Chicken and gnocchi soup is a spot on copycat of the Olive Garden classic. Full of rich, creamy broth, tender chicken and pillowy gnocchi, you’ll never need to go to a restaurant with this quick and easy soup recipe.
We love the Olive Garden, but taking us all out for dinner there gets expensive really fast.
And to be honest, the best part of their dinners are the endless soup, salad, and breadsticks.
My favorite is the chicken and gnocchi soup of course.
What’s not to love?
It’s creamy, rich, and satisfying.
The perfect cozy bowl on a chilly night.
And my copycat version hits all those marks plus it is so easy to make that you can have it on your table in about half an hour.
That’s faster than getting in the car and heading out to dinner.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Fats– Both olive oil and butter for ultimate richness.
- Diced veggies– Onion and celery. You can save yourself the chopping time by buying the precut versions you can find in the store.
- Garlic– Minced or pressed.
- Flour– To thicken the soup
- Half and Half– Do not substitute lower fat milk for this. In a pinch, use light cream.
- Chicken broth– For best results, use chicken broth but veggie broth would work if needed.
- Spices– An Italian spice blend and salt and pepper
- Spinach– Fresh spinach
- Gnocchi– No need to cook it first
- Chicken– Cooked and chopped and shredded. Rotisserie chicken works really well in this and so does leftover chicken.
How to Make
Start by heating the olive oil and butter in a stockpot over medium heat.
When the butter is melted and oil is hot, add the diced onion, celery, and garlic. Cook it, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
Then stir in the flour until it’s smooth and golden to form a roux.
Once the roux is golden brown and paste-like, whisk in 1 cup of half and half and Italian seasoning to form the thick soup base.
Then whisk in the chicken broth and remaining half and half.
Let the mixture come to a simmer and then add the chicken, spinach, and gnocchi.
Keep simmering the soup until the gnocchi is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the hot soup into bowls.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The soup may thicken more in the fridge.
If you find it is too thick, reheat it on the stovetop and stir in a little chicken broth until the soup reaches your desired consistency.
Tips and Tricks
- Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and fresh parsley on top.
- Pair it with breadsticks and salad to have the entire Olive Garden experience at home.
- You can make this vegetarian by omitting the chicken and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Other Copycat Olive Garden Recipes
This copycat Olive Garden chicken and gnocchi soup is one of my favorite ways to enjoy dishes from the popular restaurant at home. Make it and enjoy a bowl of cozy comfort food.
Looking for other copycat Olive Garden recipes? Try these:
If you’ve tried this CHICKEN AND GNOCCHI SOUP, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken & Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 small Onion diced
- 2 stalks Celery diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Half and Half Cream 10%
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning to taste
- 2 cups Spinach packed
- 1 cup Chicken cooked and chopped
- 16 oz Gnocchi uncooked
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the olive oil and butter in a stockpot over medium heat.
- Once hot, add the diced onion, celery and garlic. Stir and cook for 3 minutes or until translucent.
- Stir in the flour to form a roux and allow to cook until golden or light brown, stirring occasionally for about 2-4 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup of the half and half cream and Italian seasoning to form a thick soup base. Add the chicken broth, then the remaining half and half.
- Bring the soup to a simmer, then add the spinach, chicken and gnocchi.
- Continue simmering until the gnocchi is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Notes
- Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and fresh parsley on top.
- Pair it with breadsticks and salad to have the entire Olive Garden experience at home.
- You can make this vegetarian by omitting the chicken and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Nutrition
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