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, this Baked Gnocchi with Sausage or any of my best gnocchi recipes!
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.
Jenn C says
My entire family lived this! Even the super picky eater. Thank you!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jenn! I’m so glad!
Kandy says
Soup looks delicious … just made it. 1. I sauted the gnocchi (Rana-fresh) in butter a few mins before adding to keep them from getting too mushy. 2. At the end when I added the cheese and stirred it the spoon is covered with cheese. Does this happen to anyone else? Hope to enjoy this for dinner tonight! Thx!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Kandy! I would just give the cheese a few minutes to melt before serving. That should help!
Kandy says
And do you think that the cheese won’t stick to the spoon? It’s happened every time I add parm cheese so that would be nice if it worked! Btw … soup was delicious!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you! Yes I think if you let it melt a bit and then stir it again, it should be fine 🙂
Abigail Raines says
This is truly comfort food in a bowl! Even in hot weather, I can eat this – it’s that good!
Ashley Fehr says
I definitely can too!
Jessica says
Oh my goodness, this was the perfect bowl of comfort food. It is still chilly here and I wanted to try something new. This hit the spot.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jessica!
Stephanie says
Absolutely phenomenal recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Stephanie!
Krissy Allori says
I love Gnocchi! I haven’t used it in soup. I can’t wait to try this. Going to put this on the menu for next week. Yum!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Krissy! Let me know how it goes!
Chelsea says
This soup is so delicious!! We’re obsessed! Thanks for sharing!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Chelsea! us too!
Eszter says
Best soup ever, my family loved it, thank you Ashley!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Ezter!
Scout Daily says
Love the idea but do you cook the chicken before putting it in the soup?
Ashley Fehr says
I don’t! They cook in the soup. You could use precooked chicken if that’s what you have
Clare says
Hello! Making this today in the crockpot. I assume the corn starch isn’t needed when cooking this way?
Ashley Fehr says
No, you will add it with the cream at the end. I hope you enjoyed it!
Denise says
Does the gnocchi eat up the broth if you keep in the refrigerator for 2 days?
Ashley Fehr says
It will thicken as it sits and is refrigerated, but I just add a little more broth to serve and it is great!
Laura Porter says
Awesome soup! Our kids loved it too!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Laura!
Natalie says
Made this a couple weeks ago & my family loved it!! Our favorite is the gnocchi! This soup has a lot of flavor!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Natalie! I’m glad!
Rachael Yerkes says
best soup ever!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Rachael!
wilhelmina says
This is such a great bowl of soup! So comforting and beyond delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Jessica Formicola says
This recipe really is better than the Olive Garden version! Everyone loved it last time I made it!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jessica! I think so too!
Stephanie says
This was fantastic. So delicious and so easy to make! Thanks for making my day easier!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that!
Elaine says
This may be a simple question, but where do I *find* gnocchi? Good ol’ rural areas and all…
Ashley Fehr says
No problem! You can find it in almost any grocery store with the pasta — it comes in a little vacuum packed package!
Christine says
Tasted amazing right out of crockpot. But the next day when I reheated a bowl it left an oily taste in my mouth. And had lost some flavor. Not sure why…..
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry to hear that! Most soups thicken quite a bit as they sit, so I usually dilute with additional broth after storing. Do you think that would help?
Brittany says
This was a great recipe! I added a little Italian seasoning. Also, I used the crockpot and didn’t want to dirty another pan, so I added all my veggies and seasonings and let them heat in the crockpot about 20 minutes until they were translucent before adding the other ingredients. Worked great! I will certainly be adding this to the winter rotation.
Ashley Fehr says
That’s a great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Talicia says
If dairy free could you use coconut milk in place of cream? Or would you recommend something else? Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
You can use whatever you enjoy the flavor of in savory dishes — whether that’s almond or coconut or something else1