This chicken gnocchi soup is a hearty and creamy blend of diced chicken, vegetables and potato gnocchi, all simmered together to perfection. A copy of the Olive Garden favorite that’s even better when made in the comfort of your own home!
I love to recreate my favorite Olive Garden dishes at home including their minestrone soup, famous salad and this fabulous chicken and gnocchi soup.
Whenever I eat at Olive Garden, I order the soup and salad combo just to enjoy a bowl (or two!) of chicken gnocchi soup. I’ve learned to make this fabulous dish at home, and I have to say, I think my version is the best I’ve ever had.
How do you make chicken gnocchi soup?
Start by cooking diced onions and celery in butter until the vegetables have softened. Stir in garlic and flour, then cook to form the base of the soup. Whisk in a combination of half and half and chicken broth, then bring the soup to a simmer. Stir in diced cooked chicken, carrots, spinach, seasonings and potato gnocchi. Cook the soup for 5-7 minutes, or until the gnocchi is done and spinach is wilted. Add a sprinkle of chopped parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips for the perfect chicken gnocchi soup
- You can use any type of cooked chicken in this soup, such as diced leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken or even shredded chicken. I typically roast bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, then cut the meat into 3/4 inch sized pieces.
- I find that using half and half gives the most authentic flavor and texture, but you can also use whole milk, or use heavy cream but reduce the amount to 1 cup.
- This soup is best when made with refrigerated potato gnocchi, I find that it has the most flavor. That being said, sometimes it’s hard to find refrigerated gnocchi. I also tested this soup with shelf stable gnocchi and it came out great!
- Chicken gnocchi soup is best when served immediately. Leftover soup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- No fresh spinach on hand? Frozen spinach will do in a pinch, just make sure to thaw it and squeeze any excess water out.
What are gnocchi made of?
Gnocchi are dumplings made of cooked and mashed potatoes and flour. They are sold in most grocery stores, and can be found in shelf stable packages near the dry pasta, in the refrigerator area near the fresh pasta and ravioli, or in the freezer area.
Can you freeze gnocchi soup?
This soup is not a great candidate for the freezer, simply because it contains dairy and may separate upon being thawed. If you’d like to freeze your soup, I recommend omitting the half and half, then adding it in after you thaw and reheat the soup.
Chicken gnocchi soup variations
While this recipe as written is a copy cat of the Olive Garden version, you can add other ingredients to the mix to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Protein: Try adding bacon or Italian sausage along with your chicken. Diced cooked turkey breast also works as a great substitute for chicken.
- Vegetables: Add a variety of veggies to the soup, such as mushrooms, peas, zucchini or green beans.
- Greens: Swap out the spinach for kale or escarole.
- Pasta: Instead of gnocchi, try cheese tortellini, small ravioli, or a short pasta shape such as rotini.
You can never go wrong with chicken soup on a cold day, and this version loaded with gnocchi and vegetables just can’t be beat!
More soup recipes you’ll enjoy
- Hamburger Soup
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Alphabet Soup
- Vegetable Soup
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Video
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup onion chopped
- 3/4 cup celery sliced
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 cups cooked chicken cut into 3/4 inch pieces
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 16 ounces gnocchi
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for 5-6 minutes or until softened. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
- Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Place the chicken, carrots, gnocchi, Italian seasoning and spinach in the pot. Pour in the chicken broth and half and half and bring the soup to a simmer. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes or until soup has thickened and spinach is wilted. Sprinkle the parsley over the top, then serve.
Hi. Getting ready to make this soup. Can I use milk instead of half and half?
That should be fine, the soup may just be a bit thinner in consistency!
One of those recipes that everyone wants seconds! I’ll double the recipe next time! Yummy!
This was drop the fork delicious! Followed recipe exactly. Topped with homemade croutons. One of your best recipes. And it was really easy. Thank you! BTW- no Olive Garden in Canada anymore. This was not on the menu when they were here.
I served this to guests last month and it was a huge hit – requested the recipe and everything! Thank you! 🙂
Simply wonderful! Everyone had seconds!
I made this for dinner tonight and everyone went back for seconds! THANK YOU for such a delish recipe! My kids said it was BETTER than Olive Garden! A keeper for sure! Next time I plan to cut the flour down to 1T as we had to thin it just a bit with water…but still 5 stars!
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
Absolutely phenomenal! I loved the hint of garlic in the recipe…soo good!
This was the PERFECT winter soup for us!! Thank you!
What is the italian seasoning? Is it a packet?
It’s a jar of dried herbs that includes basil, oregano, rosemary and parsley. Check the spice aisle at your grocery store!
Gnocchi is one of my all time favorites and so perfect in this soup!
Everyone at my house loved this soup! Quickly became a favorite meal!
Simply delicious! A real comfort food for winter
This gnocchi soup is everything I need during these cold fall days! It looks so comforting!
Ohhhh! Drool, drool, drool! I absolutely love gnocchi. This is a really fab & hearty dish!
This chicken gnocchi soup is looks incredibly delicious!
This sounds absolutely amazing I need this in my life!