Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup is thick, creamy, and oh, so comforting — even better than the Olive Garden recipe!! Enjoy a bowl of this restaurant favorite for a delicious Italian dinner tonight! This is an easy way to feed the entire family! They’ll love the tender gnocchi.
This Olive Garden copycat recipe has the best tender chicken and pillowy soft gnocchi. I love to make this any time of year as it’s a great recipe that makes a delicious creamy soup.
There are so many layers of flavor in the rich broth, and I love how a little bit of this creamy chicken gnocchi soup recipe goes a long way!
There are a lot of chicken soup recipes out there to make, but this one is prime during soup season.
I always trick myself by filling a small bowl, but after one bite of that juicy chicken, I know that seconds of this comforting soup are happening no matter what.
The best part about making this easy chicken gnocchi soup is that it has the best flavor with minimal effort. The first time I made it,
I couldn’t believe that this delicious soup was so simple to make! It’s my favorite soup because not only do I love gnocchi, but I love that I don’t have a hard time prepping or cooking it.
Adding the fresh spinach and topping with parmesan cheese is a simple way to add flavor and taste – and you can easily add more fresh herbs than what is listed on the recipe card.
You can also add some red pepper flakes to this easy gnocchi soup to kick up the heat a bit! Make a large pot – and enjoy!
Table of Contents
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
We love making copycat versions of our favorite restaurant recipes at home. It saves money — plus, homemade meals always taste the best!
Not only is this copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup made entirely from fresh ingredients, but anyone can throw it together no matter how skilled they are in the kitchen.
My Zuppa Toscana is another delicious Olive Garden soup recipe that can be made on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot.
Or, try a tortellini alfredo soup that is just as hearty and creamy – perfect for a warm bowl of comfort food!
How to Make Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
It’s incredibly easy to make a copycat chicken gnocchi soup Olive Garden recipe at home. Start to finish, it’s ready in under an hour but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen!
- Measure and prep ingredients. Chicken and gnocchi soup comes together quickly, so you’ll want everything ready when you need it.
- Cook the meat and veggies. Brown the chicken until it is cooked through, then transfer to a plate. Saute the veggies in the leftover oil and butter.
- Make the creamy base. Stir in the flour and seasoning, then the broth and milk, and simmer all together with the gnocchi until the tiny dumplings float to the top.
- Finish and serve. Chop up the chicken into bite sized pieces. Stir into the pot with the spinach and cream until heated through.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Olive Garden Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Choose the right cookware. A Dutch oven is ideal for this Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup recipe, but a large stockpot will get the job done as well.
Because this yields so many servings, I recommend a 4-quart capacity at minimum, but larger is better. - Adjust the consistency. I used two packages of the dumplings for a heartier bowl, but feel free to reduce the amount to one package so the chicken and gnocchi soup comes out thinner.
- Use pre-cooked chicken. You could easily throw in some leftovers or rotisserie meat to save some time.
Simply omit the olive oil and begin by cooking the onions in the 2 tablespoons of butter before proceeding with the recipe as instructed. - Play with spices. While Italian seasoning is quick and easy, you can use any combination of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, and/or thyme for better control over the flavor.
Serving Suggestions
You can’t go wrong with a big bowl of salad for the table — it tastes just like the Olive Garden recipe!
Otherwise, chicken and gnocchi soup is quite filling on its own and doesn’t need more than some crusty bread or breadsticks for mopping up every last drop.
Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup FAQ
That depends on who you ask! Some chefs recommend partially cooking the potato dumplings first, or cooking entirely and mixing them into finished soup before serving.
For this chicken gnocchi soup Olive Garden recipe, I toss them in straight from the package. Not only will they cook up just fine, but they take on extra delicious flavor!
It’s easy to sneak in other vegetables like celery, peas, or even zucchini. You could also replace the poultry with Italian sausage for a more savory flavor in Olive Garden gnocchi soup.
Also, small-cut pasta noodles like orzo, shells, and orecchiette are a great substitute if you can’t get your hands on the dumplings. Check the package instructions for cooking times and adjust accordingly.
Yes! Once cooled, transfer leftover Olive Garden gnocchi soup to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove with additional milk or broth as needed.
I don’t recommend freezing, since cream based soups don’t tend to hold up well once frozen and thawed.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
Don’t miss a thing! Follow us on
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Other Easy Chicken Recipes
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breast , or chicken tenderloin
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 32 ounces Gnocchi, (2 packages) or 1 package for a thinner soup
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves, rinsed and pat dry
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup heavy cream
- fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Add butter and olive oil to a large stockpot or Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add chicken and brown well on each side. Reduce heat and cook several minutes longer, if needed, to cook chicken all the way through (165°F internal temperature). Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pot, add onion and saute until onions are soft and translucent. Add additional olive oil if needed for cooking, but there will likely be enough leftover from cooking the chicken.
- Add carrots to the cooked onion and saute 2-3 minutes.
- Add the flour, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to the onions and carrots and saute for 1-2 minutes to brown the flour.
- Slowly pour in chicken broth, stirring to combine the flour mixture evenly into the broth. Add milk and heat mixture, stirring frequently, until soup comes to a simmer and begins to thicken just slightly.
- Add gnocchi and simmer about 10 minutes longer until gnocchi is soft and floats to the top of the pot.
- Stir in spinach, chicken (cut into pieces), and heavy cream. Heat all of the ingredients through and serve.
- Garnish with chopped Italian parsley, if desired.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published August 2021, updated and republished September 2024
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.
Welcome!
Weโre Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
great recipe but maybe you could add a link for those of us who would like to make home made gnocchi dumplings?
Hi Tina,
Here is the recipe for our Italian Gnocchi https://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/gnocchi-recipe/ Enjoy!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
This soup is fabulous !!
Is it 2 – 16oz packages of gnocchi?
Hi Nicole,
Yes it is 2 packages, sorry about that. Thank you for letting us know and have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
What can be substituted for the heavy cream to cut down on the fat and calories?
I use evaporated milk to help cut calories when recipes call for heavy cream.
Loved it! I bumped up all of the seasonings a bit to our personal taste – but this was so good! We will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Hi Katie,
We are happy to hear that! Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
WOW!! Was this a hit with the whole family! We just had this soup the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It was the very best online soup recipe Iโve tried in a very, very long time that I felt deserved a 5-star rating! Not only was it quick to make with leftover cooked turkey, it was easy and actually fun to make. We made a double batch and it was perfect for our group. I know my family all gave it high praises. Thank you! This one will go into the family favorite recipes.
Hi Denise,
Thank you! We are so happy you enjoyed it! Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
this took a little time to make, but it was sooooo worth it! I order chicken gnocchi at Olive Garden, all the time, tasted just like it..definitely making it again and again!
Is there an InstaPot version of this recipe? Can you omit the spinach from this recipe as well?
What type of gnocchi do you use? Iโve bought some packaged and didnโt care for themโฆso u use frozen or from the store shelf?
oh wow, this recipe by Donna and Chad is simply amazing! The Chicken and Gnocchi Soup turned out delicious and was so easy to make. Definitely a 5-star winner.
Hi Skylar!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
I can’t get enough of The Slow Roasted Italian recipes, and this one did not disappoint. This soup is pure comfort in a bowl. A perfect 5-star rating from me.
Hi Mason!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
This chicken and gnocchi soup turned out fantastic, and I added a pinch of nutmeg for a little extra flavor.
Hi Mason!
Glad you enjoyed! Nutmeg sounds great in it.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
Your recipe is better than olive gardens!! its my first recipe of urs that i tried. it led me on to many others that are perfect!!!
love your recipies!!
especially this soup!!!
thank you!!!
Hi Mary!
So glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!! To many more!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn