This easy chicken gnocchi soup is simple to make with gnocchi, rotisserie chicken and a creamy broth. Ready in 30 minutes, it’s even better than Olive Garden!
Love copy restaurant-quality soup recipes? Try pasta e fagioli, zuppa toscana and minestrone soup.
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Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Last year we visited my BIL and SIL in New York for their baby’s blessing and she made the most delicious copycat Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup while we were there. It was so creamy, rich and delicious!
I had never tried gnocchi until I got married, but now this soup and sheet pan gnocchi are some of my favorites. This easy gnocchi soup recipe is easy to make and can be made in one pot in 30 minutes. It’s definitely a new family favorite along with this creamy potato leek soup recipe and chicken dumpling soup recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made in one pot and ready in 30 minutes. This soup is both a one pot recipe and a 30-minute meal. Less dishes and a lifesaver on busy weeknights.
- Comforting copycat recipe. Skip takeout and make Olive Garden soup and Olive Garden breadsticks at home. It’s creamy, hearty just like my clam chowder recipe!
- Family friendly. My kids love gnocchi not only in this soup but with marinara, basil pesto, bolognese or Alfredo sauce, too! Mini dumplings for the win.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil but butter can be used for a richer taste to saute the veggies.
- Veggies: Onion, carrots, celery and garlic added a flavor filled mirepoix base to the soup.
- Chicken breasts: Your chicken breasts will need to be cooked and shredded. I always love to have this shredded chicken recipe on hand.
- Heavy cream and chicken broth: This combination makes an irresistible creamy broth!
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper and dried thyme. Italian seasoning is also great!
- Gnocchi: Potato gnocchi can often be found in the pasta aisle or frozen gnocchi in the section by frozen ravioli and tortellini. I like the DeLallo brand of dried gnocchi.
- Spinach: Baby spinach that has been chopped adds a pop of color and nutrients.
How to Make Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
Add shredded chicken, chicken stock, whipping cream and seasonings. Heat to boiling and then add 16 ounces gnocchi. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down and simmer for 10 minutes, or until it has reached desired thickness.
Add 1-2 cups spinach, stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve while warm!
Tips + Variations
- Prepare veggies. Make sure to chop the vegetables before getting started. For convenience, use a bag of shredded carrots or buy pre chopped onions and celery.
- Rotisserie chicken. This is one of my favorite leftover rotisserie chicken recipes. It makes it so easy to make this creamy chicken gnocchi soup!
- Greens. You can use kale instead of spinach if preferred. Just make sure to wait to add it in until the very end.
- Gluten-free. Use gluten-free gnocchi if needed. DeLallo and Trader Joe’s make a great gluten-free version.
- Vegetarian. Omit the chicken and use vegetable broth to make vegetarian. You can even add in a can of chickpeas or more veggies to bulk it up a little more.
Storage
This Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup recipe will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Leftovers make a great lunch the next day! I don’t recommend freezing this soup, as dairy tends to separate when frozen and the gnocchi could get mushy.
More Olive Garden copycat recipes include chocolate lasagna, chicken fettuccine Alfredo and this Olive Garden salad recipe!
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Chicken Gnocchi Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion , diced
- 1 cup carrots , sliced or shredded
- 1 cup celery , chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded (or use rotisserie chicken)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 pint heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 16 ounce package mini potato gnocchi
- 1-2 cups spinach , chopped
Instructions
- Saute veggies. Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1/2 a diced onion, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup celery and 1 teaspoon garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
- Add remaining soup ingredients and simmer. Add 3 cups shredded chicken, 4 cups chicken stock, 1 pint whipping cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Heat to boiling and then add 16 ounces gnocchi. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down and simmer for 10 minutes, or until it has reached desired thickness.
- Add spinach. Add 1-2 cups spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy while warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, Chicken, Chicken, Dinner, Italian, Nut-Free, One Pot, One Pot, Pasta, Soups, Stovetop, Stovetop
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This was so good and easy to make. I used a rotisserie chicken and gluten-free gnocchi. Loved it was one pot and ready in 30 minutes (I would recommend buying pre-chopped onions/celery and shredded carrots if in a time crunch or wanting to take a short-cut. Chopping the veggies took the most time/effort). All four adults who ate loved it! Adding it to my regular soup rotation!
So happy to hear it turned out well with your adjustments! A dinner win!
Love everything about this recipe!!! Easy and delish! Win win!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
What did I like about this recipe? EVERYTHING!!! The only change I made was cooking the mirapoix at low for about an hour b/c my kids prefer soft veggies. I was hoping for leftovers, but there wasn’t a drop left. SOOOO GOOOOOD!!!!
So glad the whole family enjoyed it!
Didn’t use chicken. Used vegetable broth & substituted homo milk for cream.💕
Easy to follow, that’s what I like!
Tasty. Not complicated with too many ingredients.
Loved this the only things I changed I used cream cheese and powdered potatoes to thicken thank you for sharing. great recipe !
Thanks, Tina. I love to hear ways the base recipe can be adapted.
I am 54 y/o and new to cooking. Trying to help my wife once a week by cooking and this was my 6th meal. It was absolutely awesome! I added some cooked bacon and chorizo to gain the interest of my 12 y/o son and it blended very well.
Paired with garlic Parmesan bread to “dunk” it was a huge hit. Definite repeater!
I’m so glad the recipe was a hit, Scott! Bacon and chorizo sound like awesome additions!
I just made this and it was delicious! I did not have heavy whipping cream on hand, so I made a melted butter/milk/cornstarch substitution, which worked perfectly. I also added a little cooked bacon.
Mm cooked bacon sounds delicious! So glad you were able to make it work with your substitution, Laura :)
This soup was delicious and the recipe is so easy to follow! My husband commented on how flavorful it was compared to similar recipes I have tried! This is our new favorite soup recipe! 💗
Yay! So glad it was a hit at your house :)
This taste so delicious and really flavorful! So easy to make as well, thanks a lot for sharing this amazing gnocchi soup recipe! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
It was cool here last night so I knew it was time to make soup and this is the one I had been eyeing for a while. Everyone LOVED it! Thank you!