This copycat Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup is creamy, cozy and comes together in one pot in 30 minutes. Pillowy potato gnocchi, tender rotisserie chicken, carrots and spinach simmer in a creamy parmesan broth that tastes just like the restaurant version (dare we say even better?). It's one of our favorite easy fall dinners. Make sure to serve it up with breadsticks or our easy no-knead focaccia!
This post is sponsored by Staub. As always, all opinions are our own!
Your favorite restaurant soup, made at home!
No need to go to your local Olive Garden: we have endless soup and breadsticks at home now! This creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is an Olive Garden classic for good reason – it's extremely cozy and comforting, filling enough for a full meal and easy to make. Win-win-win!
A few shortcuts make this into a quick weeknight recipe: rotisserie chicken, shelf-stable gnocchi, and a bag of matchstick carrots. The two additions that aren't in the restaurant version are a spoonful of Dijon mustard and a squeeze of lemon at the end. You won't taste either one on its own, but they keep the super rich, creamy soup from tasting flat.
One thing to watch: once the cream and parmesan go in, keep the heat low. A hard boil can cause the cream to separate and the gnocchi can get mushy if overcooked, and nobody wants that!
Like all of our soup recipes, we made this in our favorite Staub 4 qt Dutch Oven. It's the kind of cookware that will last you a lifetime, and there's a color for every style and every kitchen. Personally, I have my eye on their new matte espresso line!
So next up for our Better Than Store-Bought series...should we make Olive Garden breadsticks from scratch?!
xoxo, Lexi & Beth
Key Ingredients Needed For Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Butter and olive oil: We use both because the butter brings flavor, and the oil keeps it from browning too fast. Feel free to use just one or the other.
- Dijon mustard: This is our addition, not Olive Garden's, and it's the secret to a creamy soup that has a bit more depth.
- Salt: We always use coarse kosher salt, so if you're using fine salt or table salt, start with half and add more later once you taste it. The parmesan and broth can be salty, so you might not need it all.
- All-purpose flour: This helps to thicken the soup without having to use too much cream. Leave it out for a thinner, more brothy soup. To make this soup gluten free, use GF 1:1 flour instead, as well as GF potato gnocchi.
- Chicken broth: We use reduced-sodium, so if you're not, make sure to cut back on the salt.
- Whole milk + heavy cream: The combination gives you a soup that's creamy but not too heavy.
- Rotisserie chicken: Two cups, shredded, which is about half of a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Leftover roast chicken or poached chicken breasts work the same way.
- Potato gnocchi: We use the shelf-stable kind from the pasta aisle, and it cooks right in the soup. Refrigerated gnocchi works too. We haven't tried alternatives like cauliflower gnocchi, and since it's softer, we'd expect it to break down more.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed, always! It brightens up all of that cream and cheese.
How to Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Sauté the vegetables and build the base
In a 4-quart Dutch oven or pot, melt the butter and olive oil. Sauté the onion and celery for about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stir well, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more so the raw flour taste cooks off.
Simmer the chicken, gnocchi and carrots
Slowly stir in the chicken broth, then the milk, stirring as you go so the flour doesn't clump. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring it to a boil. Once it's boiling, stir in the chicken, gnocchi and carrots, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the gnocchi is tender and the carrots have softened.
Finish with spinach, cream and parmesan
Stir in the spinach and parsley and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Turn the heat down to low, then stir in the heavy cream, parmesan and lemon juice until the cheese melts. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve warm with extra parmesan, parsley and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat. That's it. Yum!
Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!
- Keep the heat low once the cream goes in. Cream and parmesan can separate if the temp is too high. The soup will be hot enough that you can just turn off the heat before adding those ingredients.
- The soup thickens as it sits. Gnocchi keeps soaking up broth, so leftovers will be a bit thicker. Thin them with a splash of broth or milk when you reheat. On the same note, if you prefer a thinner soup in general, you can either cut the flour amount in half, or add an extra ½-1 cup of broth to the soup.
- Cut the carrots thin. Matchsticks (julienned carrots) soften in just a few minutes while the gnocchi cooks. You can buy them already cut like that, or do it yourself! If you would prefer to just cut them into coins, add them with the onions and celery so they have enough time to soften.
- Serve it like the restaurant does, with a side salad and warm breadsticks. Our rosemary and thyme grissini are also great for dunking!
How long does Chicken Gnocchi Soup last in the fridge?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The soup will thicken quite a bit overnight as the gnocchi absorbs the broth, so reheat it with a bit more broth or milk.
We don't recommend freezing this soup. The gnocchi turns mushy and the cream can separate when it thaws. If you want to get ahead, make the soup through the broth and milk step, cool it, and refrigerate. Then bring it back to a boil and add the chicken, gnocchi, carrots and everything after when you're ready to eat.
More Cozy Soup Recipes You'll Love
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Croutons
- Chicken Minestrone Soup
- Easy Sausage Lentil Soup with Kale
- Sheet Pan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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📖 Recipe
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a 4-quart pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stir well and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly stir in the chicken broth, followed by the milk, stirring well so there are no lumps from the flour. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, stir in the chicken, gnocchi and carrots. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the gnocchi is tender and the carrots have softened.
- Stir in the spinach and parsley, cooking for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, parmesan and lemon juice.
- Serve warm with more grated parmesan, chopped parsley and (optional) red pepper flakes.
Notes
- This soup is pretty thick and creamy. If you prefer a thinner soup, there are a few options. You can cut the flour in half, add more broth (up to another cup would be fine), or you can even use less heavy cream.
- Carrots: Cut them into thin matchsticks (or use the bagged kind) so they soften in the same 5 to 7 minutes as the gnocchi. If you cut them into coins, add them when you add the onions/celery so they have enough time to cook.
• Gnocchi: Shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi both work. Don't over-cook it, otherwise it can get mushy.
• Keep the heat low at the end: Don't let the soup boil after adding the cream and parmesan, or it can separate.
• Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. The soup thickens as it sits, so thin with a splash of broth or milk when reheating over low heat. We don't recommend freezing.
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