My Chicken Gnocchi Soup is creamy, luscious, and jam-packed with gnocchi, chicken, and spinach—just like the restaurant version. And it’s so easy, you can whip up a pot tonight!
I love gnocchi. I put it on sheet pan dinners and in skillet meals. And of course I enjoy it traditionally too, boiled and served with an Italian-inspired sauce.
I also love homemade soup—my site has dozens of recipes for it. (Here’s a nice round-up of several.)
So of course I had to make a homemade version of Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi Soup. And you know what? It’s easy!
Ingredients
To make this Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe you follow a pretty basic soup-making method. Sauté some vegetables—in this case, carrots, celery, and onions—then add broth and any other goodies. And you have soup!
In the case of Chicken Gnocchi Soup, the main ingredients include, of course, chicken and gnocchi. But also spinach, thyme, and half and half. It’s the combo of all those things that makes the creamy, hearty soup so many of us know and love.
Simplify Your Prep
As I mentioned, this soup isn’t just delicious. It’s easy to make too. And one of the things that makes it that way is a few store-bought ingredients to reduce the prep time.
I also use a 32-ounce package of chicken broth (no measuring) and packaged baby spinach (no washing or chopping).
Some recipes for this soup also use shredded carrots, which you can buy already prepared. But I think that small carrot sticks better replicate the restaurant version. If you don’t mind trading a little authenticity for convenience, though, shredded carrots will absolutely work—use about a cup.
There’s also no need for homemade gnocchi or pre-cooked chicken in this chicken soup.
What Kind Of Gnocchi Should I Use?
No need to make it from scratch, store-bought gnocchi works great in this soup. You’ll find it in the pasta aisle, the refrigerated pasta section, and the frozen food section.
Some stores won’t have all three kinds, but that’s okay because any kind works in this recipe. If you’re using frozen, thaw it first.
What Kind Of Chicken Should I Use?
Some recipes also use cooked chicken, but I find I can use raw chicken and cook it right in the soup, avoiding the need to pre-cook. I use boneless skinless chicken breasts in this soup. Cut them into small 1/2 inch pieces so that the chicken cooks through properly.
If you have cooked chicken on hand, however, you can absolutely use that instead. See the recipe for details.
How To Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Use a large pot or Dutch oven to make your chicken and gnocchi soup so that you’ve got plenty of room. Heat some oil over medium-high heat and then add your carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and seasonings. Cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Next, add the broth and diced chicken breasts and bring to a boil. Then, add the gnocchi and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
At the end, add the half and half and spinach, stirring until the spinach has wilted. So good!
Add some Olive Garden-y breadsticks (look for them in the freezer aisle) and a green salad with Italian dressing, and you’ve got all the feels of a yummy dinner out right in your own home.
Enjoy! – Christine
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Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
DESCRIPTION
My Chicken Gnocchi Soup is creamy, luscious, and jam-packed with gnocchi, chicken, and spinach—just like the restaurant version. And it’s so easy, you can whip up a pot tonight!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 carrots, cut into 1-in. sticks (see note)
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- ½ tsp. salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp. pepper, plus more to taste
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-in. dice (see note)
- 1 lb. fresh, frozen, or shelf-stable gnocchi (thawed if frozen)
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- 2 cups half and half
Instructions
- In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the broth and chicken and bring to a boil.
- Add the gnocchi and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the half and half and spinach, stirring until the spinach is wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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Notes
Note: You can substitute 1 cup of shredded carrots for the carrot sticks. You can also substitute 2 cups of diced cooked chicken for the raw, but add it with the gnocchi.
This post originally appeared in September 2021 and was revised and republished in January 2023.
Renee says
This looks so good! I would definitely need bread sticks to go with this soup.
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
Yes, perfect for getting every last drop, Renee!