Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Inspired)
Table of contents
Intro
There’s a reason Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup is so loved. It’s creamy, comforting, and full of tender chicken, soft gnocchi, and spinach. This is my homemade version, with plenty of garlic, a little Parmesan, and a pinch of nutmeg to bring everything together. It’s the kind of soup I want a big bowl of when the weather turns cold. And you will love how incredibly easy it is to make!
Check out these other great soup recipes while you are here!
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Marry Me Chicken and Gnocchi Soup – this one has been viewed over 70 MILLION times!
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Spicy Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s hearty enough for dinner. Chicken and gnocchi make this a filling meal.
- Everything cooks in one pot. The vegetables and broth pick up flavor from the pan used to cook the chicken.
- It’s rich and cozy. Heavy cream and Parmesan give the broth its creamy finish.
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – About 1 pound, or three small breasts.
- Your favorite chicken seasoning – Use enough to season both sides of the chicken.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – 1 tablespoon for cooking the chicken.
- Butter – 2 tablespoons for softening the vegetables.
- Yellow onion – Half of one onion, diced.
- Celery – 2 ribs, diced.
- Matchstick carrots – 1 cup.
- Salt and black pepper – About ½ teaspoon of each for the vegetables.
- Garlic – About 8 cloves, minced.
- Italian seasoning – 1 tablespoon.
- All-purpose flour – ¼ cup to thicken the soup.
- Chicken broth – 6 cups.
- Heavy cream – 2 cups.
- Fresh gnocchi – 1 pound.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese – 1 cup.
- Nutmeg – A pinch.
- Fresh baby spinach – About 3 cups, chopped.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
First, season both sides of the chicken with your favorite chicken seasoning. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the chicken until it’s cooked through and reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove it from the pot, let it rest for about 5 minutes, and give it a rough chop.
Next, add the butter to the same pot. Stir in the onion, celery, and carrots, then season with about ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for another minute.
Next, stir in the flour and let it cook for about 2 minutes, stirring so it coats the vegetables.
Gradually stir in the chicken broth, followed by the heavy cream. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then add the gnocchi. Once the gnocchi floats to the top, stir the chopped chicken back in.
Finally, reduce the heat to low and stir in the Parmesan, a pinch of nutmeg, and the chopped spinach. Continue stirring until the spinach wilts and the soup thickens slightly. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Tips for Success
- Keep the boil gentle. Once the cream is in the pot, the soup only needs a gentle boil to cook the gnocchi.
- Turn down the heat before adding Parmesan. Low heat helps the cheese melt smoothly into the soup.
- Give it a few minutes to thicken. The soup thickens as it sits, and the gnocchi will continue to absorb some of the broth.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is a meal on its own, but it’s especially good with breadsticks, garlic bread, or a piece of crusty bread for dipping. A cold, crisp salad also goes very well with it!
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. The gnocchi will absorb broth as the soup sits, so add a splash of chicken broth or milk when reheating. Warm it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
I don’t recommend freezing this soup. The cream can separate, and the gnocchi may become too soft after thawing.
If you do make this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating! I love hearing from you and it helps so much! Thank you!
Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Inspired)
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (approximately 3 small breasts)
- 1-2 teaspoons Your favorite chicken seasoning enough to coat the chicken
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- About 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 pound fresh gnocchi
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Pinch of nutmeg
- About 3 cups fresh baby spinach chopped
Instructions
- Season the chicken on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the chicken until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove it, rest for 5 minutes, and roughly chop.
- In the same pot, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
- Gradually stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a gentle boil and add the gnocchi.
- When the gnocchi floats to the top, return the chicken to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the Parmesan, nutmeg, and spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts and the soup thickens slightly. Season to taste and serve.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use rotisserie chicken? – Yes. Skip the chicken-cooking step and stir about 3 cups of chopped or shredded cooked chicken into the soup when the gnocchi floats to the top.
Can I use shelf-stable gnocchi? – Yes. Follow the cooking directions on the package, then continue with the recipe once the gnocchi is tender.
Why did my leftover soup get so thick? – Gnocchi absorbs liquid as it sits. Add a little chicken broth or milk while reheating to loosen the soup.
Can I freeze chicken gnocchi soup? – I don’t recommend it for this version because the creamy broth can separate and the gnocchi may turn soft when thawed.
