Copycat Olive Garden Chicken & Gnocchi Soup + Video
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken & Gnocchi Soup is super creamy and flavorful with ribbons of spinach, and plump gnocchi throughout.
If there is one thing you need to know about me, it is that when Fall hits, I am a soup fanatic! It’s just one of those meals I never get sick of. It’s so warming & I love the endless possibilities of ingredients all put into one pot. Which is another reason why I love soup, one pot, less mess!
This soup was instantly deemed a new favorite! It’s creamy, & not that bad for you if you use fat free half & half. The flavors are simple, & comforting. I always add extra vegetables to any original soup’s recipe that I find because I prefer about a 60/40 ratio of chunks to broth. The creamy broth with the plump gnocchi dumplings makes this soup lovely & balanced.
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If I can give you one more reason to make this soup is that my incredibly picky 4 year old ate this & asked for seconds. Normally he would be like, “Mom, what’s the green stuff? Mom, what’s the orange stuff? Mom, what’s the chunks? I don’t think I like this Mom.” all before he even takes one bite. But he actually looked at it, smelled it, & tasted it before breaking down everything in the bowl & asking what it was. So he actually ate vegetables without crying about it! This soup is a winner people!
And as far as Olive Garden goes, they know how to make soups, & it’s so much fun to re-create them at home! Just check out my Zuppa Toscana recipe as well. Enjoy!
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken & Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 quart Fat-Free Half & Half
- 1 (14oz) can low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chiffonade (finely sliced)
- ¾ tsp dried thyme
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 (16oz) package Gnocchi
Instructions
- In a large stock pot heat olive oil & saute chicken breasts. Season with a little salt & pepper. Cook until mostly done (very little pink showing.)
- Add butter until melted & then add the onion, celery, garlic & shredded carrots. Cook until onion is translucent. Add flour to absorb the liquid from the butter which will form a roux. Stir well.
- Add the half & half and chicken broth. Stir until it comes to a boil. Allow to simmer while you cook the gnocchi in another pot of boiling water until dumplings float (3 minutes.) Drain & set aside. (*You could possibly just add the gnocchi to the pot of soup, but it might thicken the soup too much & be slightly starchy.)
- Add spinach, thyme & cooked gnocchi to the pot of soup. Taste & adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. Serve hot.
- *If the soup is not thick enough, add 1-2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with just enough COLD water to stir it smooth. Add to the HOT soup & wait for it to boil to thicken up.
Video
Notes
Did you make this?
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The Chicken and Gnocchi soup is my favorite thing to order at Olive Garden, I’m very excited to have come across this recipe.
I hope you like it as much as we did!
I have made this…and I think it was one of the best things I have ever made. I let it sit overnight, and it was so thick and creamy……Looking forward to doing it again, and again, and again :0)
Oh! You have no idea how excited I am when I hear that people love the recipes they try! THANK YOU for leaving your review!
How well does this reheat in following days? It doesn’t break at all does it?
We haven’t had any problems with it not reheating well. Still looks and tastes like soup. The gnocchi might absorb some of the liquid, so it might be thicker, but it’s still smooth.
Where in the grocery store do I find the Gnocchi? Never used it before but DEF. want to try thie recipe! I love OG Soup
Gnocchi is a potato dumpling that is found in the aisle by the dry pastas. It’s usually at the very top of the shelf at the store that I get mine at. Enjoy!
can I use skim mile in place of half and half when making this soup?
skim milk??
You definitely can, just know that it might not be as creamy as the picture shows.
I am trying this recipe now so once i drain the gnocchi do i add it to the soup or add it when i place the soup in a bowl to serve?
Yep. Go ahead & add it after you drain it. I don’t know why I said to set it aside when you just add it in the next step anyway (step 4). Enjoy!!!
Amber, I LOVE all the soups you have been posting lately, and this one just takes the cake, er, soup! 😉 Your recipes always look so good, and your photography is lovely!
Thanks!!
Love, Joy
Yesterfood
Thanks Joy! That is so sweet of you to say! I do love soup too!
I will eat anything with gnocchi. Any time, anywhere. Thanks for sharing! I found your blog on Six Sisters’ Stuff and will be stopping by again!
Welcome Kelly! Come back anytime, there’s plenty of recipes to explore 🙂
This sounds really good! I made my own sweet potato gnocchi and froze some (uncooked, just the dough) because it made way too much. That was my first time making gnocchi & I don’t know if you can freeze it & what it will be like unthawed but do you by chance think it would work for me to use in this soup? Saw this at Inspiration Monday (ISBMTF)thanks for sharing! ~ Jill @ Mama Ging
For sure! I bet that would taste great! Hopefully you froze them on a sheet of parchment first & then transferred them into a baggie so they aren’t stuck together. Cook them frozen, but they will take longer probably 5-10 minutes to cook instead of 3 minutes. Let me know if you try it & thanks for stopping by!!!
oh good, thanks for your reply! Yes, I did freeze flat first before transferring to freezer bags. 🙂 I am trying this soup today so I will let you know! ~Mama Ging
Looks delicious, you are invited to share this with Show Your Stuff:
http://www.treasuresmadefromyarn.com/2013/09/show-your-stuff.html