Rich and Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup (A 30-Minute Olive Garden Copycat!)

Have you ever found yourself dreaming of that wonderfully comforting, creamy soup from your favourite Italian-inspired restaurant? We’re talking about that rich, satisfying bowl, brimming with soft chicken, pillowy gnocchi, and fresh spinach, all enveloped in a sumptuously savoury broth. If so, you’re in the right place. We’re here to guide you through creating the most delightful bowl of Chicken Gnocchi Soup in your own kitchen. The best part? It’s remarkably straightforward and quick to prepare!

This recipe is our homage to the beloved classic, thoughtfully adapted for home cooks who desire restaurant-standard flavour without any complexity. We have filled it with wholesome ingredients and simple instructions to help you produce a hearty, fulfilling meal that feels just like a warm embrace. Whether you’re seeking refuge from a cold day or simply need a delicious dinner on the table promptly, this soup is destined to become your new go-to.

Why You’ll Adore This Recipe

• A 30-Minute Meal Hero: This is the quintessential 30-Minute Meal. From preparing the vegetables to the final simmer, you can have a steaming bowl ready to serve in around half an hour, making it an absolute lifesaver on busy evenings.
• Incredibly Rich and Flavourful: We employ a simple roux combined with double cream to achieve a luxuriously smooth and decadent broth that stands up to any restaurant offering. The taste is layered, savoury, and truly irresistible.
• A Genuine One-Pot Wonder: The entire dish comes together in a single large pot or Dutch oven. This means you’ll spend less time on the washing up and more time savouring your wonderful culinary achievement.
• Effortlessly Customisable: You are the chef! Feel free to adjust the seasoning, throw in extra vegetables, or even change the protein. Preparing this soup at home allows you to tailor it perfectly to suit your family’s preferences.
• Far Better Than a Takeaway: There’s no need to order in when you can make this. Our homemade version is fresher, often more wholesome, and brings a fantastic sense of satisfaction. It’s a genuine Copycat Recipe triumph.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into small chunks
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 60g plain flour
• 1.5 litres chicken broth (or stock)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 500g potato gnocchi (shelf-stable or fresh)
• 250ml double cream
• 150g fresh spinach
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

How to Make the Perfect Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Whipping up this magnificent soup is a wonderfully simple affair. We’ve outlined the entire method in a few easy-to-follow steps. Just follow our lead, and you’ll be enjoying a delicious bowl before you know it.

1. Step 1: Sauté the Chicken and Vegetables

   Begin by placing a large pot or Dutch oven on the hob over a medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add your diced chicken. Season with a little salt and pepper and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring now and then, until it achieves a lovely golden-brown colour. It doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through at this point. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside for later.

   Into the same pot, add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery (a classic combination known as a mirepoix). Sauté for approximately 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened nicely. Now, add the minced garlic and dried thyme, and continue to cook for one more minute until the aromas are released. Take care that the garlic doesn’t catch and burn!

2. Step 2: Build the Creamy Broth

   Next, sprinkle the plain flour over your softened vegetables. Stir it in constantly for about a minute to cook away the raw flour flavour. This process creates a ‘roux’, which is our secret weapon for a thick, velvety soup that’s free of lumps.

   Start to pour the chicken broth in slowly, whisking continuously as you go. Adding the liquid gradually is the key to achieving a perfectly smooth texture. Keep whisking until all the broth is incorporated and the mixture is silky. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer before lowering the heat. Let it bubble away softly for around 5 minutes, giving the flavours a chance to mingle and the broth to thicken up a little.

3. Step 3: Simmer the Gnocchi

   Increase the heat again to a medium simmer and tip the potato gnocchi into the pot. Give them a gentle stir to make sure they aren’t sticking together. The gnocchi will initially sink. You’ll know they’re perfectly cooked when they pop up and float on the surface, which typically takes just 3–4 minutes. Avoid overcooking them, as they can become undesirably soft and gummy.

4. Step 4: Combine and Finish

   As soon as the gnocchi are cooked, turn the heat down to low. Pour in the double cream and return the cooked chicken to the pot. Stir everything together until it’s beautifully combined. Lastly, add the fresh spinach a handful at a time, stirring gently until it has wilted down into the soup. This will only take a minute or two.

   Give your soup one final taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Serve your homemade Chicken Gnocchi Soup straight away, with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for a vibrant finish.

Top Tips for the Best Olive Garden Copycat Recipe

To ensure your soup is nothing short of spectacular, we have compiled a few expert tips to help you take your dish from simply good to truly unforgettable.

