Chicken Gnocchi Soup
This creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is so easy to make at home and tastes just like the famous soup from Olive Garden. Use fresh or leftover chicken and make it on the Stove Top or the Crock Pot!
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 507kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 stick of celery diced
- ½ cup carrots julienned
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or 2 cups diced cooked chicken
- 16 oz. potato gnocchi (in the pasta isle)
- 1 cup fresh spinach roughly chopped
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Stove Top Method (See notes for Crock Pot method)
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions, celery, and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, until the flour begins to turn a golden color.
- Add the chicken broth and half and half in splashes, stirring to incorporate. Don’t add it too quickly or you will break the roux.
- Add the thyme and mustard powder.
- If using uncooked chicken, add it to the broth. Bring it to a gentle boil. (If you boil too rapidly, the chicken will become tough.) Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. (This depends on the thickness of the chicken.)
- Remove the chicken and let it rest for 5 minutes, then dice it and add it back to the soup. Let the soup simmer until desired consistency is obtained, it will continue to thicken.
- Add the gnocchi and simmer for about 5 minutes, refer to package instructions for exact amount of time.
- Reduce heat to low and add the spinach, red pepper flakes, and any salt/pepper to taste. Simmer until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Serve!
Notes
Notes
Crock Pot Method Note: We'll use a slurry to thicken the soup at the end, so omit the flour and only use 1 Tbsp. butter. The consistency of the Crock Pot method isn't quite as thick as the stove top but it still tastes great.
- The soup will continue to thicken the longer that it simmers on the stove top.
- Sliced or Ground Sausage can be used instead of chicken and it can be cooked with the vegetables as they soften.
- Half and Half is half milk, half cream.
- Mustard Powder is an ingredient that I like to use that you can't taste outright in the soup, but it helps enhance the other flavors.
Crock Pot Method Note: We'll use a slurry to thicken the soup at the end, so omit the flour and only use 1 Tbsp. butter. The consistency of the Crock Pot method isn't quite as thick as the stove top but it still tastes great.
- Cut uncooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Melt the butter over low heat in the Crock Pot. Add the vegetables, garlic, and chicken and toss to coat. Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the thyme and mustard powder. Do not add the half and half, gnocchi, or spinach.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Use a fork to whisk the half and half and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch until combined. Slowly stir it into the soup. Add the gnocchi. Increase heat to high and cook for 30 minutes, until the gnocchi is cooked through.
- Add the spinach a few minutes prior to serving. Season with red pepper flakes and salt/pepper if desired and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 1236mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3384IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 5mg