup was popularized mainly by Olive Garden, along with the spicy zuppa toscana and loaded pasta fagioli soup! These soups are great as a meal, or the perfect starter for your main entree! Whether you love a crispy chicken parmesan or a rich chicken alfredo, you simply can’t go wrong with a restaurant copycat recipe!
Ingredients for Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
All you need are a few simple ingredients:
- Vegetables – A classic mix of onion, celery, and carrots makes for a flavorful base for this soup.
- Broth – Chicken broth is the perfect soup base that’s flavorful without overpowering the soup.
- Chicken – You can use chicken thighs or chicken breast. Simply cut the chicken into cubes before adding it to the soup.
- Gnocchi – Premade potato gnocchi makes this process so easy and just as delicious.
- Dairy – We use half and half to make this soup extra creamy and delicious.
- Spinach – Fresh spinach adds a great kick of greens to this soup.
- Seasoning – We use a mix of salt, pepper, basil, and thyme for a delicious boost of flavor.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Tools for this Recipe
Shop all of Valentina’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and kitchen must-haves!
A Dutch oven makes this soup a one-pot special!
Substitutions and Variations
- Add bacon: Add crispy bacon bits to the soup for a great flavor kick.
- Bring some heat: Add red pepper flakes to this soup to spice up the dish.
How to Make Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
- Cook the onion. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil, and cook down the onions.
2. Saute veggies. Add butter, along with celery and carrots, to the pot and saute until the veggies are tender. Add the garlic and stir for a minute.
3. Make the base. Stir in the flour until a paste forms.
4. Add broth. Add the broth, chicken chunks, and seasoning. Bring to a light simmer.
5. Cook the gnocchi. Add the potato gnocchi and bring the pot up to a boil, then turn it to low. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until the gnocchi is soft.
6. Finish and garnish. Add the half-and-half along with a handful of spinach, and stir until combined.
Other Cooking Methods
1. Sauté the veggies in a pan the same way as you would for the Dutch oven method.
2. Whisk the flour into the veggies and add the mixture to the slow cooker.
3. Pour in the broth, seasoning, and chicken into the slow cooker.
4. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
5. Add the gnocchi to the soup and cook for an hour.
6. Pour in the half and half and spinach. Cover and allow everything to meld for 10 minutes before serving.
1. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode and cook the onion in oil.
2. Add the butter, along with the rest of the vegetables.
3. Whisk in the flour, then add broth, seasoning, and chicken.
4. Add the gnocchi and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes and allow the pressure to release for 5 minutes.
Pro Tip of the Day
Don’t overcook the gnocchi. When cooking the gnocchi, it’s important not to overcook them, as the soup will become mushy.
Serving Suggestions
- Soup and salad: Serve this soup with a loaded grilled chicken salad for a balanced meal.
- Sandwich and soup: Serve this creamy soup with a classic club sandwich for a filling and delicious combination.
- Bread: Pair this chicken and gnocchi soup with homemade breadsticks, and don’t forget to dip the bread into that broth!
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Keep leftover soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm up the soup in a pot until it simmers.
- Freeze. Freeze the soup in a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. Reheat: Warm up the frozen soup in a pot until it is reheated.
More Soup Recipes
If you enjoyed this chicken and gnocchi soup recipe, be sure to try our other easy soup recipes; here are some of our favorites:
If you tried this chicken and gnocchi soup or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 carrots cubed
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 garlic clovces minced
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ pounds chicken (breast or thighs) cubed 1” pieces
- 16 oz potato gnocchi
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
seasoning-
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- ¼ tsp pepper, or to taste
- ½ tsp basil
- ¼ tsp thyme
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and diced onion, and saute until tender.
- Add diced carrots, celery, and butter, and cook for a few minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes to cook off the raw flour taste.
- Add the chicken broth, cubed chicken, and seasonings to the pot.
- Bring the soup up to a soft boil, and add the gnocchi. Bring the broth up to a boil and reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the gnocchi is soft.
- Stir in the half and half and spinach.
- Cook for a few minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Be careful not to overcook the gnocchi so it doesn’t become mushy.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Reheat the soup in a pot on the stovetop until it reaches a light simmer.
Nutrition
FAQs
Swap out half-and-half for heavy cream to make this soup richer.
Yes, you can make this soup even easier by adding shredded chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken into the soup.
Gnocchi is sold in the pasta or international foods section of most grocery stores.
