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Chicken Gnocchi Soup

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.98 from 70 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings

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Last updated on February 9, 2024

This Chicken Gnocchi Soup is better than Olive Garden! Loaded with tender chicken, chunks of vegetables, and spinach in a creamy, flavorful broth, it’s made in 30 minutes!

See the step by step recipe video down in the recipe card.

Looking for more chicken soup recipes? Try this Ramen Noodle Soup, this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup or this Chicken Dumpling Soup!

overhead image of pot of chicken gnocchi soup with wooden spoon

Table of Contents

Everyone loves Olive Garden, right?

There is just something so comforting about rich, creamy pastas, fresh-from-the-oven breadsticks (although I think my Homemade Breadsticks are better!) and a cozy bowl of soup!

Now, I love them all: the Zuppa Toscana (see my Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana here), the Minestrone (see my Minestrone soup here), the Pasta e Fagioli — but a good chunky, creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup will always have my heart.

The thing is, the last couple times I’ve been there I’ve just been so disappointed in what Olive Garden is calling “Chicken Gnocchi Soup” these days — I feel like a more accurate name would be “Thin Creamy Broth with One Carrot, One Piece of Spinach and Two Gnocchi’.

It doesn’t have the same ring, does it?

close up image of wooden spoon stirring chicken gnocchi soup

Love gnocchi? You might also like this Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup, this Three Cheese Gnocchi Bake and this Baked Gnocchi with Sausage!

What is Gnocchi?

Gnocchi is a small, oval-shaped potato dumpling that is similar in texture to pasta (maybe a little softer).

Gnocchi is used in many pasta-type recipes, and pairs well in soups and with lots of different sauces due to its neutral flavor. It is comfort food to the max!

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Why my Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe is better than Olive Garden:

Instead of the thin, disappointing Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup, in this soup you’ll get plenty of:

  • flavor! All those veggies add a ton of it
  • tender shredded chicken — that cooks right in the soup, making it tender and lending more flavor to the broth! (If you’ve got some of this Crockpot Shredded Chicken or Instant Pot Shredded Chicken kicking around, feel free to use that instead!)
  • pillowy soft gnocchi
  • and enough creamy broth to soak up with some crusty No Knead Artisan Bread 😉

Reader Rating

“Amazing, literally the best soup I’ve ever made. So simple and easy!!” Whitney

“I’m not a great cook but get compliments every time with this one! It’s my go to comfort meal and so easy, now checking out other recipes too 🙂” Jen

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Chicken Gnocchi Soup Ingredients:

This easy chicken soup requires just a few ingredients and most you probably already have on hand! See my full list below.

chicken gnocchi soup ingredients.
  • Oil: ay neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point will work.
  • Onion, celery and carrot: this trio forms a classic mirepoix which is the base for many soup recipes, adding lots of flavor and nutrients!
  • Parsley, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper: simple seasonings that go a long way! For best flavor, mince your own garlic cloves before adding to the soup.
  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: I use chicken breasts because that’s what we prefer, however boneless skinless chicken thighs also work perfectly! Instead of 2 breasts, use 4 thighs. If you have leftover Perfect Roast Chicken or Baked Chicken Breasts, this is a great time to use them!
  • Low sodium chicken broth: I prefer to add salt to our tastes rather than start with a salted broth. For that reason, I recommend tasting the soup before serving and adjusting the seasonings as you desire.
  • Heavy cream and corn starch: will give this Chicken Gnocchi Soup a rich and creamy texture without being overly thick.
  • Potato gnocchi: I use shelf-stable potato gnocchi found in the pasta aisle — feel free to experiment with different types of gnocchi!
  • Fresh spinach: fresh spinach adds color and nutrients! You can omit if needed, or swap in frozen spinach or kale instead.
  • Parmesan cheese: adds a bunch of salty, cheesy flavor!

Can I use frozen chicken breasts?

Absolutely! This is one of my favorite quick dinner hacks.

You can throw chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs straight into this soup from the freezer.

Simmer about 15 minutes and check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer (165 degrees F is what we’re looking for!). Continue cooking if need be, then remove and shred as the recipe calls for.

How to make Chicken Gnocchi Soup:

This soup is so simple to make, and I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to make it even easier. Find the complete recipe in the recipe card below!

