Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)

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! 

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!

1. Measure and prep ingredients. Chicken and gnocchi soup comes together quickly, so you’ll want everything ready when you need it.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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

Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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Other Easy Chicken Recipes

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)

Donna Elick

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup is thick, creamy, and oh so comforting. Enjoy a bowl of this home cooked version for dinner tonight!

5 stars from 4 reviews

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Method Stovetop

Servings 10 1 cup servings

Equipment

• dutch oven
• box grater

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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

Serving: 1 | Calories: 373cal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 886mg | Sugar: 5g | Fiber: 3g | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 4mg

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.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published August 2021, updated and republished September 2024

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