This creamy chicken and gnocchi soup recipe is the perfect way to welcome soup season! Featuring tender gnocchi, a creamy broth, and aromatic vegetables, this delicious soup is a homemade version of the Olive Garden classic.

A bowl of creamy soup with gnocchi and spinach.

We all have our favorite restaurant dishes, and one of mine is Olive Garden's chicken gnocchi soup. It's just so creamy and satisfying, especially with tender pillows of potato gnocchi swirling all around.

There's only one problem: I live nowhere near an Olive Garden. I'm only be able to get there once or twice a year - if I'm lucky. So I found a way around this unfortunate obstacle: I would make my own.

After many test runs, I finally cracked the code. This version tastes just like the restaurant version. Dare I say - even better?

The blend of milk with heavy cream adds the perfect silkiness, and the balance of veggies, chicken, and gnocchi is absolute perfection. I just know you're going to love it as much as we do!

Why You'll Love It:

Easy to make. No need to watch a simmering soup for hours! This comforting soup is ready in less than 45 minutes and uses simple ingredients.
Great way to use leftover chicken. While you can definitely cook and shred fresh chicken, this soup is the perfect way to use up odds and ends like those leftover from a rotisserie chicken.
The entire family will love it. Even my picky eater loves this soup! I'm just careful not to add too much spinach to his bowl, lest he think I'm trying to poison him.
Layers of flavor. From the aromatic veggies and tender chicken to the rich broth, this creamy chicken soup is filled with delicious flavor.

You Will Need:

The ingredients needed to make gnocchi soup, including chicken, broth, heavy cream, milk, spinach, and vegetables.

Gnocchi: You will need 1 pound of potato gnocchi, which is the same size as the average package. I use store-bought gnocchi, but if you wanted to you could use your own homemade gnocchi instead!
Chicken: I recommend using pre-cooked chicken for a quick and easy shortcut. You could use leftover rotisserie chicken, or shredded chicken that you've prepped in advance.
Broth: The creamy broth base starts with 4 cups of chicken broth. I recommend using low-sodium chicken stock, then adding more salt to taste if needed.
Heavy cream and milk: The "creamy" part of this soup comes from a mixture of half heavy cream and half milk. It makes for a soup that's super silky, but not too heavy.
Spinach: The soup is finished with several handfuls of fresh spinach. Baby spinach is extra tender, but regular spinach works great when chopped into smaller pieces.
Aromatic vegetables: Onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Grating the carrot helps it to cook more quickly and gives a nice fleck of color in every bite.
Seasonings: Dried thyme, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. If you have some on hand, you could use fresh thyme instead - just double the amount given in the recipe.

Check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and the quantities needed.

How to Make Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Adding broth, chicken, and gnocchi to a dutch oven to make soup.

Saute the onion, celery, shredded carrot, and garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
Once the vegetables are soft, pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Stir in 2 cups of cooked chicken, dried thyme, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once a boil is reached, add in the gnocchi and stir well. Boil for 4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low-medium, and simmer for another 4 minutes.
Pour in 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream.

Adding spinach to a creamy soup, then stirring it in until it's well distributed.

Stir the milk and cream into the soup, then increase the heat to medium.
Simmer until thickened - about 3-4 minutes.
Add in 2 cups of chopped spinach (or baby spinach) and stir it in, just until it wilts from the heat of the soup.
Taste and adjust seasonings as desired, then ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh thyme, cracked pepper, and/or parmesan cheese.

Serving Suggestions

Crusty bread
Breadsticks
Crackers
Biscuits
Dinner rolls
Salad
White wine

Storing Leftovers

Transfer leftover soup to an airtight container and store for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Can this soup be frozen?

Since this soup contains both gnocchi and ample amounts of dairy, I don't find it freezes very well. The gnocchi becomes "bloated" and breaks down, and the dairy can separate. That being said, if you don't mind the texture change you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

A bowl of chicken soup with a small wooden spoon inside.

Expert Tips

Simmer to thicken. Once you add the milk and heavy cream, allowing the soup to simmer will help it to thicken. After just a few minutes, you should notice a visible difference - just don't boil the soup, as that can cause the dairy to separate.
Use leftover chicken. This creamy gnocchi chicken soup is the perfect way to use up whatever you have in your refrigerator. I love to use scraps from a rotisserie chicken that I've stashed in the freezer.
Don't preheat the dutch oven. If you're cooking with stainless steel or regular cast iron, you may have heard that you should heat your pot for 3-5 minutes before adding food. This rule doesn't work for enameled cast iron pieces like Dutch ovens, as it can damage the enamel over time. If you're using an enameled dutch oven, be sure to add the oil right away.

Substitutions

Gluten free: Use gluten free gnocchi in place of the traditional gnocchi used in this recipe. Also be sure to check your chicken broth if using store-bought, as many brands contain barley, which is not gluten-free.

Half-and-half: If desired, you could substitute the milk and heavy cream for 2 cups of half-and-half.

Keto/low carb: Use cauliflower gnocchi in place of the potato gnocchi. Substitute the shredded carrot for an additional rib of celery (or leave it, if the small amount of carbs are not a concern).

Without heavy cream (lower calorie): Substitute the whole milk and heavy cream combination for 2 cups of evaporated milk instead. Cauliflower gnocchi is also lower in calories than potato gnocchi.

Variations

Creamy chicken and potato soup: Substitute the gnocchi for 3 cups of cubed and peeled potatoes.
Cheesy chicken gnocchi soup: Stir in 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese just after adding the spinach. Stir to melt.
Turkey gnocchi soup: Substitute the shredded and cooked chicken for turkey.

A dutch oven with a creamy soup inside, garnished with fresh thyme twigs.

Instant Pot Instructions

Set the Instant Pot to "saute", and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Saute the onion, celery, and carrot until soft; about 3-5 minutes. Then add the garlic and saute for an additional 30-60 seconds.
Pour the chicken broth into the pot, scraping up any browned bits with the bottom of a wooden spoon.
Add in the cooked chicken and seasonings.
With the pot still set on "saute", bring the soup to a simmer.
Once a simmer is reached, add the potato gnocchi and stir.
Hit the "cancel" button, then secure the lid and flip the valve to "sealing."
Using the manual function, set the Instant Pot to "0" minutes.
The pot will reach pressure, then beep to indicate it’s done. Once this happens, flip the valve to "venting" to do a quick pressure release.
Pour in the milk and cream, and switch the pot to “saute” once again.
Cook until the soup begins to thicken, stirring often (3-5 minutes).
Once the soup has thickened, add in the spinach and stir until it has wilted from the heat of the soup (1-3 minutes).
Serve and enjoy!

Crock Pot Instructions

Note: For the slow cooker version, I recommend using 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in place of the pre-cooked chicken.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, chicken broth, and seasonings to a slow cooker.
Nestle 1-2 chicken breasts (1 very large, 2 medium) into the broth.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on "low" for 3-4 hours, or on "high" for 2-3 hours.
Check to ensure the chicken is cooked through (minimum internal temperature of 165ºF/74ºC. If it is, remove it to a plate to cool down, then shred it with two forks.
During the last hour of cooking, add 1 ⅓ cups of heavy cream to the soup and stir well. Then, 15-20 minutes later, add 1 pound of gnocchi and stir.
Add the shredded chicken back to the soup.
Once the gnocchi is tender and the soup has thickened, add the fresh spinach and stir it in until it wilts.
Serve and enjoy!

A ladle of chicken and gnocchi soup being pulled from a large Dutch oven.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

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Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup