This Chicken Gnocchi Soup is better than Olive Garden! Loaded with tender chicken, chunks of vegetables, pillowy gnocchi, and spinach in a creamy, flavorful broth, and ready in 30 minutes.
Love gnocchi? You might also like this Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup, this Three Cheese Gnocchi Bake, and this Baked Gnocchi with Sausage!
This Chicken Gnocchi Soup is my at-home version of the restaurant favorite, and honestly, we like it even better! It’s creamy, hearty, and packed with tender chicken, veggies, pillowy gnocchi and spinach.
I love that I can swap in leftover roast chicken or shredded chicken if that’s what’s in the fridge, and the gnocchi makes it feel like a full meal without a lot of extra sides.
Finish it with a sprinkle of Parmesan, grab some homemade breadsticks for dunking, and you’ve got a cozy bowl of Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup without ever leaving the kitchen.
What people are saying
““Amazing, literally the best soup I’ve ever made. So simple and easy!!” Whitney
“I’m not a great cook but get compliments every time with this one! It’s my go to comfort meal and so easy, now checking out other recipes too 🙂” Jen”
Chicken Gnocchi Soup ingredients:
- Oil: Any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point will work.
- Onion, celery, and carrot: This trio forms a classic mirepoix, which is the base for many soup recipes, adding lots of flavor and nutrients! Matchstick carrots save chopping time, but finely chopped carrots work just as well!
- Parsley, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper: For the best flavor, mince your own garlic cloves before adding to the soup.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: I use chicken breasts because that’s what we prefer. However, boneless skinless chicken thighs also work perfectly! Instead of 2 breasts, use 4 thighs. If you have leftover Baked Chicken Breasts or Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken, this is a great time to use them!
- Low-sodium chicken broth: I prefer to add salt to our tastes rather than start with a salted broth. For that reason, I recommend tasting the soup before serving and adjusting the seasonings as you desire.
- Potato gnocchi: I use shelf-stable potato gnocchi found in the pasta aisle. Feel free to experiment with different types of gnocchi!
- Fresh spinach: I like using fresh spinach, but you can swap it with frozen spinach; make sure to thaw and dry it before adding to the soup.
How to make Chicken Gnocchi Soup:
This Chicken Gnocchi Soup cooks in one pot on the stove, which makes it a weeknight favorite! Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions.
- Sauté the vegetables and add seasonings.
- Add the chicken broth and chicken breasts.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred it.
- Stir in the shredded chicken, cream, spinach, and Parmesan.
How to store Chicken Gnocchi Soup:
Leftover Chicken Gnocchi Soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store it in an airtight container, then reheat gently on the stove over low to medium heat, stirring often.
The gnocchi will continue to soften as it sits, so I sometimes add a splash of broth or cream to loosen it up when reheating. If you prefer al dente gnocchi, cook it separately and add it to each serving.
To freeze, let the soup cool completely and transfer it to freezer-safe containers or freezer bags (I like to freeze bags flat so they thaw quickly).
Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat from frozen over low heat, adding a bit of extra broth if needed!
Serving suggestions:
While I don’t actually need to serve anything alongside this hearty chicken soup, I sure do love to have some Homemade Dinner Rolls or a piece of Garlic Bread for dunking (bonus points if it’s Cheesy Garlic Bread!).
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrot matchsticks, (or finely chopped carrots)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 3 cups small gnocchi, (500g)
- 1 ½ cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or soup pot, add oil and cook onion, celery and carrots over medium-high heat until slightly softened.
- Add parsley, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and stir.
- Add broth and chicken breasts and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove chicken breasts to a cutting board to shred. Whisk together cream and corn starch and stir into the soup with the gnocchi. Let simmer for 4-5 minutes until gnocchi is tender and soup is slightly thickened.
- Stir in shredded chicken, spinach and Parmesan. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Tag @thereciperebelVariations & Substitutions
- Frozen chicken option: Add frozen chicken breasts straight to the pot with the broth, simmer until they reach 165°F, then shred and continue as directed.
- Extra vegetables: Stir in peas, corn, or chopped zucchini near the end of the cook time, or add mushrooms with the onions if you want more veggies in each bowl.
- Rotisserie shortcut: Got leftover Crockpot Whole Chicken? You can simply stir it in and leave out the chicken breasts in this recipe. You’ll want about 2 cups of shredded chicken. You could also use rotisserie chicken!
- Different greens: Swap the spinach for kale (add it earlier so it softens) or use frozen spinach that has been thawed and squeezed dry.
Jim says
I made this recipe this week. I’d recommend 1lb of chicken. Call me picky, I like measurements (Sorry Ashley). Breast meat was really good, but I think I might try boneless skinless thighs next time. That said, I adhered to the recipe and it was delicious. I used shelf stable gnocchi from a quality brand, and it was just fine. My wife loved it, and I’ll make this again.
Danielle says
I made it tonight. The broth was really good! First time cooking with gnocchi. They turned out chewy. Probably my fault since I’m not used to them. They were fresh from the store. Are the shelf ones better? Do they also turn chewy like mine did?
All in all broth was delicious 🙂
Thank you, from Ottawa
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Danielle! If they are a little chewy you can continue cooking so they are softer, but they do have a different texture than pasta which may not be your thing?
Jim says
Yeah, they are pretty chewy by default. I was surprised the first time too, but I like it now that I know what to expect. I’ve used fresh and shelf stable, and they were both chewy.
As a side tip, I have found the shelf stable from a quality brand was virtually indistinguishable from fresh, especially if one is more expensive.
Danielle says
Ok so they are chewy either way? My adult kids told me it was because I let them cook too long. They stir fry them instead. Anyways thank you both Jim and Ashley for a reply. Me thinks I will stick to pasta BUT will cook it in this broth. So darn good
Cheers from Ottawa
Ashley Fehr says
That’s a great idea! It will be just as delicious
Shirley says
Here’s what I did differently: shredded the carrot instead of matchsticks, used a tbs of Better than Bouillon Chicken, poultry seasoning as that’s what I had and black pepper instead of salt/parsley/thyme, and added a bit more heavy cream and 10% cream. It was absolutely incredible and pantry shelf stable gnocchi is a complete game changer. What a flavourful and comforting soup that will be in rotation throughout the winter.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Shirley!
KM says
Has anyone tried this in the crockpot?
Ashley Fehr says
I have a slow cooker version right here: https://www.thereciperebel.com/slow-cooker-chicken-gnocchi-soup/