Are you craving a warm, comforting bowl of that famously rich and creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup from Olive Garden? Get ready to make a version at home that is even more delicious, packed with tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, and a luscious, savory broth! This incredible, one-pot, from-scratch-tasting copycat recipe is your ultimate guide to mastering the beloved restaurant classic. It’s a complete, hearty, and satisfying meal that will transport you straight to your favorite Italian-American restaurant, and it’s on the table in under 30 minutes.
This isn’t just another soup recipe; it’s your new secret weapon for a quick, easy, and stunningly delicious dinner. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to a velvety-smooth cream broth that is packed with flavor, and how to create a soup that is a perfect, soul-warming answer to the “what’s for dinner?” question on a busy night.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Olive Garden Copycat
What makes this Chicken Gnocchi Soup so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, rich flavor and its wonderfully creamy and comforting texture. This simplified, homemade version captures all the authentic magic of the restaurant favorite without the fuss. The soup features tender, bite-sized pieces of chicken and a classic aromatic base of onion and carrots. The broth is a masterpiece of creamy simplicity, made with a rich combination of chicken broth and heavy cream. But the true star of the show is the addition of soft, tender, and pillowy potato gnocchi, which cook in minutes and make the soup unbelievably hearty and satisfying. Finished with some wilted spinach, this is a complete and luxurious meal in one pot.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Creamy Dream Team: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients and smart shortcuts to create its signature rich and savory flavor.
- The Protein:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast: A fantastic, lean, and healthy choice. For a super-fast and easy meal, you can also use about 2 to 3 cups of a pre-cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken.
- The “Dumplings” (Gnocchi!):
- Potato Gnocchi: This is the brilliant and easy shortcut that makes this soup so special! Using a 16-ounce package of your favorite brand of store-bought, shelf-stable potato gnocchi provides the perfect, tender, and pillowy bite that makes this soup incredibly hearty and satisfying.
- The Creamy Broth:
- Heavy Cream: For the most luxurious, decadent, and authentic result, it is essential to use full-fat heavy cream. It has a high fat content, which is the key that prevents the soup from curdling and gives it its signature, rich texture.
- The Aromatics: To build a truly deep, restaurant-quality flavor, we’ll start with a classic base of sautéed onion, carrots, and celery (soffritto), along with some fresh garlic.
- The Greens: A generous amount of fresh baby spinach adds a beautiful, deep green color, a healthy dose of nutrients, and wilts down into tender, silky ribbons in just a few minutes, just like in the classic restaurant version.
Step-by-Step to the Best Chicken Gnocchi Soup
This delicious, one-pot soup is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Build the Flavor Base
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add your 1 pound of diced chicken breast and sauté until it is cooked through and lightly browned.
Add the 1 diced onion and the 2 diced carrots to the pot with the chicken. Sauté for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Part 2: The One-Pot Simmer
Step 1: Pour in your 4 cups of chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Use your spoon to scrape up any delicious, flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Step 2: Stir in your 16-ounce package of gnocchi and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. You will know the gnocchi are perfectly cooked when they are plump and have floated to the surface of the broth.
Part 3: Make it Creamy and Serve
Step 1 (The Secret to a Creamy Soup!): Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the 1 cup of heavy cream and a large handful of fresh spinach. Pro Tip: It is crucial to add your dairy ingredients at the very end, over a low heat. Adding cream to a rapidly boiling liquid can cause it to “break” or curdle. Step 2: Let the soup continue to simmer gently on a low heat for about 5 more minutes, until it is hot and the spinach has completely wilted.
Serve the hot, creamy soup immediately in warm bowls, with some crusty bread for dipping and an extra sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup (The Best Olive Garden Copycat!)
An easy, one-pot recipe for a creamy and comforting chicken gnocchi soup, similar to the popular Olive Garden version. This simple yet hearty soup features diced chicken breast sautéed with onions and carrots. Chicken broth is then added to the pot, and soft, pillowy potato gnocchi are cooked directly in the broth. The soup is finished with a generous stir of heavy cream, creating a rich and satisfying meal that’s perfect for a weeknight.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 lb chicken breast, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 package (16 oz) gnocchi
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of olive oil or butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken, onion, and carrots. Sauté until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Stir in the gnocchi and cook for about 3 minutes, or until they begin to float to the surface.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, then stir in the heavy cream.
- Continue to simmer gently for 5 more minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the soup to heat through. Do not let it boil.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Notes
- This is a very fast and easy one-pot meal, perfect for a busy weeknight.
- Cooking the gnocchi directly in the soup is a key time-saving step and also helps to slightly thicken the broth.
- The heavy cream is added at the very end of the cooking process over low heat to prevent it from curdling.
- For extra flavor, you can add a clove of minced garlic with the onions and carrots.
What to Serve With Your Chicken Gnocchi Soup
To get the full, authentic restaurant experience at home, here are a few simple and classic pairings:
- Crusty Breadsticks: A side of warm, buttery, and garlicky breadsticks is an absolute must-have for sopping up every last drop of that incredible, creamy and savory broth.
- A Simple Garden Salad: A crisp green salad with a simple and zesty Italian vinaigrette is the perfect, fresh counterpoint to the rich, hearty soup.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive weeknight meal, you can get a head start by dicing your chicken and chopping your vegetables up to a day in advance.
- Storage: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The gnocchi may absorb more of the broth as it sits.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat a cream-based soup is to do so gently in a saucepan on the stovetop over a low heat. You may need to add a generous splash of broth or milk to loosen the soup and bring back its original, creamy consistency.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Add a Savory Kick of Bacon: For an even deeper, smokier flavor, you can cook about 4 to 6 slices of chopped bacon in the pot until it is crispy. Remove the bacon and set it aside, and then use the rendered bacon fat to sauté your chicken and vegetables. You can then crumble the crispy bacon over the top of the finished soup.
- Make it a Little Lighter: If you would like a slightly lighter version of this soup, you can easily substitute the 1 cup of heavy cream with an equal amount of half-and-half or a can of evaporated milk.
- Use a Different Protein: If you’re not a fan of chicken, this delicious and versatile soup is also absolutely fantastic with about 1 pound of browned and crumbled sweet or spicy Italian sausage.
Enjoy Your Ultimate “Better Than the Restaurant” Soup!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, classic ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This classic Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch-tasting meal to bring the comfort and luxury of a restaurant to your own dinner table. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new, much-requested family favorite for cozy dinners.
We hope you enjoy every last, warm, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a creamy soup that doesn’t curdle or break?
The secret is to add your dairy ingredients at the very end, over a low heat. After your soup base has simmered, be sure to turn the heat on your stove down to the lowest setting before you stir in your heavy cream. Adding dairy to a rapidly boiling or an overly hot liquid is the number one cause of a sauce “breaking” or curdling.
Q2: Can I use frozen gnocchi in this soup?
Yes, absolutely! There is no need to thaw frozen gnocchi before you use it. You can simply add the frozen gnocchi directly to the simmering broth. You may need to add just a minute or two to the cooking time.
Q3: How do I make this soup taste even more like the Olive Garden version?
The classic Olive Garden soup has a very distinct, aromatic flavor that comes from a gentle blend of herbs. For an even more authentic result, you can add about 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme and a pinch of grated nutmeg to the pot when you are sautéing your onions and carrots.
Q4: Can I freeze this soup?
Because this soup contains both dairy (heavy cream) and gnocchi, it is not an ideal candidate for freezing. The texture of both the cream-based broth and the tender gnocchi can change significantly upon thawing and reheating, often becoming a bit grainy or mushy.
Q5: What is gnocchi?
Gnocchi are a type of classic, Italian “dumpling.” The most common variety, and the one that is perfect for this recipe, is a potato gnocchi, which is made from a simple dough of cooked, mashed potatoes and flour. They have a wonderfully soft, tender, and pillowy texture when they are cooked.