A copycat of Olive Garden’s favorite soup, this Chicken and Gnocchi Soup is filled with vegetables, chicken and potato gnocchi, all in a creamy, flavorful and comforting soup.
There’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup on a cold night! Serve this soup up with some Easy Dinner Rolls or French Bread for the perfect cold night dinner.
I love a good copycat recipe. I mean, who doesn’t, right? We’ve got Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana, Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits, California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Pizza, and Chili’s Southwest Egg Rolls, just to name a few.
I mean – if you can make it even better at home, I’m all in!
And this Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup is on my list of favorites, probably right there among the best. Creamy and full of flavor, I make this soup several times a year.
Ingredients
- Butter & Olive Oil: I love the mixture of the butter and olive oil in this recipe. The flavors are perfect.
- Onions, Celery, Carrots, and Garlic: This is your vegetable mix. You do want fresh garlic, if possible, for the best flavor.
- Thyme: The thyme really brings in a lot of flavor. Fresh is best, but if you need to use dried, use about 1/2 teaspoon and crush it between your fingers before you add it for the best flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Always season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Flour: The flour will thicken up the soup a bit.
- Chicken Broth & Half and Half: The half and half gives the soup its creaminess, and the chicken broth gives lots of flavor.
- Chicken: My shortcut for this recipe is to use cooked, shredded chicken that I’ve made ahead of time. It’s a great ingredient to keep on hand all the time! You can also use rotisserie chicken, if desired.
- Gnocchi: I use the dry, packaged gnocchi that you can find with the other dry pastas at the grocery store.
- Spinach: Baby spinach works great because it is tender, but you can also use regular spinach. Just make sure to chop it roughly.
How to Make It
- Start by heating the olive oil and butter in a heavy bottomed pot. I love using a Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and thyme. Cook them until they are softened, then season them with salt and pepper.
- Stir the flour into the mixture and cook for a minute or two. Whisk in the chicken broth slowly. Make sure you scrape the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan – this is where you get a lot of flavor! Whisk in the half and half, then stir in the chicken. Simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked gnocchi and the spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted. Serve and enjoy!
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Video
Watch the video above to see how easy it is to make this soup.
Tips and Tricks
- As with most recipes, taste the soup at the end and add more salt and pepper to taste. You’ll be amazed how much a little bit of salt can do!
- The recipe calls for half and half, but you can sub in milk and/or heavy cream as desired.
- Don’t love spinach? You can leave it out, or sub in another green you may like better, such as kale.
- I like to use an enameled Dutch oven to cook this on the stovetop, but any soup pot will work.
More Soup Recipes
Crock Pot Chili
Turkey Noodle Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
Crockpot Potato Soup
Beef Stew
French Onion Soup
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Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups half and half
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded or cubed
- 1 pound gnocchi prepared according to the package directions
- 2-3 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and thyme and cook until softened, 5-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Slowly whisk in the half and half. Stir in the chicken. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add in the prepared gnocchi and spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted.
- Taste soup and season with salt and pepper before serving.
corine says
where did the recipe go for the chicken and gnocchi soup?
Deborah says
Hi – I had a problem with my recipe plugin, but it is fixed now. You should be able to see the recipe.
Liz says
Made this last night and it turned out amazing! So easy to make too.
Deborah says
I’m so glad you loved it!
Nutmeg Nanny says
Mouthwatering! This soup looks so tempting, I am just dying to get a bowl for myself, yum 🙂
Diana Haake says
I made this soup it is wonderful.
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
I love that Olive Garden soup! I love that I can make it at home now too!!! It looks gorgeous and absolutely delicious!!!
kelley {mountain mama cooks} says
I’m glad you posted soup instead of a dessert! I am loving warms soups right now- it’s been so darn cold!
Chels R. says
I have never ever tried any of their soups, other than their Minestrone. It is the only soup I order there, lol! There version I make is just like theirs too. But Josh, likes this soup. So I’ll making this for him very soon 🙂
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
I’ve never eaten it, but it looks fantastic, especially in your pretty blue bowls.
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
I love Olive Garden’s chicken and gnocchi soup! I would love a big bowl of this soup to warm me up on these chilly evenings!
Heather of Kitchen Concoctions says
Being more organized it something I am working on too! I bought a nice new planner (because I am still a pen and paper kind of girl) and planned out my meal plans and blog posts for the month. But then I have gone back and changed things about ten times and it is only January 13! lol! I guess you can say I am a pencil and paper kind of girl! : ) Annnddd this soup looks so good that I might be changing the meal plans again!
cassie says
I love the chicken & gnocchi soup at Olive Garden and I’m so glad you tried this because now I can’t wait. Love it, Deborah!
Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg says
This sounds incredible and just what’s needed on a cold day. Pinning.
Anna @ Garnish with Lemon says
I love a hot meal in the middle of the day, but I’m too lazy to make a huge effort for it, which is why a big batch of soup is perfect for lunches during the week. Can’t wait to give this yummy-looking soup a try!
Kristi says
This is my favorite soup at Olive Garden. I’m going to try making this with the sweet potato gnocchi I have in the freezer. I can’t wait.
Belinda@themoonblushbaker says
Your soup definitely looks comforting. Nothing say healing like chicken, pasta and veggies!
Kara says
I am curious if you could make this and then keep it warm in a crockpot?
Joanne says
I have definitely been craving soup over dessert lately. I’m totally going to vegify this by swapping out the chicken with white beans! Mmm.