  1. Saute your onion, celery and carrots in a great big dutch oven or soup pot
  2. Add your spices and seasonings — cooking them first in the dry pot wakes up their flavor!
  3. Add your broth, raw chicken breasts or thighs (you read that right!), and other vegetables — I use a bag of matchstick carrots to make this even easier.
  4. Cook it until the chicken and vegetables are tender, then remove the chicken to shread and stir in some cream, gnocchi, spinach and a big sprinkling of Parmesan — let it cook just until the gnocchi is tender. Taste and serve!
sauteeing vegetables in large pot for chicken gnocchi soup
Saute vegetables and add seasonings
broth and chicken breasts added to soup in pot
Add broth and raw chicken breasts
chicken breasts shredded on cutting board
Remove cooked chicken to shred
cream spinach and parmesan added to chicken gnocchi soup
Stir in chicken, cream, Parmesan and spinach

How to make Crockpot Chicken and Gnocchi Soup:

This Chicken Gnocchi Soup is also easy to make in the slow cooker if you need to plan ahead!

See my Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe here for all the tips and tricks you need.

Recipe Tip

Got leftover Shredded Chicken? You can simply stir it in and leave out the chicken breasts in this recipe. You’ll want about 2 cups of shredded chicken.

Want to make a big batch of shredded chicken for easy dinners like this? Try my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or my Crockpot Shredded Chicken!

overhead image of bowl of chicken gnocchi soup

Chicken Gnocchi Soup storage:

One of the great things about this soup is it makes great leftovers! The flavor continues to develop as it sits so it’s perfect for making ahead.

In the refrigerator:

You can store this soup in the refrigerator up to 4 days in an airtight container.

In the freezer:

You can freeze this soup in freezer safe containers (I prefer to freeze mine in large freezer bags, frozen flat, so that it thaws quickly!), leaving an inch or two of space in the container at the top.

Freeze up to 3 months.

To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in a pot on the stovetop on low.

overhead image of bowl of chicken gnocchi soup with spoon

Serving Suggestions:

While I don’t actually need to serve anything alongside this Chicken Gnocchi Soup, I sure do love to have some Homemade Dinner Rolls or a piece of Garlic Bread for dunking (bonus points if it’s Cheesy Garlic Bread!).

More hearty soup recipes you’ll love!

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Chicken Gnocchi Soup

written by Ashley Fehr

4.98 from 70 votes
This Chicken Gnocchi Soup is better than Olive Garden! Loaded with tender chicken, chunks of vegetables, spinach in a creamy, flavorful broth – don't forget the crusty bread!
square image of bowl of chicken gnocchi soup with spoon
Review
Print
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Main Course, Soup
Servings 6 servings
Calories 444.68cal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • ½ medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 ribs celery finely chopped
  • 1 cup carrot matchsticks (or finely chopped carrots)
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 3 cups small gnocchi (500g)
  • 1 ½ cups fresh spinach roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a large dutch oven or soup pot, add oil and cook onion, celery and carrots over medium-high heat until slightly softened.
  • Add parsley, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and stir.
  • Add broth and chicken breasts and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 12-15 minutes.
  • Remove chicken breasts to a cutting board to shred. Whisk together cream and corn starch and stir into the soup with the gnocchi. Let simmer for 4-5 minutes until gnocchi is tender and soup is slightly thickened.
  • Stir in shredded chicken, spinach and Parmesan. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve.

Notes

Ingredients and Substitutions:
Chicken Breasts: I use chicken breasts because that’s what we prefer, however boneless skinless chicken thighs also work perfectly! Instead of 2 breasts, use 4 thighs. If you have leftover Roast Chicken, Baked Chicken Breasts, or Shredded Chicken, this is a great time to use them!
Low sodium chicken broth: I prefer to add salt to our tastes rather than start with a salted broth. For that reason, I recommend tasting the soup before serving and adjusting the seasonings as you desire.
Vegetables: I start most soups with a classic mirepoix (carrots, celery and onion) and I would try not to stray from that, but feel free to add in additional vegetables that you need to get out of the fridge!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 310grams | Calories: 444.68cal | Carbohydrates: 50.02g | Protein: 18.69g | Fat: 19.83g | Saturated Fat: 8.9g | Cholesterol: 68.53mg | Sodium: 792.79mg | Potassium: 455.15mg | Fiber: 3.86g | Sugar: 1.96g | Vitamin A: 4811.76IU | Vitamin C: 5.35mg | Calcium: 119.29mg | Iron: 5.14mg
Keywords chicken gnocchi soup, chicken soup

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Missy says

    I just made this soup and was very pleased with the flavor and texture. I added some cauliflower and broccoli that I had in the fridge and used regular milk. This is a very versatile soup that I can see making whenever I have vegies that need to be used.

    Reply

  3. Lauri says

    I bought local made gnocchi over the weekend and when looking for a way to prepare came across this recipe. OMG! It is so delicious! I’m a big fan of following a recipe exactly, the first time I make it and won’t change a thing the next hundred times I make it. 🙂

    Reply

  5. Mary says

    Can’t wait to try this? Is it possible to use something other than heavy cream to lower calories?

    Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi would work?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      You could but I haven’t tried so I can’t give exact cook times. I would cook the gnocchi with the chicken and add the dairy and spinach for after pressure cooking.

      Reply

  10. Valerie says

    I made this soup according to the recipe and it turned out great! It was so yummy and is better than OG. This may be my favorite soup.

    Reply

  11. Kelsey says

    I’m very new to cooking and decided to give this recipe a shot tonight. I followed the instructions exactly other than omitting the spinach and it came out so thin and I can’t figure out what I did wrong.

    I added a few extra tablespoons of cornstarch and extra Parmesan to try and thicken it up which helped a little bit not quite enough. Any suggestions?

    Reply

  12. Katrina says

    Oh my goodness. This soup is absolutely delicious! My daughter found the recipe and suggested we add it to our very eclectic Thanksgiving dinner. We made it exactly like the recipe instructed except for we omitted the onion and garlic just because of personal preference. The smell, texture, taste, and ease of making are just wonderful. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

  13. Leah says

    We’ve made 3 different varieties of this soup (normal, dairy free, pasta instead of gnocci) and they have all turned out delicious. I like this better than Olive Garden’s!

    My favorite variety was the non-dairy with pasta. I used Ripple plant based half and half, Follow Your Heart vegan parmesan, and less than 1/4 of a box of rotini. You could probably use any pasta though. With the non dairy version, I highly recommend using salted chicken broth and 1/4 tsp of salt since vegan cheese isn’t salted as much as normal cheese. (If salt sensitive, just use salted broth and don’t add any additional salt.)

    Yum! I will definitely make this again and again.

    Reply

  15. Justine says

    I am making this recipe for my daughter’s family this week. In addition to the chicken version, would I be able to make a vegetarian version (for my one grandaughter)?

    Reply

  16. Lacey says

    The last time I made Gnochi it was disgusting, but I love the Olive Garden Version; do you have a particular Gnochi that you recommend?

    Reply

  17. Kathie says

    I made this soup today and it was a huge hit! The flavor is so good. I will be trying more of your recipes, so keep them coming.

    Reply

  18. MardiWL says

    OMG!!! This was FABULOUS!!!! I shared with a friend, who had it a day later, and they loved it. I’ve never made anything from you, nor had I even known about your page. I think FB had an advertisement.. I’m typically not much of a soup fan, but this was perfect for our rainy weekend in NC

    Reply

  19. Paige says

    I have some TJ’s cauliflower gnocchi in my freezer – do you think I could use this in place of regular gnocchi? Also, should I let it thaw before adding it? Thank you <3

    Reply

      • Paige says

        I made this with the frozen cauliflower gnocchi and it turned out great! I made the soup a few days before we were planning on eating it and added the frozen cauliflower gnocchi after the soup was done cooking and was cooling, it actually helped it come to room temperature. The cauliflower gnocchi held its form and was very delicious in this soup!

      • Danielle says

        Hi was just thinking about trying this! So you added the frozen gnocchi to the hot soup and that’s all you did to cook it? Just trying to figure the best way to do it with the cauliflower gnocchi

  20. Ampsitup says

    This was amazing! I used canned chicken (it’s what I had) and didn’t use Parmesan at the end ( I ran out ). Will definitely make again!

    Reply

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