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This creamy chicken bacon gnocchi soup is easy, irresistible, and fast comfort food! It has simple ingredients like bacon, rotisserie chicken, store-bought gnocchi, and fresh spinach.
You may also enjoy this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole or Bacon Ranch Tortellini next.
Why you’ll love it
This chicken gnocchi soup was inspired by my Chicken Bacon Gnocchi. Those flavors are well loved, so doing something similar in soup form was a no-brainer for me. Is there any better way to warm up than with pillowy gnocchi in a piping hot bowl of soup?!
It’s ready in 45 minutes with little effort, and you can easily grab the ingredients after work. This simple gnocchi soup has layers of flavor yet is straightforward to make. One reader loved it so much that they didn’t want to eat more but needed more, then ate three bowls!
Pro tip
The gnocchi cooks right in the soup, and the starch that is released is important for thickening the broth up, so there is no need to pre-cook it.
What you’ll need
- Bacon – it adds a ton of savory flavor to this creamy soup
- Onion and garlic – I like using sweet (Vidalia) onions best
- Chicken broth – for savory depth
- Heavy cream – it makes the broth texture luxurious
- Italian seasoning – it’s an all-purpose blend of tasty dried herbs that comes in one jar
- Gnocchi – we’re using the shelf-stable kind from the pasta aisle
- Chicken – use already cooked Leftover Chicken, or get a rotisserie chicken
- Spinach – it adds a touch of color and pop of freshness
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- A pair of kitchen shears makes it easy to cut up the bacon.
- I use this onion saver to keep the rest of the onion fresh for longer.
- This is the Dutch oven I use for this soup.
How to make chicken bacon gnocchi soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Fry the cut-up bacon in a large pot until crispy. Meanwhile, prep the other ingredients. Transfer it to a plate, leaving behind some of the fat. Sauté the onion until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic, cooking until fragrant.
Add in the broth, cream, Italian seasoning, gnocchi, and most of the bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until the broth has thickened, then add the chicken and spinach. Warm through. Season with salt & pepper, and top with the remaining bacon.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream with something like milk or half-and-half because there’s a chance the soup will curdle due to the high heat it’s cooked over.
- If you don’t have any pre-cooked chicken, I would cut up a couple of chicken breasts (or a few chicken thighs; they will stay more tender) and then add to the pot in step 4.
- You could sub the spinach with kale if you wish, or leave it out altogether.
What to serve with chicken gnocchi soup
- It’s a hearty soup, so pair it with a side salad, and you’ve got a great meal. Try spring mix with my Italian Dressing or this bright Pesto Dressing to change it up.
- A slice of fresh crusty bread rounds it out, or try my Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this gnocchi soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat until warmed through. If it’s too thick, try adding a splash of chicken broth.
- This isn’t the type of soup that freezes beautifully, but it will still taste fine if you need to do so. It may separate a bit, so I recommend warming it on a low heat and possibly adding a touch more cream or chicken broth if needed.
If you made this chicken soup with gnocchi, please leave a star rating and review below! Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you made one of my recipes.
Chicken Bacon Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
- 2 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into small pieces (I use my kitchen shears to make this job easy) and add it to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy (about 10 minutes).
- Meanwhile, prep the other ingredients.
- Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the onion to the pot and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth, cream, Italian seasoning, gnocchi, and most of the cooked bacon to the pot (I reserve some bacon for garnishing). Give it a good stir and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat so it's gently simmering and cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Cook for 15 minutes (I stir it every so often just to ensure the gnocchi isn't sticking to the bottom).
- Once the soup is as thick as you want it to be (it continues to thicken up the longer it's cooked), add in the cooked chicken and the spinach. Let it warm through for a few minutes. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- Serves 4-6 depending on how much people eat.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if sensitive to salt.
- The gnocchi cooks right in the soup… no need to pre-cook it. The starch releases and that’s what thickens up the broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I have a food allergy to potato. Can another pasta be used?
Sure! I haven’t tested it, but I think that should work fine. Cooking time may need to be adjusted… just be sure to stir often so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Gnocchi is an Italian dumpling that’s made with potatoes and wheat flour. Make dumplings (biscuit dough) and don’t use potatoes. Then there’s sweet potato gnocchi, that might be something to use.
Love it <3 <3 <3
Thank you!! 🙂
This soup was delicious! My family loved it.
I was wondering if I could make this in a slow cooker? I’d like to make this for a holiday staff lunch.
Thank you!
Fantastic!! 🙂 So, I would probably just cook it as indicated and then transfer it to the Crockpot and keep it on the “keep warm” setting. You’d have to do the searing steps beforehand anyway (and most slow cookers don’t have that feature), and I’m iffy on how long to slow cook the gnocchi to get the right texture, so I think for best results it’s best to make as written.
Perfect. Thanks!
what is gnocchi and where do i find it ?
Hi! It’s essentially a potato-based dumpling, typically found in the pasta aisle in your grocery store.
Decrease amount of gnocchi and bacon fat. Substitute some butter for bacon fat.
This soup is amazing!! I used shallots instead of a normal onion and it turned out great!!!
That’s wonderful to hear!! Thanks for letting me know, Alyssa! 🙂
Does anyone have reheating instructions or tips? I want to make this the night before and warm it in a slow cooker the next day while I’m at work.
Hi Briana! I am a bit concerned that the gnocchi may soak up the broth quite a bit/the soup may get a bit gloopy if it’s warming up all day. It won’t take *that* long to re-warm it the next day, though, if you just do it on the stove.
Thanks!
This turned out great! My daughter is a fan of this kind of soups and so Her and I made it together. She puts the onion in the processor because I hate the texture. Then we browned the mush. It changed the balance enough that it didn’t thicken as much as she wanted, so she added 1/8 cup of flour. She even sprinkled some grated parmesan cheese on hers. Definitely recommend this👍👍. Thank you for sharing
Fantastic!! I’m so glad that it worked out, Robin!
This is fantastically good and pretty easy to make. Hit the spot on a cold rainy weekend, and look forward to making again. I had some baby portbellas that I added, and it was a solid addition to the recipe!
Thank you!! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it. Love the mushroom addition!
This is the perfect meal: flavour-packed, hearty, quick, easy. I used evaporated skim milk instead of cream and it still thickened brilliantly. The only other additions I made were chili flakes and a diced red pepper. TOTALLY satisfying on every level. Thanks for sharing a new favourite!
Thank you so much!!