Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
This Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is thick, creamy, and filled with fabulous flavors. It’s a hearty soup very similar to the Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup, with a few of Chef Jenn’s twists to make it just a wee bit more delicious. Hungry? Read on and let’s get cooking!
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Loaded with tender chicken, savory spinach, and plump, fluffy gnocchi, this thick, rich, and indulgent soup is a must-try for soup fans!
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What You Need To Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Olive oil – Use for sautéing; neutral oils like canola works as a safe substitute. I like combining it with butter for extra flavor.
- Butter – I use salted butter for richness; unsalted works if you adjust the seasoning.
- Celery – Chop finely so it softens evenly in the soup.
- Onion – Yellow onions are my go-to; white or sweet onions work too.
- Garlic – Always use fresh garlic; jarlic won’t give the same punchy flavor.
- White wine – Optional; I like using a dry wine, but chicken broth can replace it if needed.
- All-purpose flour – Use to thicken the soup evenly; measure carefully to avoid lumps.
- Chicken broth – I recommend homemade, but low- or no-sodium store-bought works as a safe substitute (see notes below).
- Chicken – I usually use leftover rotisserie chicken for convenience, but cooked grilled or baked chicken also works. If cooking from scratch, dice about 1 lb of chicken breast and cook with the sautéed vegetables (see notes below).
- Dried thyme – Adds depth; fresh thyme can be used but reduce the amount by half.
- Carrot – Dice small so it cooks evenly with the celery and onion.
- Gnocchi – Fresh or frozen cheese gnocchi works; cook just until tender to avoid mushiness.
- Spinach – Fresh is best, but frozen works if thawed and drained.
- Cream – I use heavy cream for richness; half-and-half is a lighter option.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste; I cook with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper for best flavor.
Chicken Broth in Soups
I love to make my own chicken broth, and it’s so easy! Just save raw chicken bones and toss them into a pot with carrot, onion, garlic, celery, and a few bay leaves. Top the pot off with water, and simmer for a few hours.
Of course, you can get cheffy and brown the bones in a hot oven before making the broth, but this soup is loaded with flavor and doesn’t need that extra step.
Another option is to save the carcass from a rotisserie chicken. You know, the kind you get in a grocery store? Pop all those bones and bits of skin and fat into a pot. Add the veggies, top off with water, and simmer for a few hours. The flavor is much more robust than just using raw bones, and without having to roast the bones.
No time to make your own? Use low or no-sodium chicken broth to control the sodium. Your favorite store brand will work, just read the ingredients! There should be no added flavors, colors, or starches in chicken broth!
What Kind of Chicken To Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
You can cook some chicken just for this recipe, and I used to do just that back in my restaurant days. We’d season and bake pounds and pounds of chicken, then cut it up for this and other soups, but that’s a lot of extra work.
These days, when I’m just feeding my family, I use leftover rotisserie chicken. You can buy vacuum-sealed bags of just chicken meat from some Costcos. I keep this in my freezer and just take off what I need for soups, sandwiches, chicken salad, and more. You can’t beat the convenience!
Leftover grilled or baked chicken will also work. If you want to cook your own chicken for this recipe, dice up about a pound of chicken breast and add it to the sauteed veggies. Cook it through and continue on with the recipe from there.
How To Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Start by preparing your vegetables. I like to sweat a combination of celery, onion, and garlic for the base. While carrots are often added at the beginning, I prefer shredding them and adding them near the end so they retain a bit of texture and sweetness. A handheld rotary grater works perfectly for shredding carrots quickly and evenly.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium-sized soup pot over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. If you like, deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine for extra depth of flavor. I find a silicone basting brush helpful here to loosen any flavorful bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Turn off the heat and whisk in the flour using a small balloon whisk. Make sure the flour is fully combined and smooth. Slowly stream in the heated broth while whisking constantly to prevent any lumps and create a silky base.
Once the broth is incorporated, return the pot to medium heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Add the gnocchi, cooked chicken, shredded carrot, and fresh spinach. Bring the soup back to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 more minutes until the gnocchi are tender and the vegetables are bright and soft.
Stir in the cream and heat the soup gently until it is warm throughout. Taste and season with salt and pepper. I love using a ladle with a built-in strainer for scooping the gnocchi easily when serving.
Serve the soup piping hot in bowls and enjoy every creamy, comforting spoonful with tender gnocchi and flavorful chicken.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Use rotisserie chicken to make this soup easy.
- Washed baby spinach cooks quickly in this soup – you’ll need about 4 ounces. Don’t worry if it seems like so much spinach! It’ll cook down and disappear into the soup.
- The wine adds a lovely bit of acidity to this soup which really helps the flavors shine.
- Don’t overcook the soup! This soup doesn’t need hours and hours to simmer.
- Once the gnocchi start floating in the soup, you know they’re cooked.
What To Serve With This Creamy Chicken Soup
Pair your favorite sandwich with this hearty soup, or keep it lighter with a nice salad. Or, my favorite way to enjoy soup, serve it as an appetizer followed by tasty meals like a hearty steak cooked on a Blackstone griddle, Smoked Lamb Chops, or your favorite roasted meat.
Can You Freeze this Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe?
Heck yes! In fact, there’s almost always some in my freezer.
My favorite way to freeze soups and stews is using Souper Cubes! These amazing freezer-safe cubes are perfect for freezing portions of all my favorite soups, stews, and other saucy meals. I freeze them then pop them out and put the rectangular frozen blocks into a zipper-top freezer bag. It makes storing them SOOOO much easier!
Frequently Asked questions
Yes! Even with chopping the veggies, this soup can be ready to eat in about 30 minutes. You don’t need any fancy equipment, and all the ingredients are pretty common.
Yes! You can lighten things up by using milk, and to keep it dairy free skip the butter and add coconut milk at the end of the cooking time, instead of the cream.
If you use milk instead of cream you can lower the fat content of this soup. It is, however, higher in carbs (thanks to the gnocchi and flour) which means it isn’t a great choice for a keto or low-carb diet. However, it’s got lots of spinach and veggies in it, so it’s got nutritional value.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablepsoon butter
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup white wine optional
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 6 cups low or no sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups cooked chicken diced
- 1 pound gnocchi
- 1 cup carrot coarsely grated
- 4 ounces baby spinach
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium-size soup pot over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and garlic.
- Cook the veggies, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Deglaze with the white wine (optional).
- Turn off the heat and with a whisk, whisk in the flour. When the flour is all combined, add the heated broth in a slow stream, whisking as you pour to avoid floury lumps.
- When the broth is all incorporated, turn the heat back to medium and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the gnocchi, chicken, carrot, and spinach and bring it back to a boil. Simmer for another 5 minutes or until the gnocchi start to float.
- Add the cream and heat the soup through. Season with salt and pepper and serve piping hot!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
