This easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is healthier than Olive Garden but every bit as creamy and delicious! Tender chicken, loads of fresh veggies, and gnocchi in a creamy broth make the ultimate comforting soup!
It feels like forever since I have been in an Olive Garden. We don’t have any around here and so its a very rare trip over the border to get to one! That said, I have still managed to eat there multiple times and have never left disappointed! Almost every time I have eaten there, I order the chicken gnocchi soup. It is wonderfully creamy and delicious! Paired with breadsticks and I am in heaven!
Since I couldn’t enjoy this soup as much as I wish I could, I just had to figure out how to make my own homemade version! This homemade recipe is just as creamy and delicious but made with wholesome ingredients at home and no cream at all. Instead, I make a creamy broth my creating a roux with flour (and oil) before adding my liquid (broth and milk). All the creamy comfort, none of the guilt!
This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken! I have even used it with leftover turkey from our holiday dinner. Repurposing leftovers is kind of my jam and chicken or turkey are so fun for this! If you do not have leftovers, you can easily cook up some chicken breasts or even pick up a rotisserie chicken to make life easier!
I highly suggest you serve this soup up with some crusty bread or breadsticks (one of these days – hopefully soon – I will share my recipe for these with you all)!
How to make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
To make this soup, you will need:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 rib (stick) of celery, chopped
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, removed from stalk
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
- 1 package gnocchi
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley or thyme, for serving
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots and onions and sauté until tender and the onions are translucent (about 4-5 minutes).
Add the paprika, thyme and flour and stir to coat the veggies. Pour in the broth and increase the heat to high to bring to a boil.
Add the chicken and reduce heat back to medium. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in the gnocchi, milk and spinach. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring often.
Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or thyme before serving.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
-Cathy
You may also like:
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Baked Gnocchi
Gnocchi with Swiss Chard
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup carrots shredded
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme removed from stalk
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb chicken cooked, chopped or shredded
- 1 lb gnocchi
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley or thyme, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots and onions and sauté until tender and the onions are translucent (about 4-5 minutes).
- Add the paprika, thyme and flour and stir to coat the veggies. Pour in the broth and increase the heat to high to bring to a boil.
- Add the chicken and reduce heat back to medium. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in the gnocchi, milk and spinach. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or thyme before serving.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
Delicious soup. Very easy and has great flavor.
Thanks for sharing.