Chicken Gnocchi Soup is creamy comfort food at its best! This one-pot meal is ready in 30 minutes and packed with gnocchi, vegetables, and tender chicken.
Pair this soup with homemade Dinner Rolls and Italian Salad!
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Joining the list of easy soups that can be made in one pot and in 30 minutes or less is the creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup! If you’re new here, check out my Chicken Parmesan Soup and Chicken Tortilla Soup—both ready in about 20 minutes and big hits on the blog.
I use a few shortcuts to get a comforting soup on your table fast, and this one’s no different. It takes just a little longer because we need to make a roux for the creamy base, but you can still have it ready in 30 minutes or less!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup:
- Olive oil: Adds flavor and helps cook the vegetables.
- Onion, celery, and carrot: Sauté these well until they soften and lose their crunch. They add important background flavor!
- Garlic: Boosts overall flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Forms the creamy base for the roux.
- Seasoning: Italian seasoning, parsley, oregano, thyme, and chicken bouillon powder pack in loads of flavor.
- Flour: Thickens the Chicken Gnocchi Soup for a creamy texture.
- Chicken broth: Use low sodium to avoid excess salt.
- Whole milk & heavy cream: Make the soup smooth and creamy. Add more to thin it out if needed.
- Bay leaf: Adds a subtle flavor; remove before serving.
- Gnocchi: Use fresh or frozen, just make sure it boils in about 3 minutes.
- Baby spinach: Adds color and a nice texture.
- Rotisserie chicken: Pre-cooked and quick to use. Leftover grilled chicken works too.
Quick Tip
Gnocchi are small, smooth dumplings, usually made from potato or flour, and served with sauce. You can find them in the pasta section of most grocery stores. Pronounced “nyow·kee” with a soft ‘y’ sound at the start.
How To Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Cook veggies: Sauté onion, celery, and carrots until soft. Add garlic.
- Add butter & seasonings: Stir in seasonings and melt butter.
- Make roux: Whisk in flour, then slowly add broth until smooth.
- Simmer: Add milk, cream, bay leaf, and gnocchi. Cook until gnocchi is almost done.
- Finish: Stir in spinach and chicken, cook until spinach wilts. Remove bay leaf and serve.
What To Serve With Chicken Gnocchi Soup:
- Crusty bread: Perfect for dipping into the creamy soup.
- Side salad: Keep the copycats going with this Olive Garden salad!
- Roasted veggies: A side of roasted vegetables complements the hearty soup.
- Cheddar biscuits: Warm, cheesy biscuits are great for soaking up the soup.
- Fruit: I love a side of this Winter Fruit Salad.
Storage
Storage Tips:
Chicken Gnocchi Soup is best enjoyed the same day. The gnocchi tends to soak up liquid and can get mushy when stored.
If you plan to store it, cook the gnocchi separately or make a smaller batch. Freezing isn’t recommended since the gnocchi will absorb more liquid over time.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Chili made in the CrockPot
- Zuppa Toscana Soup another Olive Garden copycat!
- Crockpot Pasta E Fagioli another Olive Garden copycat!
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup with a cheesy creamy base
- Creamy Vegetable Soup with loads of veggies
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 3/4 cup diced carrot
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (16-ounce) package gnocchi
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- Fresh thyme optional
- Hearty buttered bread optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7–9 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, chicken bouillon, parsley, oregano, and thyme. Stir for 15 seconds to combine. Add the butter and stir until it melts.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, continuing to whisk until smooth and slightly thickened. Add the bay leaf, milk, and cream. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the gnocchi and cook according to package instructions, but reduce the cooking time by 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in spinach and chicken. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the chicken is heated through. Remove the bay leaf and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh thyme if desired. Serve with hearty buttered bread on the side.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Chelsea, you knocked it out of the park once again! This soup is soooo flavourful. I’ve made it a few times now, and my family LOVES it! 10/10 definitely recommend.
Yay! I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Jenna!
Thank you for the recipe, I will make this! Could I substitute arugula for spinach?
Janet
Hey Janet! You’re so welcome! That should be fine, I would just chop it up a bit and remove the stems of the arugula.
This was really good and makes a lot! I made a few small alternative like reglazing with a little wine after cooking the celery onion mixture to get all the fond up. I used smoked chicken beggar I had some in the freezer and added a diced leftover kielbasa link to clear out the fridge. At the end of cooking, the consistency was thicker than what I like so I thinned it with 1.5 cups of milk (2 %) and it came out like a clam chowder thickness. I’ll definitely make this again
I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks for your comment, Fiona!
Love this. Will try it soon.
I hope you enjoy! Thanks Jimmie!
6 table spoons of flour but otherwise the soup is delicious
What?
Sooo delish and easy to make. Didn’t need to worry about storing left overs….family ate it right up.
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Deborah!
Soup
yummy soup, love gnocchi in it, have never used it in a soup. thank you!
You’re welcome! 🙂