This Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup is such a quick and easy quick and easy soup recipe to make! The creamy texture and taste of this Olive Garden copycat taste better than the restaurant version and cheaper too!
We all know and love the classic Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup. But you know what’s even better? Making it from scratch right in your own kitchen! We’ve made a few Olive Garden copycat recipes before, like this Chicken Scampi, Lasagna Fritta (our favorite), and the Copycat Spinach and Artichoke Dip!
And now, we present this creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup where pillowy gnocchi meets tender chicken and is cooked in a crockpot for several hours until a nice creamy soup forms.
What Is Hearty Chicken Gnocchi Soup?
This famous soup is an Olive Garden favorite, and for a good reason – it’s creamy and delicious! This delicious soup is made with chunks of chicken, potato gnocchi, fresh veggies, flour, half and half, and chicken broth. It’s that easy!
Plus, we’re using a crockpot, aka slow cooker, for this recipe, so you can set it and forget it. It’s the perfect easy dinner for low-effort chefs who can’t be bothered with extravagant meals.
What You Need to Make This Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
- Onion – You can use a thinly sliced red or yellow onion.
- Celery – Chop up the celery into bite-sized pieces.
- Garlic – Minced garlic is best, but garlic powder works great, too.
- Butter & Olive Oil – Coconut oil is also an option.
- Flour – Needed to add thickness to the soup.
- Half and Half – You can substitute heavy cream if you have it on hand.
- Cooked Chicken Breasts – Feel free to use cooked dark meat here too. Any cooked and diced chicken, even rotisserie chicken, works great. Use up those leftovers!
- Carrot – You can shred or chop.
- Chicken Broth – We like to use broth that is low in sodium.
- Fresh Spinach – You can substitute it for frozen spinach. Just make sure to squeeze the water out.
- Thyme – The perfect seasoning.
- Salt and Pepper – To taste.
- Potato Gnocchi – If you want to make homemade gnocchi, you can – but to save time, buy store-bought gnocchi!
How to make Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Olive Garden Soup on the Stove Top
Cook the Ingredients
Start by sauteing the onion, celery, and garlic in a pot over medium heat, or on the saute setting on your crockpot, in the butter and oil until the onion is translucent; about 5 minutes.
Add the Flour
Next, add the flour and form a roux. Stir the flour in to coat the veggies and absorb the liquid. It will create a thick coating over the veggies as it cooks. This is the key to getting that creamy broth you crave!
Add the Chicken
Then add the half and half, chicken and carrots, and allow the liquid to thicken.
Cook the Gnocchi
Meanwhile, if making on the stove top and not in a slow cooker, pre-cook the gnocchi now as per the package instructions.
Stir
Stir in the chicken broth, gnocchi, and spinach into the slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Finally, cover and allow to cook for 4 to 5 hours on low until it’s heated through, thick and creamy.
Serve and Enjoy
Shave fresh parmesan cheese on top, and enjoy!
What to Serve With This Delicious Soup
Serve up a batch of this soup with some Rosemary Garlic Bread or Panko Coated Fried Mozzarella Sticks! Or, add a side of veggies like this Oven Baked Ratatouille!
Leftovers and Reheating
- Ladle leftover chicken gnocchi soup into a resealable airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- For best results, simmer on the stovetop, but if you are short on time, you can reheat in the microwave.
- Reheat in batches in the microwave or on the stovetop in a small pot as needed.
Expert Tips
- This recipe calls for cooked chicken. However, you can use raw. Just brown the chicken in the pan or slow cooker and add time for the chicken to cook through in the broth before adding the gnocchi. (to make sure the chicken is done, check with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature reaching 165 degrees)
- If you simmer the gnocchi too long, the soup can get starchy.
- I love spinach and can’t get enough of it. When added to the soup, it wilts to barely anything, so feel free to double or triple the spinach for this recipe.
FAQs
In one serving, there are about 230-250 calories of soup! The same would be very comparable to copycat recipes.
If you overcook the gnocchi, it will make the soup mushy. Make sure to pay attention and remove them once they’re done cooking.
If you want to make this gnocchi soup thicker, you can add a tad bit more flour. Stir, and then adjust as needed.
Yes, you can! Let the soup cool down all the way, and then store it in an airtight freezer. For the best flavor, eat it within three months of freezing it.
Absolutely! Just keep in mind that the cooking time will be much shorter than in a slow cooker since it’s in a pressure cooker!
More Slow Cooker Recipes to Try
The next time you’re thinking about hitting up your local Olive Garden, whip out this easy recipe! You can enjoy all the deliciousness of this iconic soup without ever leaving your home! Plus, you get way more bang for your buck since you’re making a huge batch rather than sipping on a single bowl! If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment below to help out the next reader!
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
AmericanEquipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion - diced
- 1/2 cup celery - sliced
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 quart half and half - can use evaporated milk
- 1 cup carrots - shredded
- 1 cup chicken breasts - diced and cooked (can use canned chicken or turkey)
- 1 14 ounce can chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh spinach - coarsely chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 16 ounce package gnocchi
Instructions
In a stock pot or Dutch Oven
- In a large stockpot, saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil.
- When the onion is clear, add the flour and form a roux.
- Stir and cook for a minute.
- Add the half and half.
- Meanwhile, in another pan, cook the gnocchi.
- Add the carrots and chicken to the stockpot with the roux. Stir often.
- When it gets thicker, add the chicken broth, gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings.
- Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat and ladle into bowls to serve.
For Slow Cooker:
- Set the slow cooker to sautee, or use a pan over medium heat and saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil.
- Form the roux as instructed above and add the half and half.
- Add the carrots and chicken to the roux and stir.
- Finally, add the broth and put in the uncooked gnocchi and spinach. Season.
- Cover and heat on low for 4 to 5 hours until the gnocchi is cooked through.
- Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.
⭐ Tried this recipe? Rate it ⭐
Help out the next person and give it a star rating below!
Hubba hubba! This looks creamy and comforting!
You did an excellent job! So creamy, warm and delicious! When you are addicted to food a meat grinder can really get you excited! Oh the possibilities…
I actually just made this exact recipe on Monday. It’s so delicious!
I remember Kristen doing that soup because my wife loves it!! Great job recreating this delicious soup!
and thanks for the tips on my last post, I did ad the warning
cheers
Dennis
I have never eaten at Olive Garden. I love gnocchi. Stop making me hungry. <3
Soup with gnocchi!!! Love this idea. It looks sooo good and comforting. 🙂 Soup is one of my favorite foods ever.
Oh lucky you…that’s an awesome gift! Bravo boyfriend!!!
That soup looks great! I love that it is with gnocchi…mmmm!
My sister would worship me if I made her this soup. It looks awesome.
I made this for dinner tonight. It is quickly becoming my family’s favorite soup. It’s good to know it can be made in the crock pot.
I cannot wait to see what you do with the meat grinder. What a great gift for a foodie!!!
I was actually quite panicked through the day about how the half and half would hold up in a crock pot but it turned out just fine. This is a great base that I can easily see tweaking. I think next time I’ll defiantly use kale instead of spinach because I love sneaking it in when I can and keep the chicken a little more chopped instead of shredded because I’d like the texture better.
Thanks for the great inspiration!
Love your blog! I was happy to see your post over at Chef Dennis’ today. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
I would have been excited about that also! I got an Ina Garten cookbook and I love it! Your soup looks delicious and It was great to meet you at Chef Dennis’ today! Have a fabulous weekend!
Mary
Beautiful photos! And congrats on the guest post at Chef Dennis today-how I found you.
delicious soup looks wonderful
Can I come over for a bowl of this soup? Wow! Talk about delicious! And I loved to hear about your present. My husband knows that anything to do with Kitchen Aid will make me smile!
You don’t know what you are missing! You can get “All you can Eat Soup and bread sticks” for around $6.00 add $4.00 more you can add all you can eat salad too. You can try all the soups they serve, or stick to one. I LOVE their Gnocchi Soup! I love all of them, but that is favorite.
So glad to get the recipe.
YUM! That soup looks so good . . . and the Olive Garden? Best restaurant ever! I can’t wait to try it myself. Thanks!
great soup and aw sweet gift
A meat grinder. How romantic! That is awesome. Sounds like my relationship too. Flowers and chocolates? Gag me. A new pair of socks? Excellent!!!
I love the Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup (although I have a feeling it might be terrible for you), but I found some tiny onions in it and now have sworn it off for life. So imagine my excitement to find your recipe, where I can omit the little nasties? Thanks!
What an awesome gift. I’ve been dying for a Kitchen-Aid Stand mixer with meat grinder AND pasta attachments. Can’t wait to see what recipes you make with it.
Thank you for this delicious recipe! It was soooo yummy!
This might sound like a dumb question, but where can I find the gnocchi? I’ve looked at 2 stores, so far, in the refrigerated and frozen pasta sections with no luck! I bought tortellini, but I have a feeling that won’t taste the same.
Hi Shelly, I am sorry to hear you can’t find gnocchi in the frozen/refrigerated pasta section. My only other thought would be to try if you have a fresh pasta section in the deli area? Sometimes I have seen the Buitoni brand in many stores. And as a last ditch effort, I would check near the frozen potatoes, just in case. Personally, I think this soup would be rocking with the tortellini. Texture wise, a bit different, but I’ll take stuffed pasta over gnocchi any day 😉 Letme know how it all works out for you.
Gnocchi is also sometimes found in the dry pasta aisle. But I’m finding a lot of stores don’t carry it. :-\
I actually found Gnocchi at the Dollar Tree of all places! And Safeway and commissaries have also carried it. And WalMart. Usually in the dried pasta aisles, and usually on the very top shelf.
Gnocchi is also not hard to make if you can’t find it in a nearby store.
Made it with the cheese tortellini tonight and it was amazing! Thanks for the recipe and the advice!
Getting a meat grinder attachment for your Kitchenaid Mixer on Valentine’s Day is every girl’s dream 🙂
This soup looks amazing. And I love that it’s made in a crockpot. It makes life so much easier.
All I can say is yummmm!! I made this and it was a hit with the family! We will be making it again.
perfect recipe for this chilly fall day! If I make this in the crockpot should I follow regular cooking directions first or just dump everything in the crock pot?
I made this last night and it was delicious! Creamy and wonderful! Thanks so much!
I was wondering how long before you wanted to eat did you add the gnocchi and spinach?
I generally only add the gnocchi and spinach long enough for them to heat through. The spinach should just wilt into the soup. About 10-15 minutes. Thanks
Thank you so much for sharing this soup recipe!! Made it for the first time today and my husband and I had our daughter and our son-in-law over to try it….it was a huge hit with everyone! I put everything in the crockpot to cook on low all day except for the spinach and gnocchi. I used a box of frozen spinach because the fresh spinach in the store looked horrible. It was fabulous!
Do you just add all the ingredients into the crockpot including the flour? Or does tge stuff need to be started on a stove top then put in crockpot after the flour is mixed in? Little nervous about adding dry flour straight to crockpot
It doesn’t tell you anywhere how manybowls of soup does it make for how many people?
I’m home alone for the weekend and I love expirementing in the kitchen when my parents are gone- mom is a chef so sometimes hard to work when she is home because she always wants it done her way lol. I made this soup tonight an I added red peppers and a shot of hot sauce and some grated cheese!! It was amazingly good!
I can’t wait to make this for my family but how much does it make???? Thanks for posting this recipe
I am in school, is there anyway to make it in the morning and let it cook during the day? in a crock pot
I made this recipe a month or so ago, and my husband and I loved it. But it was even better the second day! So this time, I am making it, letting it sit in the fridge for a night, and eating it the next day. I think the flavors work so much better after hanging out for a little while! Love it!
Made this soup with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and it was even better than Olive Garden! Also make the Zuppa Tuscana and it was delicious too. Thanks so much!!
How long should I leave this in the crockpot? How long is “all day”?
5 to 7 hours on low. Hope this helps!
Do you just put it all in at once? Or do you cook it on the stove first?
I love this recipe. Creamy and delicious, just perfect for the fall weather we are just now experiencing! I have made this a couple times and discovered it was better the second day. so now I make it late one night before going to bed, and refrigerate it overnight. The next day I heat it up for dinner and its AMAZING!
Kinda sad it tasted nothing like it To me 🙁 it’s usually my favorite soup! I followed directions exactly too… it was either the thyme or onion that bothered me
How many does it serve?
If you can’t find gnocchi in your supermarket do what I’ve done out of sheer laziness to shop and pull the inside of potato rolls and roll them in your hands to make little potato dumplings. 🙂 Not the same but pretty tasty.
I have made this on the stove top and in a crock pot and both turned out amazing! Granted when making it in a crock
pot u have to prep it on the stove top! Regardless my whole family loves this soup!! We all think it’s better than the Olive Garden soup.
The creamy texture of the soup just made my mouth water.
This was delicious! We added a few more cloves of garlic, and a few more herbs, like oregano and thyme, and it was soooo good! The only mistake we made is we doubled the recipe. Now we have soup for an army, and there’s just 2 of us. Can you freeze the leftovers?
How long should it cook in a slow cooker?
ONly 3 to 4 hours – anything too long and the gnocchi can get a bit squishy.
I just made this soup and it turned out delicious. I did not have half and half or evaporated milk so I just used regular milk and it worked just fine. I also thought the recipe called for peas so I added a few. My granddaughter would be impressed because she really likes her peas. I would make this soup in a heartbeat again. Absolutely delicious.
Hey! Loved the recipe. Made it for dinner but with a simple alteration. I sauted the onion,garlic in organic cow ghee instead of butter and olive oil.and it turned out to be utterly delicious. I think for keto diet followers, ghee is the healthiest option. It not only keeps you fuller for longer but also helps in weight loss. You must try this recipe with organic ghee.