Name: Homemade Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 1 onion, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 4 cups chicken broth; 2 cups half-and-half; 2 cups cooked shredded chicken; 1 lb potato gnocchi; 2 cups baby spinach; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; Salt and black pepper, to taste; Grated Parmesan, for serving

This Homemade Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is made with shredded chicken, pillowy potato gnocchi, spinach, and a creamy broth thickened just enough to coat the spoon.

It’s basically Olive Garden’s soup made at home, and it comes together in one pot.

I make this one on cold nights when regular chicken soup feels a little too plain. The gnocchi makes it filling enough to be dinner on its own, and it reheats well for lunch the next day.

If creamy soups are what you’re after, these are worth adding to the rotation:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Store-bought potato gnocchi is the move here. It cooks in a couple minutes and saves you from making pasta from scratch on a weeknight.

A roux of butter and flour is what thickens the broth into something creamy without needing much cream at all. Rotisserie chicken keeps this quick, but leftover roasted chicken works just as well.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 lb potato gnocchi
2 cups baby spinach
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 6-7 minutes until softened.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, just until fragrant.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for about a minute. This cooks off the raw flour taste and forms the base of the roux.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking, so the flour doesn’t clump.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. It should start to thicken within a few minutes.
Stir in the half-and-half and thyme, then add the shredded chicken.
Let the soup simmer for 5 minutes so the flavors come together and the broth continues to thicken slightly.
Keep the heat at medium-low here. Boiling a dairy-based soup too hard can cause it to separate.
Add the gnocchi directly to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, or according to the package directions, until they float to the top and are tender.
Don’t overcook them. Gnocchi turns mushy fast once it’s done.
Stir in the spinach and cook for another minute until it wilts.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
If the soup looks thicker than you’d like, thin it out with a splash of extra broth or milk.
Ladle into bowls, top with grated Parmesan, and serve hot and enjoy!

How to Make Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup in the Crockpot

For the crockpot version of Homemade Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup, add chicken, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, chicken broth, and seasonings to the slow cooker.

Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is tender. Shred the chicken, then stir in the gnocchi, spinach, and milk or half-and-half during the last 20–30 minutes of cooking.

Cover and cook just until the gnocchi is tender and the soup is creamy. For a thicker soup, stir in a small cornstarch slurry before adding the gnocchi.

Important Recipe Notes

Whisk the broth in slowly. Adding it all at once can leave lumps in the roux. Pour it in gradually while whisking so the base stays smooth.
Don’t boil it too hard once the dairy goes in. A hard boil can cause the half-and-half to separate and give the soup a grainy texture. Keep it at a gentle simmer instead.
Storage. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The gnocchi will absorb liquid and soften more as it sits.

Freezing isn’t ideal here. Cream-based soups with gnocchi don’t freeze and thaw well. The texture gets grainy and the gnocchi turns mushy. This one’s best made fresh or kept in the fridge.
Reheating. Warm gently over low heat, stirring often, and add a splash of broth or milk if it’s thickened too much.
Swap the protein. Leftover turkey works great here too, especially around the holidays.
Make it vegetarian. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and skip the chicken, or swap in a can of drained white beans for protein.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Ladle into deep bowls and finish with a generous grating of Parmesan and a crack of black pepper. Crusty bread on the side is almost required for soaking up the broth.

I like a simple side salad if I want to round out the meal.

Storage:

Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The gnocchi keeps absorbing broth as it sits, so leftovers thicken up (thin with extra broth or milk when reheating).

Customization:

Swap the chicken for turkey or leave it out entirely for a vegetarian version with white beans. Add mushrooms along with the onion and carrots for more depth.

If you like a little heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes stirred in at the end does the trick.