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ByAnn Drake
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This chicken gnocchi soup recipe is thick and hearty. Serve it with crusty bread for a filling and delicious meal. Your family will love it!
As winter comes to a close, I’m sharing one more soup recipe that’s easy, but even better than that, it’s full of flavor and texture. If you love Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup, then this post is for you!
Why This Recipe Works
There are lots of variations of this soup available online, many claiming to be the original Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup. Other recipes are categorized as “copycats,” which is what I’m featuring today. To set my recipe apart from all the others, I tried very hard to streamline the steps for you, and keep the ingredients in order.
The steps at the beginning are very much like what I featured in my chicken and rice soup recipe, however, this chicken gnocchi soup recipe is even easier. I was able to eliminate the roux step, which saves time, plus there is one less pan to wash!
Update: the chicken and rice recipe has been updated to eliminate that roux step so it’s much easier now!
Main Ingredients
- butter + olive oil
- veggies + garlic
- flour
- chicken broth (regular or low-sodium)
- half and half (milk or heavy cream can be used)
- chicken breast
- gnocchi (store-bought or homemade)
- spinach
- herbs + seasoning
Prep Tips
- Any kind of gnocchi can be used, but shelf stable potato gnocchi works the best, and it is what Olive Garden uses in their soup. Gnocchi can be found in the pasta aisle of your grocery store.
- Any kind of chicken can be used, but rotisserie chicken works great for this soup, and it’s a big time-saver. Pull off the breast meat and chop it into pieces. If there is any juice in the bottom of the chicken bag, make sure to add it to the soup. Boneless chicken thighs or boneless breasts can be used as well.
- Make sure to use fresh spinach. Frozen spinach will get mushy.
- You can use heavy cream instead of half & half.
- The easiest way to make this creamy chicken gnocchi soup is to assemble all of your ingredients before you start cooking. It goes very quickly and smoothly if everything is ready and at your fingertips.
How to Make
- Add butter and olive oil to a large dutch oven.
- On medium high heat, add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
- Saute on the stove top for 5 minutes until tender.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the vegetables and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, half and half, thyme, salt, and black pepper.
- Add chopped chicken and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add gnocchi and spinach.
- Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Remove the sprigs of thyme. Serve immediately.
Cooking & Storage Tips
- Have some extra chicken broth on hand. When it’s finished cooking, if the chicken gnocchi soup is too thick for your taste, just add chicken broth to thin it out a bit.
- To store, transfer any leftover soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, portion the soup into individual serving bowls and heat each one in the microwave. The soup will get very thick after it sits in the refrigerator, but it thins out after it’s reheated. If it’s still too thick for your taste, just add chicken broth.
- For added flavor, deglaze the pot after you’ve added the flour with white wine, then add the chicken broth and half & half.
- Adaptation: try adding other proteins such as cooked turkey or italian sausage instead of chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make this in a slow cooker or crockpot?
Yes! It doesn’t save much time because this recipe is so easy and quick to make. But check out this recipe if you are interested!
Instead of flour, can you make a cornstarch slurry?
Yes! To make a cornstarch slurry, whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 4 tablespoons of water. Pour the slurry in, a little at a time, to the soup right before the chicken is added.
What other vegetables can you add to chicken gnocchi soup?
Good additions are frozen or fresh corn, green peas, chopped zucchini, or green beans.
What do you serve with chicken gnocchi soup?
It’s delicious topped with grated parmesan cheese and served with thick slices of crusty bread. A romaine salad would be delicious as well.
Making soup is like therapy for me. The time spent in the kitchen is relaxing. Chopping and organizing the ingredients makes me feel accomplished and productive. I love that a pot of soup makes enough to share with my dad…and that there are always leftovers for a second meal for us.
If you aren’t a soup maker, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. If you already love making soup, I hope you have found some inspiration from this recipe and the tips. Enjoy!
More Soup Recipes
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- Chicken and Rice Soup
- Beef Barley Soup
- Semi-Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Weight Loss Vegetable Soup
- One Pot Chicken and Noodles
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Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
This chicken gnocchi soup is thick and hearty. Serve with crusty bread for a filling and delicious meal.
Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4.83 from 17 votes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Ann Drake
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 50 minutes minutes
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 large onion chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (or two finely chopped garlic cloves)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 32 oz. chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half or whipping cream
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 cups chicken cubed
- 1 cup packed fresh spinach
- 16 oz. potato gnocchi
Instructions
Add butter and olive oil to a large dutch oven.
On medium heat, add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
Saute for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the vegetables and stir for 2 minutes.
Add chicken broth, half and half, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Add chopped chicken and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add gnocchi and spinach.
Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
Remove the sprigs of thyme. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 834mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3327IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg
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