Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Better Than Olive Garden!)
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe – Everyone loves this creamy and hearty soup that’s easy to make in just 40 minutes. It’s brimming with tender chicken, fresh veggies, irresistible potato gnocchi, and our special touches. The flavor is rich and delicious, and even better than your favorite Olive Garden soup!
Why We Love This Copycat Olive Garden Recipe
Isn’t it wonderful how a rich and creamy soup can make even the most chilly night feel all warm and cozy? We love this Chicken and Gnocchi Soup any time of the year, but especially when the family is craving a bowl of comforting goodness!
It’s reminiscent of chicken and dumplings, but because of the Italian herbs and potato gnocchi, it’s even more reminiscent of the Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup. However, in my humble opinion, it’s much better when made at home!
We made some minor swaps that intensify the flavor, otherwise, this is practically a copycat Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup recipe. You know everyone is going to LOVE this delicious homemade version that’s ready in under an hour!
Ingredients You Need
- Olive oil – or unsalted butter
- Onion – chopped
- Celery – thinly sliced
- Carrots – thinly sliced
- Garlic – minced
- All-purpose flour – to thicken the soup
- Italian seasoning – homemade Italian seasoning or store-bought
- Chicken base and water – for the soup base
- Potato gnocchi – fresh or store-bought gnocchi
- Parmesan cheese – grated
- Half and half – for the most rich and creamy soup (or heavy cream)
- Cooked chicken – shredded (either skinless chicken breasts or skinless chicken thighs)
- Basil leaves – fresh for a wonderful pop of earthy Italian flavor
How to Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Set a large 6-8 quart soup pot (or Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pot. Once hot, stir in the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Stir and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the all-purpose flour and Italian seasoning. Sauté another 1-2 minutes to cook the flour.
Then stir in the chicken base and water.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Note: If adding raw chicken breasts to the soup, make sure to simmer for at least 15 minutes, but up to 20 minutes. Then remove the chicken breast to shred before adding the gnocchi.
Remove the lid and stir in the gnocchi.
Simmer for 2-4 minutes until the gnocchi starts to rise to the top of the soup. Then mix in the Parmesan cheese, half-and-half, and chopped chicken.
Get the Complete (Printable) Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
Stir again to incorporate the cheese into the soup.
Finally, stir in the fresh basil leaves.
Taste, then salt and pepper as desired. If you wish the soup to be slightly thicker, allow it to simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Uncooked chicken – We are using leftover chopped or shredded cooked chicken in this recipe. However, if you don’t have leftover chicken on hand, you can definitely cook two small to average-sized chicken breasts as you simmer the soup base. Allow them to cook for at least 15 minutes in the boiling broth. Then remove the chicken breast with tongs and shred or chop while the gnocchi is cooking. Then stir the cooked chicken back into the soup.
- Vegetarian – Feel free to leave out chicken entirely for a meatless gnocchi soup recipe!
- Without cream – You can substitute half and half with your favorite plant-based alternative. Or if you prefer, you can thicken the soup by subbing cream with 1/2 cup of broth + 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. This will thicken the soup, but note that the taste and consistency will be quite different from the original Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup.
- Dairy-free – You can swap butter for oil and use your favorite plant-based half-and-half and Parmesan cheese alternatives.
- Vegetables – Swap or add other fresh or frozen veggies to the soup! A few delicious options include chopped zucchini or squash, peas, corn, spinach or kale, or mushrooms (best sauteed first).
Serving Suggestions
Make it a full Olive Garden restaurant-style meal with salad and breadsticks, of course!
Try a classic Caesar salad with crunchy croutons, or drizzle homemade Italian vinaigrette over crisp fresh greens. Or try our fun spin on a Caesar with this crunchy kale Caesar salad.
And you KNOW we’ve got a scratch-made Olive Garden breadsticks recipe! We also have a great shareable easy garlic bread and quick 1 hour garlic knots recipes on the site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! Gnocchi cooks right in the soup. There is no pre-cooking needed.
Gently simmer the soup after adding gnocchi. Boiling or overcooking will be too rough for the tender potato pillows.
Creamy chicken gnocchi soup is delicious the next day! Let it cool completely before transferring the soup to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Reheat low and slow on the stovetop or in a microwave.
Yes, you can! Transfer it to an airtight container once the soup has cooled. I suggest wrapping the container in a layer of aluminum foil for extra protection. Place in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Looking for More Scrumptious Soup Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Cream of Chicken Soup
- Italian Meatball Soup
- Chicken Orzo Soup
- Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Better Than Olive Garden!) Recipe + VIDEO
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup celery thinly sliced
- 1 cup carrots thinly sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons chicken base
- 6 cups water
- 16 ounces potato gnocchi
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup half and half
- 2 cups chopped/shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Set a large 6-8 quart soup pot (or Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pot. Once hot, stir in the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Stir and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the all-purpose flour and Italian seasoning. Sauté another 1-2 minutes to cook the flour. Then stir in the chicken base, and water.
- Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. (*If adding raw chicken breasts to the soup, make sure to simmer at least 15 minutes, but up to 20 minutes. Then remove the chicken breast to shred before adding the gnocchi.)
- Remove the lid and stir in the gnocchi. Simmer for 2-4 minutes until the gnocchi starts to rise to the top of the soup. Then mix in the Parmesan cheese, half-and-half, and chopped chicken. Stir again to incorporate the cheese into the soup.
- Finally, stir in the fresh basil leaves. Taste, then salt and pepper as desired. If you wish the soup to be slightly thicker, allow it to simmer another 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm.
this soup was everything that I wanted it to be and more! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe