Chicken & Gnocchi Soup

You won’t miss Olive Garden with this homemade version of a fan favorite! My chicken & gnocchi soup comes together so easily and hits the spot every time.

An OG fave

As amazing as it is to eat out at restaurants every once in a while, it’s not always possible to do so. Sometimes I get a craving for a specific menu item that is so strong it’s all I can think about for days – I’m sure you all know the feeling too!

When the weather starts to cool down a little, I love a hearty and delicious soup and I often find myself dreaming about the Olive Garden chicken & gnocchi soup. I challenged myself to recreate the dish at home, and man did this recipe turn out good! My recreation is pretty spot on to the original, and is much easier to make than I had anticipated. Consider those cravings satisfied! If you’re a lover of the OG version, you have got to give this recipe a try.

This copycat chicken & gnocchi soup is super simple to make but so comforting. It’s the ideal weeknight dinner for the fall / winter time because it comes together in less than 30 minutes. Also, it makes for great leftovers which is always a huge bonus – I would even say that it tastes better the second time around, once all the delicious flavors have had some time to develop!

If you have any restaurant favorites that you’d love to try your hand at making at home, let me know by commenting below or reaching out to me on any social media platform @DashOfMandi – I’d love to work on some more recipe recreations! Cooking at home is a great way to save money and nothing beats a delicious homemade meal.

Any way you want it!

The soup itself is so quick and simple, so don’t be scared if you’re new to home cooking! This chicken & gnocchi soup recipe is accessible to all confidence levels. To start, I just baked two chicken breasts and cut them into tiny pieces to throw into the soup. However, if you’re looking to save some time or want to simplify, feel free to grab a rotisserie chicken and chop that up. I personally like the texture of little chunks for the chicken pieces, but feel free to play around with other methods. Shredded chicken would work great, or you could opt for some larger pieces too.

Especially during the colder months, a rich and hearty soup is exactly what I crave – every bite is the perfect bite! This chicken & gnocchi soup is packed full of nourishing ingredients – fresh vegetables, succulent chicken breast and no artificial nastiness in sight. Because the ingredient list is super clean, this is a great ‘get better’ soup recipe to have in your back pocket! It has some diced onion, celery, shredded carrots, garlic, thyme, chicken stock, spinach and heavy cream. I love the control you have with homemade soups – by adding a lot of veggies and protein you can give your body exactly what it needs this time of year.

Homemade soup is so versatile and makes it so easy to cater to every need or preference. This recipe can easily be made gluten free by opting for GF gnocchi or pasta depending on what is available to you. If you are serving this recipe to those with intolerances, be sure to double check the back of any prepared ingredients (chicken broth, seasoning blends, etc.) as contents tend to differ from brand to brand!

What you’ll need:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 a yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp of Trader Joe’s green goddess seasoning, optional
• 4-5 cups chicken broth or stock
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped into small pieces
• 1 lb gnocchi
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 & 1/3 cup heavy cream, or Ripple brand half and half to make it dairy-free
• Grated parmesan cheese for topping, optional

Let’s do it!

1. Add the oil and butter to a large soup pot. Once the butter is melted, add the onion, celery, and carrots over a medium heat.
2. Let these cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and thyme and let cook for another minute to infuse.
3. To the same soup pot, add in the Italian seasoning, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Bring this mixture to a boil. 
4. Add in the gnocchi and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for a further 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure an even cook.
5. Mix in the cooked chicken pieces, spinach and heavy cream. Let this cook for 3-4 more minutes to warm through completely. 
6. Taste your soup and add more seasonings if needed.
7. Once you are satisfied with the seasoning and overall taste of the soup, ladle into bowls and top with grated parmesan if desired. Enjoy!

FAQs

Other soup recipes you’ll love:

• Sausage Tuscan Soup ^[4]
• Minestrone Soup ^[5]
• Lemon Chicken Soup ^[6]
• Creamy Harissa Tomato Soup ^[7]
• Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup ^[8]

Why not save & pin for later?

Make sure you don’t lose this recipe by saving it for later! Also, for more recipes make sure you’re following me on Pinterest ^[9], Instagram ^[10] and like my page on Facebook ^[11]. If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and tag me in your pictures!

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