Creamy chicken gnocchi soup is the perfect way to cozy up during the chilly fall and winter months of soup season. The creamy broth with shredded tender chicken breasts and pillowy gnocchi creates the best soup for the whole family. This creamy soup is best when served with some crusty bread or bread sticks.
If you love potato gnocchi, shredded chicken and fresh veggies all mixed into a rich and creamy broth, then this is the soup for you. It might feel familiar because it is one of the best Olive Garden copycat recipes. This recipe is one of the most popular recipes to make during the fall and winter months. It is best to enjoy while cozied up under a blanket while snow is falling lightly on the ground out your window. This gnocchi soup recipe is the ultimate comfort meal.
This was inspired by my Cheesy Garlic Buttered Gnocchi on this site, and pairs well with this Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls.
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Ingredients
This soup uses a lot of fresh ingredients that are delicious and provide you with a lot of essential nutrients to help get you through your busy week.
- chicken breasts
- salted butter
- olive oil
- garlic cloves
- yellow onion
- shredded carrots
- all purpose flour
- chicken broth
- chicken stock
- milk
- fresh spinach
- gnocchi
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
I don't know what it is, but I find making soup to be one of the most relaxing tasks. Especially during comfort food season.
Boil the chicken for about 30-45 minutes. Check doneness by cutting into chicken breast. Set aside so it can cool and once cool, shred chicken. Chop up onion and mince garlic. In the stock pot, melt butter and add in olive oil. Add in onion, garlic and carrots.
Cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add in flour, stir into butter and olive oil immediately to create a roux. Let the roux cook 1-2 minutes.
Add in chicken broth and chicken stock, stirring the roux into the liquid as it pours. Bring the soup to a simmer and simmer on medium for 15 minutes so the soup can thicken.
Add in milk and bring to a boil. Season with salt and black pepper. Add in the gnocchi and let it cook in the soup until the gnocchi begins to float. Reduce heat to low and add in spinach and chicken. Let cook for about 5 minutes before serving.
Hint: make sure you have the roux completely stirred into the broth before letting it come to a simmer. This will help the soup thicken and will also assure you don't have any surprise chunks of flour in your soup.
Substitutions
- Milk - for a thicker and creamier texture use heavy cream instead of milk.
- Gluten Free - omit the flour and use a gluten free gnocchi for a gluten free version of this recipe.
- Gnocchi - replace the gnocchi with a small dumpling to change up the recipe a little but still keep some similar flavors.
Variations
Here are a few ways you can spice up this recipe.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or some hot sauce at the end.
- Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Copycat - add cubed chicken breast instead of shredded for an authentic copycat.
- Kid friendly - replace the gnocchi with noodles for a kid friendly chicken noodle soup.
Equipment
To create this recipe you will need either a dutch oven or a large soup pot. You will also need a sharp knife and cutting board to chop up the vegetables.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days. I actually sometimes find that the leftovers of this soup are even more delicious once the flavors have a chance to sit and marinade.
These ingredients stand up well to freezer and can be stored in a freezer safe soup container for up to 2 months.
Top tip
Add butter to the pan to begin melting and then immediately add the olive oil. This will not only assure that your butter doesn't brown but it will also keep your garlic from burning. Brown butter and burnt garlic can both drastically change the flavor of the soup so this is very important.
Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Stock Pot
- Sauce Pan
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts shredded
- 4 tablespoon butter salted
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 cups milk I use fat free
- 1 ¼ cup spinach chopped
- 1 package gnocchi
Instructions
- Boil the chicken for about 30-45 minutes. Check doneness by cutting into chicken breast. Set aside to cool and once cool, shred chicken.
- Chop up onion and mince garlic.
- In the stock pot, melt butter and add in olive oil. Add in onion, garlic and carrots.
- Cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Add in flour, stir into butter and olive oil immediately to create a roux. Let the roux cook 1-2 minutes.
- Add in chicken broth and chicken stock, stirring the roux into the liquid as it pours.
- Bring the soup to a simmer and simmer on medium for 15 minutes so the soup can thicken.
- Boil gnocchi following the directions on the package.
- Add in milk and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and add in spinach, chicken and gnocchi.
- Let cook for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
Absolutely! For a slow cooker you will skip the roux and just combine everything and let it cook until the veggies are tender. I would add the gnocchi towards the end of cooking though or boil them before adding. The chicken should also be cooked before adding. The Instant Pot will be used the same as a stove.
You can absolutely make your own gnocchi to add. This will take a lot longer and a lot more work but the result can be so worth it.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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