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Posted: 01/25/2023

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Name: Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Italian
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

Total Time: 55 minutes ★★★★★ 15 Reviews Jump to Recipe

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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.

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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.

bowl of Olive Garden Copycat Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

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

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.

overhead view of chicken and gnocchi soup

More Soup Recipes

Crock Pot Chili
Turkey Noodle Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
Crockpot Potato Soup
Beef Stew
French Onion Soup

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