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This chicken gnocchi soup recipe is quick, easy to make in your own kitchen, and comforting. The pillowy gnocchi melt in your mouth, there’s tender veggies, and the creamy broth is addictive!
Love making restaurant-quality Italian soups at home? You have to try this Zuppa Toscana recipe, Minestrone, or this Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli!
Why you’ll love it
Now, I know you adore the chicken gnocchi soup from a certain beloved Italian-American restaurant, but I wouldn’t say that this is a straight-up Olive Garden copycat recipe. It’s actually even better. That’s right. Your tastebuds are going to do a happy dance after trying it!
This ridiculously tasty creamy chicken gnocchi soup is straightforward and pretty quick to make when all is said and done. It takes about 35-40 minutes to re-create this mouthwatering meal, and you can feel good knowing exactly what goes into it.
Ingredients for it
- Olive oil and butter – a classic combo to cook the aromatics with to start this soup off right!
- Celery, onion, and carrots – this sautéed trio creates a classic flavorful base. Did you know the fancy term for it is soffritto in Italian and mirepoix in French?
- Garlic – I can’t resist adding garlic to soups
- Mushrooms – cremini are my choice for their texture, but you could sub with white mushrooms if in a pinch
- Chicken broth – a wonderful foundation for the soup broth. You can also use chicken stock.
- Italian seasoning – find this blend in the spice aisle at your grocery store. It’s a jar of mixed dried herbs like rosemary and thyme, and it’s a favorite for so many of my recipes.
- Chicken – use up any leftover chicken you have, or grab a rotisserie chicken from the store as a time saver
- Gnocchi – I buy the shelf-stable gnocchi that you can find in the pasta aisle in most major grocery stores
- Cream – heavy cream tops off the irresistible broth! We’re not using enough to overpower the soup. It’s the perfect amount for ideal creaminess.
- Fresh spinach – a handful of baby spinach adds a burst of freshness and even more veggie goodness
Pro tip
- The potato gnocchi cooks right in the soup, and the starch released from the potatoes helps to thicken up the creamy broth beautifully!
How to make chicken gnocchi soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots in a soup pot for 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.
Add the chicken broth, water, seasoning, chicken, and gnocchi, then bring the soup to a boil. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes. Finally, stir in the cream and spinach and cook for a few more minutes.
Substitutions and variations
- You can use half-and-half or even milk, but in my opinion you can’t beat the taste and consistency of heavy cream.
- If mushrooms aren’t your thing, you can leave them out.
- You could use matchstick carrots if desired. Simply add them in step 4 since they will cook faster than sliced carrots.
- Want to throw in extra veggies? Go for it! Peas would work great.
- Some freshly grated parmesan would take this soup to the next level.
What to serve this soup with
- Breadsticks, garlic bread, or a slice of your favorite crusty bread would be a fantastic complement to this soup.
- You can’t go wrong with a side salad. Try this homemade balsamic dressing or this easy Italian dressing with mixed greens!
Leftovers and storage
- This gnocchi soup will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container, but keep in mind that the gnocchi will continue to release starch. If the soup gets too thick, add another splash of broth or cream to thin it out when reheating over a low heat.
- You could try to freeze leftovers, but dairy can separate when reheating after it’s been frozen, and the texture of the gnocchi may change. It’s best to just eat it within a few days.
I hope you’ll agree that this is the best chicken gnocchi soup recipe! Questions? Let me know in the comments below. Tag me on Instagram and show me your creations!
Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 3 medium carrots sliced or chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 7 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups cooked chicken I used rotisserie
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach (packed)
Instructions
- Add the oil and butter to a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Sauté for 8-10 minutes with the lid slightly ajar. Stir once or twice during this time.
- Add the garlic and mushrooms to the pot and cook for a few minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth, water, Italian seasoning, chicken, and gnocchi. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and spinach. Cook for a few more minutes until the spinach is wilted and the soup is heated through. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve.
Notes
- You can use milk or half-and-half instead of cream if you prefer.
- The longer you cook/leave the soup to sit, the more it’ll thicken up because the gnocchi will release starch.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on December 18, 2018. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
This is my favorite recipe ever!!!! My husband and I absolutely love it. We had never had gnocchi before. This recipe is super easy and such a comfort food. Hands down, the BEST. I NEED TO ORDER YOUR COOKBOOK ASAP!
Thank you so much, Denise!! 😀 Hope you love the book!!
I’d never had a soup like this before, but I’ll be having this recipe again soon! It’s delicious!! Everything is just so savory and addictive. We have 2 lactose intolerant people in the family so I used a low fat cream alternative and who knew? It was still that delicious 😋 We’re already fighting over the leftovers 😂
Haha I love that!
The flavors in this soup are a wonderful blend of delicious. Easy to put together with readily available Ingredients.
Thank you!!
Fantastic recipe! Quick to put together, and a delicious combo of veggies. I have never been let down by a Salt and Lavender recipe, and this one is at the top of the list!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Nan!! 😀 Thank you!!
My favorite soup and the family loves it.
Fantastic! 😀
I’ve never made soup before but this recipe turned out really well! The instructions were super easy to follow and it only took me about 40 mins total. Would definitely recommend trying this!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Stella!! Thanks so much!
I love the Salt and Lavender recipes! I am cooking this for the second time, tonight. I use a 12 oz can of evaporated milk instead of the heavy cream (this was due to my heavy cream freezing in the back of the fridge) and it turned out great. I use the mini gnocchi and it is WONDERFUL, as are all of the recipes!
I’m so happy it worked out, KaSaundra!! 😀 I really appreciate you taking the time to write me a review and for putting your trust in my recipes. Please let me know what else you try! XO
I happen to be a fan of Natasha’s- I have cooked many of her recipes. I enjoyed this one as I have many of the others ( although I did leave out the mushrooms) my family loves chicken soup! The only thing is it usually takes me longer to put together and cook her recipes.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes, Laura! 🙂 Thank you for your kind review!
Absolutely delicious. No mushrooms, so used a small zucchini, cubed. No spinach, so used baby chard leaves, torn. Light cream worked fine.
Glad you enjoyed it, Pat!
I am normally not a fan of store bought gnocci (I’m a snob, I make my own) But this recipe is brilliant. So easy to make and so yummy 😋 Even those in our family who aren’t soup fans love this. This is my 2nd and NOT my last time making this soup.. I will definitely try other recipes.
Thank you 😊
That’s so nice to hear!! 😀
Holy wow, was this an AMAZING soup!! Extra bonus points for how aesthetically pleasing it is and how easy is was to make! It was very filling and so comforting on a cold snowy day. This was the first recipe of yours that I have tried and I’m hooked. And my husband is too. After this one, I think he’d marry me all over again! 😁 Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you so much!! And you’re very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it, Angela! 😀
I made this soup over the weekend and it was absolutely delicious! I subbed fat-free half and half for the heavy cream and it turned out beautifully! This will definitely be making frequent appearances on our dinner table throughout the winter months!
I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