This creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is so easy to make at home and tastes just like the famous soup from Olive Garden. Use fresh or leftover chicken and make it on the Stove Top or the Crock Pot!

Be sure to serve this soup with my easy Cheddar Bay or Buttermilk Biscuits!

A wooden spoon scooping up Chicken Gnocchi Soup from a pot.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I definitely struggle with which soup to choose from when I go to Olive Garden, but Chicken Gnocchi Soup is always a top contender, along with their Zuppa Toscana Soup. (Does anyone else have a self vs. self over this decision?)

Since you’re here, I’m sure that this soup is right at the top of your list too. So let’s do it, this is definitely a super easy soup recipe. Check out my pro tips, storage information, Crock Pot instructions, and more below!

What is Gnocchi

  • Gnocchi is mostly made of potato, and also contains flour and eggs.
  • You can find it in the pasta aisle at the grocery store, where the dry pastas are located. You may also be able to find it in the refrigerated section with other fresh pastas.

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Soften the vegetables and garlic in butter. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.

A pot with butter and vegetables being softened and flour being added to make soup.

Add the chicken broth and half and half in splashes, stirring as you do so. Adding it too quickly can break the roux. Add the thyme and mustard powder.

Add the chicken and bring it to a gentle boil until cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Remove and dice, then add it back to the soup.

Adding broth and chicken to soup to make Chicken Gnocchi Soup.

Let the soup simmer until desired consistency is obtained, it will continue to thicken. Add the gnocchi and simmer for about 5 minutes, (refer to package for timing).

Add spinach, red pepper flakes, and any salt/pepper to taste. Simmer until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Serve!

Adding cooked chicken and fresh spinach to a pot of Chicken Gnocchi Soup.

Crock Pot Method

Note: We’ll use a slurry to thicken the soup at the end, so omit the flour and only use 1 Tbsp. butter. The consistency of the Crock Pot method isn’t quite as thick as the stove top but it still tastes great.

  • Cut uncooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Melt the butter over low heat in the Crock Pot. Add the vegetables, garlic, and chicken and toss to coat. Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the thyme and mustard powder. Do not add the half and half, gnocchi, or spinach. 
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Use a fork to whisk the half and half and cornstarch until combined. Slowly stir it into the soup. Add the gnocchi. Increase heat to high and cook for 30 minutes, until the gnocchi is cooked through. 
  • Add the spinach a few minutes prior to serving. Season with red pepper flakes and salt/pepper if desired and serve.

Pro Tips

  • The soup will continue to thicken the longer that it simmers on the stove top.
  • Don’t cook the chicken at a rapid boil or it will become tough. A very gentle boil is best.
  • Sliced or Ground Sausage can be used instead of chicken and it can be cooked with the vegetables as they soften.
  • Half and Half is half milk, half cream.
  • Mustard Powder is an ingredient that I like to use that you can’t taste outright in the soup, but it helps enhance the other flavors.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • While this soup can be frozen, the consistency of dairy based soups isn’t quite the same when reheated. But the flavor is still great.

A ladel scooping up Chicken Gnocchi Soup from a soup pot.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • 4-Quart Dutch Oven– This is the perfect size for this soup. This one is high quality and you’ll have it forever. (I use one almost every time I cook!)
  • Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
  • Measuring Spoons– To measure out the seasonings.
  • Pinch Bowls– I measure out my seasonings ahead of time and add them to these small bowls so they’re ready to go when it’s time to add them.
  • Garlic Twister– it’s much more flavorful to mince fresh garlic. This twister does it in seconds and is easy to clean and store.
  • Soup Bowls –(I love these!)
  • 16 oz. storage containers – I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.

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A soup pot full of Chicken Gnocchi Soup with a Wooden Spoon scooping it up.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
4.99 from 88 ratings
Servings: 5 people
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This creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is so easy to make at home and tastes just like the famous soup from Olive Garden. Use fresh or leftover chicken and make it on the Stove Top or the Crock Pot!

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 stick of celery, diced
  • ½ cup carrots, julienned
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 2 cups diced cooked chicken
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 16 oz. potato gnocchi, (in the pasta isle)
  • 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

Stove Top Method (See notes for Crock Pot method)

  • Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions, celery, and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  • Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, until the flour begins to turn a golden color.
  • Add the chicken broth and half and half in splashes, stirring to incorporate. Don’t add it too quickly or you will break the roux.
  • Add the thyme and mustard powder.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the broth. Bring it to a gentle boil. (If you boil too rapidly, the chicken will become tough.) Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 10-15 minutes. (This depends on the thickness of the chicken.)
  • Remove the chicken and let it rest for 5 minutes, then dice it and add it back to the soup. Let the soup simmer until desired consistency is obtained, it will continue to thicken.
  • Add the gnocchi and simmer for about 5 minutes, refer to package instructions for exact amount of time.
  • Reduce heat to low and add the spinach, red pepper flakes, and any salt/pepper to taste. Simmer until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Serve!

Notes

Notes
  • The soup will continue to thicken the longer that it simmers on the stove top.
  • Sliced or Ground Sausage can be used instead of chicken and it can be cooked with the vegetables as they soften.
  • Half and Half is half milk, half cream.
  • Mustard Powder is an ingredient that I like to use that you can't taste outright in the soup, but it helps enhance the other flavors.
Crock Pot Method
Note: We'll use a slurry to thicken the soup at the end, so omit the flour and only use 1 Tbsp. butter. The consistency of the Crock Pot method isn't quite as thick as the stove top but it still tastes great.
  • Cut uncooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Melt the butter over low heat in the Crock Pot. Add the vegetables, garlic, and chicken and toss to coat. Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the thyme and mustard powder. Do not add the half and half, gnocchi, or spinach. 
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Use a fork to whisk the half and half and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch until combined. Slowly stir it into the soup. Add the gnocchi. Increase heat to high and cook for 30 minutes, until the gnocchi is cooked through. 
  • Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of cold water in a covered container and shake to combine. Stir it into the broth.
  • Add the spinach a few minutes prior to serving. Season with red pepper flakes and salt/pepper if desired and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 507kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 118mg, Sodium: 1236mg, Potassium: 739mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 3384IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 159mg, Iron: 5mg
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Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian
Author: Stephanie