• Take Care with the Gnocchi: This is our most crucial piece of advice! Gnocchi cook in a flash. The moment they rise to the surface, they’re done. If you cook them for too long, they will lose their delightful texture and become mushy. For more guidance on cooking them perfectly, this article on how to cook gnocchi from BBC Good Food is a great resource.
• Try Rotisserie Chicken: For an even speedier preparation, feel free to use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. Just shred the meat and stir it into the soup at the very end along with the cream. This clever shortcut transforms the recipe into an effortless weeknight wonder.
• Fresh is Always Best: While dried thyme is perfectly fine, using a sprig of fresh thyme will infuse your broth with a much richer, more fragrant flavour. The same principle applies to the spinach; fresh leaves wilt into the soup beautifully, whereas frozen spinach can release too much water, which may thin out your soup.
• Getting the Thickness Just Right: If you’d like your soup to be even thicker and more decadent, a simple cornflour slurry will do the trick. Whisk one tablespoon of cornflour with two tablespoons of cold water until smooth, then slowly pour it into the simmering soup, stirring until it reaches your preferred consistency.

Customisations and Variations

One of the greatest joys of cooking at home is the freedom to get creative. Here are some of our favourite ways to put a personal spin on this Chicken Gnocchi Soup:

• Pack in More Vegetables: Don’t hesitate to add other veggies you enjoy. Sliced mushrooms, sweetcorn, or even kale would make wonderful additions. We suggest adding mushrooms at the same time as the onions, and heartier greens like kale a couple of minutes before the spinach.
• Introduce a Little Warmth: For those who appreciate a bit of spice, a pinch of red pepper flakes stirred in with the garlic will lend a lovely, subtle heat to the finished soup.
• Switch Up the Protein: This soup is also delicious when made with shredded turkey (a brilliant way to use festive leftovers!) or even some mild Italian sausage for a different flavour profile.
• Fancy a Creamy Pasta Dish? If you’re a fan of creamy chicken meals but are in the mood for pasta instead of soup, our Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe delivers a similarly comforting and flavourful experience.
• Seeking a Low-Carb Alternative? While gnocchi are the star here, if you’re looking for lower-carbohydrate comfort food, our Low Carb Chicken Casserole is another fantastic choice. You could also try swapping the gnocchi in this soup for cauliflower florets for a lighter version.

Storing and Reheating Your Soup

This soup is wonderful the next day, making it perfect for leftovers! Here is the best way to store it:

• In the Fridge: Let the soup cool down completely at room temperature before you transfer it into an airtight container. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• In the Freezer: We typically advise against freezing this soup. Cream-based broths have a tendency to split when thawed, and the gnocchi can become overly soft during the reheating process. If you do need to freeze it, we recommend freezing the soup base before you add the cream and gnocchi. You can then add these fresh when you reheat it.
• Reheating: Gently warm the soup in a saucepan over a low heat on the hob, stirring from time to time until it is heated through. Try not to let it boil, as this can cause the cream to separate. The gnocchi will have absorbed more liquid overnight, so the soup might seem thicker. Feel free to add a splash of chicken broth or milk to thin it back to your desired consistency.

FAQ

Your New Favourite Comfort Food Awaits

And there we have it—a simple yet sophisticated recipe for a creamy, delightful Chicken Gnocchi Soup that tastes as if it has come straight from a professional kitchen. It strikes the perfect balance between hearty, comforting, and flavourful, and we’re sure it will become a regular feature in your meal planning. It’s a wonderful reminder that you don’t need to spend hours cooking to create something truly special.

So, why not give it a go? Pop on your apron, get your ingredients ready, and let’s cook a comforting pot of this amazing soup tonight! We are certain you will be smitten with the result. When you make it, please do leave a comment and a rating below to share your experience. We always love to hear from our fellow food lovers! #ChickenGnocchiSoup

Recipe Card

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into small chunks
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 60g plain flour
• 1.5 litres chicken broth (or stock)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 500g potato gnocchi (shelf-stable or fresh)
• 250ml double cream
• 150g fresh spinach
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes until golden-brown; remove from the pot and set aside. In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and dried thyme and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute to create a roux. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth until the mixture is completely smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes, allowing the broth to thicken.
3. Increase heat to a medium simmer and add the potato gnocchi to the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
4. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the double cream and the cooked chicken. Add the fresh spinach a handful at a time, stirring until it has wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.