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
Tiahna
This was a HIT! My boyfriend always gets this at OG, he said “10/10 let’s make it again”. I added about 1/4c of shredded Parmesan Cheese. Other than that the recipe was awesome!
Emily
My family loves this recipe!! So easy and delicious!!
DIANA CZEBOTAR
Dip a little bake it bread in this soup, and now one of my favorite soups! Warms your winter night.
Amy
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS RECIPE ITS SPOT ON, EXCEPT FOR SOME REASON EVERYTIME MY CARROTS R ALWAYS CRUNCHY, IS IT BECAUSE I DONT USE A CROCKPOT ?
Stephanie Manley
You may want to cut your carrots into smaller pieces to get them to cook more quickly.
Lauren
Will using fresh fresh thyme and parsley take away from the straight-from-Olive-Garden taste? And, is chicken stick interchangeable for the broth or will I need to add seasoning? I just made homemade stock, but I also have Better Than Bullion. Not sure which would be better.
Stephanie Manley
I don’t think using fresh herbs will adversely impact the flavor, start with less than you think you will need. Chicken stock and broth are interchangeable. If I had homemade stock I would use it over anything I buy in the store. I hope this was helpful for you.
Lisa McDonough
Question…
Are the carrots and spinach supposed to be pre-cooked before adding to soup? Recipe doesn’t clarify.
Stephanie Manley
They are not pre-cooked the carrots and spinach cook in the soup.
S G
I made these adjustments, and the soup was EXCELLENT!:
NO CELERY. I hate celery. Period.
1 box chicken stock instead of broth . . . AND add 1 chicken bouillon cube
Reduce nutmeg to just a small sprinkle
Add a small sprinkle Italian seasoning
Add about 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (to taste)
Sea salt . . . continue to add until taste is right
I used the freezer potato gnocchi (1/2 bag)
Edie
Can peas be used instead of spinach??? Or what other substitute??
Stephanie Manley
You could use them, keep in mind, it won’t quite be a copycat then. Other substitutions could be cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. I am sure there are others.
Melissa Annette Burden
Many Italian cooks use the rind from Parmigiano Reggiano when cooking the soup and other cream soups. It adds a depth of flavor and salt. I get my rinds at Kroger, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and Fresh Thyme. I freeze my rinds as I get them. Hope that helps for people “missing something” in the flavor. This soup was very good though. I did use the rind.
Jen Madeley
Absolutely delicious! Will add this into our dinner rotation. We swapped chicken for leftover thanksgiving turkey.
Bessie
this is now one of my favorite soups. So easy to make. The closes Olive Garden to me is over 75 miles away, and now I can make this here at home. I think it is ever better than they make. I also tried it with some sliced fresh mushrooms. I took sliced my baby carrots. I don’t have thyme so I used Kingsfords Garlic & Herbs all-purpose seasoning. And it oh so good. thank you for your recipes.
Ben
If you are using a slow cooker, can you cook the chicken in the soup itself vs cooking separately and adding at the end?
Stephanie Manley
If you are leaving the chicken for 4 to 6 hours yes. But I wouldn’t add in the gnocchi less it was fully cooked and add it at the end.
Nicole
Entire family loves this. Have made this recipe many times and it never disappoints!
Danielle
Hello! Planning to try this recipe this week, was wondering if it would be ok to make it ahead of time and put on warm in crockpot and/or if it’s ok to freeze? Thanks!
Stephanie Manley
This recipe is ok to freeze. The soup re-heats very well. I don’t know how long you need to warm it in the crockpot, but it shouldn’t take too long since you already gooded it.
Rob
I liked it a lot but it was missing some
Kind of taste. Also should gnocchi be cooked prior ?
Stephanie Manley
If you are missing something and can’t quite put your finger on it, you are generally missing salt. The gnocchi will cook in the broth of the soup. I hope this helps.
Courtney
This recipe is amazing. I’ve been making it for years. Every winter multiple times
Nancy
Love this recipe that I have made several times now! Thank you!
Letícia
Hello from Brazil!
Do I need to add some salt/spices at the chicken or just cooked and that’s it?
I’m so excited to do this recipe!
Stephanie Manley
If you are boiling chicken, I would cook it in chicken broth, or season the water with salt, and other vegetables if you have them on hand.
Heather
Fantastic! Tastes just like the Olive Garden version. My family loves it!
Kim
What flour can I substitute to make it gluten free that doesn’t have a funky taste? Almond flour would be too gritty I think.
Stephanie Manley
You could use a corn starch slurry, I would add a couple of tablespoons of corn starch to a couple of tablespoons of water. Mix well, and then pour in towards the end of cooking, and allow it to heat through long enough for it to thicken. Your other option is simply to omit this step, and your soup won’t be as creamy, but the flavor should be there.
Kim
Exactly what I did and used gluten free Gnocci from Whole Foods. Amazing recipe! Thank you!