This Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup is every bit as delicious as the real thing. The rich and creamy broth is filled with chicken, gnocchi, carrots, celery and spinach making it a satisfying meal any night of the week.
And if you're in your soup era and looking for more of the best soup recipes, be sure to try our Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup, Coconut Curry Thai Soup and our Creamy Potato Broccoli Soup Recipe.
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Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
It’s hard to go wrong with this one-pot Italian version of our own Chicken Gnocchi Soup Olive Garden recipe. Even better than the original, this soup smells great, tastes great and is so simple to make. The whole family will love the juicy chicken, fluffy gnocchi and creamy chicken broth. Our kids don’t even complain that it’s packed full of veggies!
You would never guess by tasting, but we fully embrace a few shortcuts, like using cooked chicken and store bought gnocchi, so that this recipe can be prepped and cooked in about 30 minutes. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Ingredients
- Olive Oil - this adds necessary flavor.
- Onion - you can use white or yellow onions for this recipe.
- Celery and Carrots - these should be diced small and roughly the same size.
- Garlic - fresh garlic tastes best.
- Thyme - we recommend using fresh thyme.
- Salt and Pepper
- Cornstarch and Water - this is used to make a slurry that helps thicken the broth.
- Chicken Broth - you can use store bought or homemade.
- Chicken - our favorite method here is to purchase and shred or dice a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
- Gnocchi - you will want to use fresh potato gnocchi, rather than frozen.
- Spinach - fresh spinach tastes way better in this soup than frozen, and has a great texture. Frozen spinach turns mushy.
- Half & Half - this adds creaminess to the broth. You can substitute heavy cream if you want your broth to be even creamier and thicker.
- Parmesan Cheese - this is an optional garnish.
How to Make Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven pot. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook over medium high heat until the vegetables are soft, tender and the onions are transparent - about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until garlic is soft and tender. Next, add the minced thyme, salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, or about 1-2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the cold water and stir together until smooth. Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil, then slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry, stirring until the soup thickens.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and add chopped or shredded chicken, gnocchi, spinach and half and half. Continue to simmer soup for 3 minutes to cook the gnocchi and warm the rest of the ingredients.
- Remove from the heat and ladle into bowls. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup! I still suggest sautéing your vegetables before adding to the crockpot, along with the chicken broth and slurry. Cook on low for about 4-5 hours, then add in your spinach, gnocchi and half & half and cook for another 20-30 minutes, or until the gnocchi is cooked.
Yes, you can freeze this soup. Make sure it has cooled completely before transferring into freezer bags or an airtight container. You can store frozen for up to 2 months.
To reheat, either thaw in the fridge overnight or transfer directly into a pot and warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. You may want to add a touch more half & half or cream if it starts to separate or looks a bit thick.
This soup is begging to be served with fresh bread for dipping. If you want to truly recreate an Olive Garden dinner, you can make our Copy Cat Olive Garden Breadsticks. Otherwise, give this Garlic Herb Twist Bread or Rustic Cheddar Cheese Bread a try.
A rich and satisfying soup like this would also taste great with a fresh garden salad, such as Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad, Broccoli Salad with Bacon, or even these Wedge Salad Wraps.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: store cool soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: you can store completely cooled soup in freezer bags or an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: if frozen, transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw. Once you are ready to serve, reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop in a pot, stirring occasionally.
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 med Onion diced
- 1 cup Celery diced
- 1 cup Carrot diced
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Thyme fresh, chopped fine
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 6 Tablespoons Cold Water
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Chicken cooked and shredded or cubed
- 16 ounces Gnocchi fresh (not frozen)
- 5 ounces Spinach fresh, chopped
- 2 cups Half & Half can substitute heavy cream
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a large dutch oven pot. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are soft, tender and the onions are transparent - about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until garlic is soft and tender. Next, add the minced thyme, salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, or about 1-2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the cold water and stir together until smooth. Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil, then slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry, stirring until the soup thickens.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and add chopped or shredded chicken, gnocchi, spinach and half and half. Continue to simmer soup for 3 minutes to cook the gnocchi and warm the rest of the ingredients.
- Once the soup is thickened and warmed to your liking, remove from the heat and ladle into bowls. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More simple homemade soup recipes that we love!
- Easy Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Easy Taco Soup
- The Best Minestrone Soup
- Skinny Vegetable Soup
- Tuscan Soup
- White Chicken Chili
- More Soup Recipes
This homemade copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup is every bit as delicious as the original. It's got a rich and creamy broth that we load with chicken, gnocchi, carrots, celery and spinach making it a satisfying one-pot meal any night of the week.
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