Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup is an easy copycat recipe with chicken, fresh spinach and pillowy gnocchi in a creamy broth in 30 minutes.
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup isn’t the only famous Soup Recipe easily made at home. You won’t believe how easy this wildly popular Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup is to make! Be sure to serve it with a simple salad tossed in our Copycat Olive Garden’s Salad Dressing.
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Sabrina’s Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
It’s hard not to love Olive Garden. Sure, it’s not the most authentic, but with their family-friendly recipes and never-ending pastas, soups, salads, and breadsticks, you get a dinner everyone loves and your money’s worth. It’s hard to pick a favorite soup (with bottomless soup, you don’t have to), but Creamy Chicken Gnocchi is definitely a top choice.
Making a copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup is the best way to enjoy this delicious, addicting soup! For less than dinner for one at Olive Garden, you can feed the whole family (with leftovers) and there’s no need to beg the cooks to make any special requests.
Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi is a quick and easy soup recipe with simple ingredients you have on hand or easily pick up at the grocery store. The best gnocchi to use are the quick-cooking refrigerated kind, but you can also find shelf-stable gnocchi with dried pastas. Some stores sell frozen gnocchi, but it will take a little longer to cook.
Ingredients
- Chicken: To make this chicken soup super quick and easy, cooked chicken. You can use leftover chicken like Grilled Chicken or throw some uncooked chicken breasts in the slow cooker in the morning so it’s ready when you get home. Our Slow Cooker Chicken recipe makes simple, juicy chicken perfect for this recipe.
- Vegetables: This delicious soup starts with sauteing fresh vegetables in oil to build flavor. Celery, onion, garlic and carrots are classic aromatic veggies for soup recipes.
- Chicken Broth: To make your Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe extra flavorful, you use 4 cups chicken broth instead of water. You want to use low-sodium broth and then season with salt yourself to control the saltiness.
- Seasonings:The thyme gives it the rustic Italian taste, then a little salt and black pepper enhance all the other flavors. Dried thyme is easier because you probably already have it in your pantry but you could always use twice as much fresh thyme, just chop it very fine.
- Gnocchi: A store-bought package of potato gnocchi makes this recipe super easy! You could also swap in some homemade gnocchi. For a little extra flavor, try cheesy gnocchi or sweet potato gnocchi if it’s available.
- Half and Half: The half and half is what turns this regular chicken soup into an addicting rich and creamy soup. You want to add it at the very end so it doesn’t burn or scald for a smoother, creamier soup texture.
- Spinach: The soup also gets some fresh spinach added at the end for a little extra veggie goodness and more classic Italian flavor. You just want it to wilt slightly and then it’s ready to serve.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
Dutch Oven: If you had to choose between a soup pot or a dutch oven, go with the heavy duty dutch oven! Not only does it make a good-sized soup pot, but the heavy bottom is better for sauteing veggies without burning them.
Chef’s Knife: A good quality chef’s knife will make you feel like a pro while you are chopping the veggies. Plus you can use it to slice up the chicken pieces in no time.
How to Make
Time needed: 30 minutes.
- Saute the Veggies
Over medium heat, heat the oil in a large dutch oven. When the oil is hot, add the celery, onions, and carrots. Cook until the onions are translucent, then stir in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
- Cook the Broth
Deglaze the pot with some chicken broth, then add the remaining broth, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir well to combine. Bring the broth mixture to a boil.
- Cook the Soup
Once the broth is boiling, add the gnocchi and gently stir. Boil for 3-4 minutes then reduce the heat to medium so it is only simmering. Cook the soup for 10 minutes.
- Finish and Serve
Add the half and half and the spinach to soup and stir. Cook until the spinach is slightly softened and tender. Serve hot with bread and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Nutritional Facts
Serving Ideas
Serve Chicken Gnocchi Soup with a garden salad with Olive Garden Copycat Salad Dressing for your own unlimited soup and salad night. Don’t forget a side of French Breadsticks (or Dinner Rolls) brushed with butter and sprinkled with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Chicken and Gnocchi Soup is the perfect starter another Olive Garden Copycat, Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno.
How to Store
Store: Chicken Gnocchi Soup can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours before it needs to be cooled and stored. Store cooled Chicken and Gnocchi Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat leftover soup the stove top for best taste. You’ll want to reheat it covered over low or medium-low heat until it’s just simmering. You don’t want to heat to boiling or the milk will scald.
Freeze: Place Chicken Gnocchi Soup in freezer-safe bags and lay flat on a baking tray. Freeze flat for 1 hour, or until solid, then keep in the freezer stacked for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stove top.
Alternative Cooking Techniques
Slow Cooker Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Saute onion, celery, and carrots until onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until just fragrant.
- Transfer the onion mixture to crock pot.
- Add remaining ingredients, except gnocchi, half and half, and spinach.
- Cook covered on low for 3-4 hours. Add gnocchi and cook covered for another hour on low heat.
- Stir in half and half and fresh spinach and serve once the spinach has wilted slightly.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Saute Function and add olive oil.
- Once oil is shimmering, add onions, celery, and carrots and saute until onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and cook, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add remaining ingredients, except gnocchi, spinach, and half and half.
- Secure pressure cooker lid and set valve on sealing. Cook on Soup setting for 15 minutes.
- Naturally release pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release.
- Remove lid and place Instant Pot on Saute function again.
- Stir in gnocchi and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft.
- Turn off the pressure cooker, stir in half and half and spinach and serve.
Frequent Questions
While Chicken Gnocchi Soup is absolutely delicious, the most popular soup at Olive Garden is Zuppa Toscana. With our recipe collection, you can make both soups at home and decide which is your family’s favorite choice.
Pasta is a mixture of flour and water or sometimes eggs, that hold its shape when cooked with some chewy tenderness. Gnocchi takes a simple pasta recipe and adds mashed potatoes for a soft, tender pillowy pasta.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken breast , cooked and diced
- 1 stalk celery , diced
- 1/2 onion , diced
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- salt and pepper , to taste
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 16 ounces potato gnocchi
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup fresh spinach , roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add celery, onions, garlic, and carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Add cooked chicken, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and thyme and bring to a boil.
- Gently stir in gnocchi and boil for 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in half and half and spinach and cook 1-2 minutes, until spinach is tender. Serve hot.
Nutrition
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Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Variations
Chicken: Use a homemade or store-bought Rotisserie Chicken or pre-shredded chicken from the deli. Brown Italian sausage or bacon, drain grease, and add to the onion mixture for more savory flavor!
Gnocchi: Instead of gnocchi, you can use pasta like tortellini, orzo, or shells. Add cooked white rice or diced potatoes for a gluten-free Chicken “Gnocchi” Soup.
Cream: To make this creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup even richer, use heavy cream instead of half and half. You can make this soup recipe lighter by substituting whole milk.
Seasonings: Even though Olive Garden doesn’t use them, you can add other seasonings like parsley, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, or rosemary for Italian flavors.
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