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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It’s tastes okay probably wouldn’t make again, didn’t add onions cause of my acid reflux so maybe would’ve been better with the.
Made copy cat Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup just now. Your directions were spot on. It took about thirty minutes to chop everything. Tasted just like restaurant! I did not out thyme in it because my husband doesn’t like it and it still tasted like Olive Gardens soup. Thank you for sharing!
I’m glad it was a great turn out for you! Thanks for your comment Julie!
I made this soup last Friday night because it’s my favorite at Olive Garden. It is delicious! My fiancee said this is better than Olive Garden. I had to make it again tonight, love it!!
Wow! That’s so great! I’m so glad you all like it so much! Thanks for sharing your review!
Tried this tonight. Delicious! Made no adjustments, except for using rotisserie chicken instead of raw. I will make this again.
Gotta love using rotisserie chicken! Glad you liked it!
Can this recipe be done in a slow cooker?
Can this be done in a slow cooker??
I’m sure you could, although it will be kind of a high maintenance slow cooker soup. I would still sauté the onions, because I always have problems with them cooking thoroughly in the crockpot. I would also omit the flour and do 2 Tbsp of cornstarch instead. And I would also wait until 30 minutes before serving to add the gnocchi, half and half, and spinach. If it sounds like a lot of work, go ahead and throw everything in the slow cooker, but I’m not positive how it will turn out. I’d love to hear how it goes for you!
Is it ok to use heavy whipping cream instead of half and half? My boyfriend was sent to the store to get half and half and returned with heavy whipping cream……men…..cant live with them cant live without them lol!
Yes, of course. You can even do half heavy cream and half milk. If it gets too thick, just add more milk. 🙂
Awesome! I’m also using pecorino gnocchi so I hope it turns out just as amazing! Thank you so much for the quick response! Cant wait to eat it tonight!!
Half whipping cream and half milk IS half & half. Yum! I use half& half as my coffee creamer but if I run out I make my own with whipping cream and milk. This is my all time favorite copycat recipe!