Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi soup is one of the most popular soup recipes. This Olive Garden copycat recipe is a rich soup with roasted tender chicken, soft pillowy gnocchi, shredded carrots, celery, and fresh spinach in a warm bowl of goodness. Hands down, this is one of my favorite Olive Garden copycat recipes. You can prepare this comforting soup for the whole family. If you love gnocchi, you will love this soup.
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Easy copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi soup recipe
This is an Olive Garden favorite, but this soup is so good you will want to make a double batch every time you make it.
The Chicken and Gnocchi soup will taste like you spent hours at the stove, making your family a delightful chicken and potato gnocchi soup. You can make this soup in about 30 minutes.
Everyone Loves Chicken and Gnocchi soup
Why does everyone love this recipe? I think this is one of those chicken soup recipes everyone loves because it is made with tender gnocchi, juicy chicken, fresh carrots and celery, and a perfectly seasoned chicken broth. To accompany this soup, make salad and breadsticks with this classic Olive Garden dish.
Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup Ingredients
I love this easy gnocchi soup, which uses simple ingredients. In no time at all, your entire family will fall in love with this soup that you made in the comfort of your own home. Go to the recipe card for the exact quantities and steps to make this recipe.
- Butter – you can use either salted butter or unsalted butter
- Olive oil – is used to saute the onions and celery
- White onion – I like the white onion for this recipe. It tends to be a bit sweeter and has less heat than yellow onion.
- Celery – fresh celery adds a beautiful earthy flavor
- Fresh garlic – to make the best soup, use fresh garlic so the flavor sings through
- All-purpose flour – this is used to make a roux, the base of your creamy soup.
- Half and half—I recommend using half and half instead of whole milk; it reheats better. If you want something completely decadent, swap the half-and-half for heavy cream.
- Low-sodium chicken broth – I would use it if you have homemade broth.
- Dried thyme – adds a beautiful earthy flavor
- Dried parsley flakes – add a lovely pop of color to your recipe
- Ground Nutmeg – enhances the flavor of your soup
- Shredded carrots – you can purchase carrot matchsticks to make this easy
- Cooked chicken breast – If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, I suggest this. The Olive Garden does not use this, but it is an opportunity to drive up the flavor. Also, this recipe can be made with cooked chicken thighs.
- Potato Gnocchi – My keto friends will swap out the gnocchi for cauliflower gnocchi. Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi is a favorite. If you can find it, some people love this with mini gnocchi.
- Spinach – regular spinach is fine, but I prefer fresh baby spinach.
Should you use store-bought or homemade gnocchi?
Store-bought gnocchi is perfect for this recipe. You can take the extra step in preparing homemade gnocchi, but premade potato gnocchi works well. Gnocchi can be found in a couple of different places in your supermarket, and you do have options to purchase them.
- Many local stores sell shelf-stable potato gnocchi in the pasta aisles. I have purchased this at Walmart and Kroger, and I have been told that some dollar stores carry gnocchi.
- I have seen fluffy gnocchi sold in the fresh sections of higher-end grocery stores, where you would pick up a prepared meal.
- I have even found it available in the grocery store’s frozen section.
Either type of gnocchi will work well. Your family will love this. Have a hard time finding gnocchi? Make your homemade potato gnocchi.
How to make Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi
It is straightforward to make this Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi soup recipe. You will find that all of the ingredients are very common in your average grocery store.
First, you will sauté the vegetables in butter over medium-high heat. Then, add some flour and cook that through. You will then add the half-and-half and chicken broth. Bring it to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cooked chicken and gnocchi are added to your seasoned broth and vegetables. Adjust your seasoning, and you will be ready to serve this soup in less than an hour.
Can you use a Crockpot for this recipe?
Yes, you can. I like to saute the vegetables first before I prepare the soup. You don’t need to do that if you like.
Simply place all of the vegetables, except the kale, chicken, seasonings, and stock, into the crockpot. Cook on low for 4 hours. Shred the chicken, add the remaining ingredients, and cook for another hour.
If the soup is too thin, make a cornstarch slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons of water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the soup, turn the crockpot on high, and stir until the soup has thickened.
How to Store and Reheat Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Refrigerate any leftover soup for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat – this creamy soup is best reheated in a large pot on the stove over low heat. This way the creamy broth won’t break down.
Can you freeze copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup?
Yes, you can freeze this soup. The soup stays well in the freezer for several months when stored in an airtight container. Thaw the soup in the refrigerator overnight.
More Olive Garden Recipes
- Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken
- Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara
- Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
- Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
- Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
- Olive Garden Dressing
- Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
- Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Olive Garden Salad Recipe
- Zuppa Toscana
Popular Soup Recipes
Love soup? Check out these soup recipes and try one of my great dessert recipes to complete your meal.
Look at more of my copycat Olive Garden recipes to make your favorites at home.
Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced onion
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart half-and-half
- 28 ounces chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 cup carrots finely shredded
- 1 cup spinach leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 cup chicken breast cooked, and diced
- 16 ounces package ready-to-use gnocchi
Instructions
- Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion becomes translucent.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the half-and-half. Simmer until thickened.
- Whisk in the chicken broth. Simmer until thickened again. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, thyme, parsley, nutmeg (if using), shredded carrots, spinach, chicken, and gnocchi.
- Simmer until the soup is heated through. Before serving, season with additional salt, if necessary.
Video
Notes
- You can use leftover roitisserie chicken for extra flavor
- You may want to use less thyme than suggested
- Some gnocchi is very large, you can cut these pieces in half
- You may want to add additional salt to the final soup, this soup does not have a lot of salt in it, especially if you use low-sodium chicken broth
Megan
It tasted like it was missing something, and left me overall unsatisfied. I was really excited for this soup as I LOVE Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup, but it didn’t taste similar enough for me.
Stephanie Manley
When a dish is missing something, it is often missing salt.
Carie
I added a little sugar, which brought out the flavors of everything.
Nancy
I have made this twice now and my husband loves it. I added a tad bit more salt, but it is great as is! I did use frozen spinach because that’s what I had, and it tasted great! Thanks for a good recipe I will make again.
Liz
So delicious!
Ash
wow this tastes exactly like olive gardens. My boyfriend was amazed haha. I’m definitely going to double the chicken next time though!
Ashley Escobar
Can I use heavy whipping cream instead?
Stephanie Manley
I am sure that would work very well.
Cherry
Can I use frozen gnocchi?
Stephanie Manley
Yes, you can.
Denise
Can I use cheese stuffed gnocchi instead f the potato ones?
Caren
Yes! I love using 4 cheese gnocchi from TARGET. I have used both plain and cheese. Also, you can add 1 tsp Sherry for added depth.
Debra
This is out of this world good. You must try!
Julle
Hi. How can I make this recipe dairy free?
Stephanie Manley
Have you considered using nut milk? I haven’t made this recipe dairy-free.
Kimberly
I make it with unsweetened almond milk all the time. It works great!
Kayla
I love this soup so much!!! It’s a family favourite! I just have a question though, what is considered 369 calories? One cup, two? TIA!
Amy Vance
Durning a Covid pandemic and staying home with no dining out . Wow 😳 this was amazing .just like Olive Gardens . Please don’t skip the nutmeg !
Laurel
I was sceptical about the nutmeg because I normally suicide it with sweet recipes, but read your comment and decided to go for it. It turned out amazing!!!! Thank you for posting this encouragement!
Pam
This is a great recipe – family and friends love it. Just a note to y’all: it can be a great “emergency” meal (like stuck in the house due to a snowstorm….) Dried gnocchi has a long pantry shelf life, milk is an acceptable substitution in this recipe in a pinch, and my family actually likes it best when i make it with canned chicken breast meat! And what’s better then a bowl of delicious hot soup on a snow
day?
Jodina
The very first recipe I used, they had add two sprigs of rosemary. The rosemary gave it a wonderful flavor, but the needles of the rosemary did break off and I had to hand-pick them out. It is a good soup.
Sass
I used a rotisserie chicken and added extra spinach. It was delicious! I will definitely make again.
V erna Mize
Loved this soup….family thought it was terrific! Will definitely make his again.
Brenda
Just made this was very good and easy to make, { used kale instead of spiniche and added sweet corn and added extra chicken, will make this again
Lynnann
do you use baby spinach or regular ?
Stephanie
I would use regular spinach.
leigh
i use either or but don’t add butter, flour, parsley or nutmeg.
Kristin
Hello! Your video mentions a 14 oz. can of chicken broth but the printed recipe mentions 28 oz. Which is correct? I’m planning to make this recipe later this week. Thanks!
Stephanie
Use 28 ounces, the film editor cut out me adding both cans, she thought it was redundant.
Kristin
Excellent thank you so much! I’m making this soup right now and I will check back with a review shortly!
Kristin
This soup is FANTASTIC! I am making it for a 3rd time since discovering the recipe a couple of weeks ago. Definitely staying in my recipe rotation. I wouldn’t change a thing!!
Blake Knight
I have tried for awhile to find the recipe for Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup and this is it. Other are too thin or not flavorful. This one is perfect and taste exactly like but better than the OG version. A+. I think the only thing I changed was adding more salt as advised in the notes of the recipe.
Joyce
Can you substitute frozen spinach if you don’t have the fresh?
Stephanie
I would not use it, frozen spinach is already cooked. This would make it very mushy.
Tripp
I do all the time. I put it in frozen. I have never had a problem. I don’t measure it. I just keep adding it until the ratio looks good.