Chicken Gnocchi Soup is thick, creamy, loaded with vegetables, and quite filling. If you’re looking for a cozy comforting soup, this is it!
Cold days call for putting on all the layers and enjoying a cozy bowl of Chicken Gnocchi Soup! Nothing says comfort like a filling and ultra creamy soup! For more cozy winter dishes, try my Slow Cooker Beef Stew, Instant Pot Pot Roast, and Stuffed Pepper Casserole.
Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
This soup comes together fairly quickly right on the stove top. To make it even easier, use cooked shredded chicken. (A great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken!) Serve it with a side of crusty No-Knead Bread so you can soak up every last drop of deliciousness.
Ingredients for Chicken and Gnocchi Soup:
- Chicken– Chicken breasts work great but thighs can be used too.
- Butter– This gives the best flavor to the soup and is needed for sautéing the chicken and vegetables. It also helps create the roux that thickens the soup.
- Onion– I recommend yellow but sweet or white would be used. Chop finely so it cooks quickly and gets nice and tender.
- Carrots- Use match stick or cut carrots thin or dice small.
- Celery– This gives the soup flavor but I recommend chopping finely so it cooks quickly and gets nice and tender.
- Flour– Used to make the roux that thickens the soup. It is used in a 1:1 ratio with butter.
- Herbs & Spices– these obviously give more flavor. Nutmeg is a often used in Italian white sauces and is quite delicious if I say so myself. Adding the spices and cooking them in the butter before adding the liquid helps enhance their flavor.
- Milk– The higher fat percent used, the thicker and creamier the soup will be.
- Heavy Whipping Cream– Gives the soup a creamier thicker feel. Can be substituted for half-and-half.
- Chicken Bouillon– I love Better Than Bouillon. This adds so much flavor to the soup without thinning it out.
- Gnocchi– These tender potato pillows are so yummy and filling. They can be found next to the dry pasta or refrigerated pasta.
- Spinach– I like to use baby spinach since it’s already small but regular spinach roughly chopped works too.
- Parmesan Cheese– I highly recommend Parmesan Reggiano for the best flavor and quality.
How to make Chicken Gnocchi Soup:
Time needed: 40 minutes
- Cook the Chicken
In a large heavy bottom pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat and brown chicken. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon onto a plate. (OR skip this step and just throw in cooked shredded chicken at the end.)
- Saute the Vegetables
Add the remaining butter, onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender (5-7 minute). Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Make a Roux
Mix in the flour and spices and cook for 1 minute while continuously stirring. Gradually stir in the milk a little at a time until mixture is smooth and thins out.
- Simmer
Add remaining milk, cream, and chicken bouillon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened (can coat the back of a spoon), stirring occasionally.
Add the chicken along with the gnocchi, spinach, and Parmesan. Cover and simmer 4-6 minutes until spinach is wilted and gnocchi is cooked through.
FAQs
Gnocchi is an Italian pasta made of potatoes, flour, and eggs. It is light and tender, more similar to a dumpling than pasta.
You can find Gnocchi in your local grocery store in the pasta aisle or next to the fresh pasta near the deli.
Cooking the vegetables in butter rather than just boiling in broth give the soup more flavor due to the caramelization that happens when sautéing.
Rather than adding flour to make a roux, you’ll make a slurry of 2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water. Whisk it into the soup after it comes to a simmer. Continue to simmer and stir until thickened and can coat the back of a spoon. Then proceed with adding the chicken, gnocchi, spinach, and parmesan.
You can use any percent fat milk/cream you prefer or have on hand. Lower fat ones will result in a thinner soup but it will still be delicious. I have not tried using dairy substitutes so I cannot say how those would turn out.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS GNOCCHI SOUP:
- Garlic Press– Fresh garlic tastes best and this is the garlic press I’ve been using for the last 10 years. I love it and it’s easy to clean.
- Pot & Skillet Set– These are the skillets and pots I use. They have a heavy bottom making them sturdy and cook the food evenly. I use these multiple times a day.
- Knife Set– I got this when I got married 10 years ago. I use them multiple times a day and they’re still going strong!
LOOKING FOR MORE SOUP? CHECK OUT THESE:
- Lasagna Soup
- 10-Ingredient Slow Cooker Taco Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup
- The BEST Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrot, matchstick
- 1 rib celery, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 16 ounce package potato gnocchi
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottom pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat and brown chicken. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
- Add the remaining butter, onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender (5-7 minute). Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Mix in the flour and spices and cook for 1 minute while continuously stirring. Gradually stir in the milk a little at a time until mixture is smooth and thins out. Add remaining milk, cream, and chicken bouillon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened (can coat the back of a spoon), stirring occasionally.
- Add back the chicken along with the gnocchi, spinach, and Parmesan. Cover and simmer 4-6 minutes until spinach is wilted and gnocchi is cooked through.
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