Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Creamy chicken gnocchi soup is my version of the Olive Garden favorite, with tender chicken, soft potato gnocchi and baby spinach in a rich cream broth. Everything happens in one pot on the stove, so cleanup is easy. Make it for a cold weeknight dinner or a rainy Saturday lunch. It takes about 50 minutes and serves 4.
When my husband went out of town, I took the boys to Olive Garden. Every time.
Connor was a breadsticks and alfredo sauce kid. That was his whole order. Braxton loved the chicken gnocchi soup. He’d order buttered noodles, and I’d order a pasta dish and give him my soup instead of getting the salad.
He always ate both bowls of soup and took the noodles home for later. (Two bowls of soup and a to go box. The kid had a system.)
This is my version of that soup, made in his honor, with a few tears and lots of love added.
Easy Soup Recipes for Dinner
- Marry Me Chicken Soup – the chicken soup with the very confident name
- Tuscan Tortellini Soup – tortellini instead of gnocchi when you want a change
- Chicken Tortellini Soup – the slow cooker one for busy days
- Spicy Lasagna Soup – lasagna in a bowl with some heat and zero layering
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken – Breast or thighs both work. I’ve made it with thighs.
Heavy Cream – I use heavy cream. I haven’t tried half-and-half in this one, so I can’t tell you it’ll come out as thick and rich.
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How To Make Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Season the diced chicken with salt and pepper. Brown it in the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it’s golden and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Move it to a plate.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery to the same pot and cook 5 to 7 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic for about a minute.
- Pour in the wine and stir until it’s almost gone.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up the bottom of the pot.
- Slowly pour in the broth while you stir so it doesn’t get lumpy. Add the cream and milk and stir until smooth.
- Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Add the gnocchi and the chicken. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes, until the gnocchi float and are tender.
- Stir in the spinach, thyme and basil until the spinach wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and top with parsley and parmesan.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage and Reheating
Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. The soup thickens as it sits, so stir in a splash of broth or milk when you reheat it on the stove.
I don’t freeze this one. Cream soups and the freezer aren’t friends, and I’d rather eat it fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Diced chicken, potato gnocchi, onion, carrots, celery, garlic and baby spinach simmered in chicken broth with heavy cream and milk. A little white wine, thyme and basil round it out, and it gets parsley and parmesan on top.
No. The gnocchi go straight into the simmering soup and cook in 3 to 5 minutes. When they float, they’re done.
Crusty bread for dunking is the classic. I’ve put a few breads and salads from the blog in the list right before the recipe card.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Go slow with the broth. Pour it in a little at a time while you stir. Dumping it all in at once is how you get flour lumps.
- Scrape the bottom. The browned bits from the chicken are flavor. Get them up when you stir in the flour.
- Keep it at a gentle simmer once the cream and milk go in.
- Watch the gnocchi, not the clock. They’re ready when they float to the top.
- Spinach goes in last. It only needs a minute or two to wilt.
- Want it thicker? Let it simmer a little longer before the gnocchi go in, or use a bit less milk.
What to Serve With Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Cheesy Cajun Garlic Bread – garlic bread with a little Cajun kick
- Margherita Pizza Pull Apart Bread – pull apart bread built for dunking
- Southern Pear Salad – an old school Southern side
- Chopped Greek Salad – something crunchy and fresh next to all that cream
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots peeled, diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
- grated parmesan for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook 5 to 7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add the wine and stir until it’s almost evaporated.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up the bottom of the pot.
- Slowly pour in the broth while stirring. Add the cream and milk and stir until smooth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the gnocchi and cooked chicken. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes, until the gnocchi float and are tender.
- Stir in the spinach, thyme and basil until the spinach wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and top with parsley and parmesan.
Notes
- Substitutions: Chicken breast or thighs both work. Made with heavy cream. Half-and-half hasn’t been tested.
- Serving: Crusty bread for dunking.
- Leftovers: Fridge up to 2 days. It thickens, so thin with a splash of broth or milk when reheating.
- Freezing: Not recommended because of the cream.
Nutrition
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