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This creamy tomato gnocchi soup recipe is easy, comforting, and comes together fast with very little effort. The pillowy gnocchi make this soup filling and ultra comforting!
You may also like my Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup or Creamy Tomato Gnocchi next.
Why you’ll love it
Creamy tomato soup gets an upgrade with the addition of gnocchi, which cooks right in this soup. No messing around with multiple pots means this irresistible soup is that much easier! Italian herbs and fresh basil enhance the creamy tomato broth in this simple gnocchi soup.
I’m going to put it out there that this creamy gnocchi soup is one of the best recipes I’ve ever put on the website. I’m that excited about it! In addition to being hearty and delicious, it’s ready in about half an hour. It’s a no-fuss, satisfying soup that’s perfect for a chilly day.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – tasty aromatics. I like using sweet (Vidalia) onions.
- Tomatoes – we’re using a can of crushed tomatoes for convenience
- Broth – use either chicken or vegetable broth
- Heavy cream – it makes the broth nice and rich
- Sugar – it’s a classic chef’s trick to mellow the acidity of tomatoes and balance flavors
- Italian seasoning – my favorite all-purpose blend of dried herbs in a single jar
- Gnocchi – I use the dry gnocchi that’s found in the pasta aisle of most grocery stores. Refrigerated or frozen gnocchi will work too.
- Basil – for a pop of freshness to complement the tomatoes
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This can opener is my go-to for the tomatoes.
- I like to use this Staub Dutch oven for this soup.
- Don’t have a ladle you like yet? This OXO ladle is great.
How to make creamy tomato gnocchi soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot, sauté the onions in the butter and olive oil until golden, followed by the garlic. Add in the remaining ingredients other than the salt & pepper and basil. Bring to a boil, then gently simmer until the gnocchi are cooked. Season with salt & pepper, and top with basil.
Substitutions and variations
- Homemade gnocchi probably won’t work here. I’ve received reader feedback that it’s delicate and falls apart easily, especially in a soup.
- I don’t recommend subbing the heavy cream for half-and-half or milk. The acidity of the tomatoes will likely curdle it and change the texture, and it won’t taste as intended either.
- Feel free to toss in a handful of spinach at the end for more greens.
What to serve with tomato gnocchi soup
- Grab a slice of fresh crusty bread (French or sourdough would be great) to round out this hearty soup. Or Cheesy Garlic Bread is always a good idea!
- I like a salad with this one. Try mixed greens with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing, this Honey Mustard Dressing, or go all out with a Caesar Salad and some crumbled Oven Cooked Bacon on top.
Leftovers and storage
- Refrigerate leftover soup for for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat over a low heat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through. This soup will continue to thicken up over time as the gnocchi release starch, so if you need to thin it out, add some more broth to it.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers of this soup.
If you made this creamy tomato soup with gnocchi, please leave a star rating and review below! Questions? Ask me in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram.
Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/2 tablespoon white sugar see note
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 generous handful fresh basil torn
Instructions
- Melt the oil & butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for about 5-7 minutes, or until it's lightly browned.
- Stir in the garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, cream, sugar, Italian seasoning, and gnocchi. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring it occasionally. The broth will continue to thicken up the longer it cooks from the starch that the gnocchi releases.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed (I am generous with both) and add the fresh basil just before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Serves 4-6.
- The sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. You can leave it out if you prefer or add more as needed.
- Crushed tomatoes can vary from brand to brand, and some are a bit more chunky like the ones I used in the photos.
- If the soup gets too thick at any point, especially when reheating leftovers, you may want to add another splash of chicken broth or water.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on November 17, 2017. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
I made this for the first time last night. I added chicken sausage and baby spinach for a one pot meal. Delicious!!!
I always substitute light cream for the heavy cream – just slightly more healthy, LOL. Will definitely be making again! The entire family enjoyed it.
I really love these gnocchi recipes!
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, Angela!! I’m glad the light cream works for you. 🙂
Just made it! Tasted awesome
Fab!! Thanks, Andres! 🙂
made it tonight Yummy.! Thanks.
You’re welcome!! 🙂
I made this and OMG it is so good and I think we could eat it 7 days a week! I made it using your recipe but in place of tomatoes I used a 5 cheese Marinara sauce and I’m making it again this weekend. Love, love, love it!
That’s great!! I’m so happy you liked it!
This soup was sooooo good! Yes, it’s annoying when people say they modified it and say is was sooo good, but this soup as written is perfection! My modifcations are just my own preference. I sauted the onion with ground sausage, drained it and then added the garlic. I added about 2 TBS of tomato paste and 1 TBS of brown sugar to take that tin-like taste that comes with canned tomatoes. For the gnocchi I used a frozen bag of Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi AND a bag of their frozen Kale Gnocchi- I threw the frozen pieces in a collander and ran warm water over it to thaw, then I pan fried them with a little oil to kind of ‘brown’ them.
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
I made this soup last night and made it vegan by substituting vegan butter and coconut cream instead of heavy cream. I also blended the soup (minus the coconut cream) so it made it extra creamy! This was so so yummy and can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today!
I’m so happy you were able to veganize it!! Sounds delish! 🙂
The soup has great potential! I made fresh gnocchi and they practically melted into the soup. I think next time I’d only add one cup of water, and would wait to add the gnocchi with the cream. Worth trying again with some adjustments.
Hmm sorry that happened with the fresh gnocchi! I’ve only tested it with the store-bought kind. Glad you’re giving the soup another try, though 🙂
Can I use dried basil instead of fresh if I don’t have any on hand?
Yup, it won’t be quite the same but it’ll do. Hope you like the soup ♥️♥️
Just made this soup tonite & it is truly delicious. Whole family of 4 loved it. Thank you!
Wonderful!
I made this before & it is super yummy! I want to make it again, but I could only find frozen gnocchis. How do you think I should cook them? Cook separately or still just throw in the soup frozen? Or thaw beforehand? Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked the soup! I would say frozen gnocchi is fine. They will thaw fairly quickly, so I would just throw them in the soup frozen. It may need an extra couple minutes, but I can’t imagine it’ll be that different. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Turned out just fine! Thank you!
Awesome!