This soup, inspired by Olive Garden’s Chicken and Gnocchi soup, is a big hit at our house. It is full of delicious gnocchi and tender chicken with a creamy seasoned broth. I served it with sliced whole-grain bread and it was very filling.
⏲️ Time needed
This quick and easy soup takes about 30 minutes.
🥘 Ingredients
- butter
- celery
- garlic cloves
- onion
- red bell pepper
- flour
- half and half
- milk
- chicken broth
- cooked chicken
- potato gnocchi
- fresh spinach
- thyme
- parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese
🌾 Adaptations for dietary restrictions
I enjoy a vegetarian version of this soup by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth and omitting the chicken.
📋 Instructions
Start the soup base by melting the butter in a large soup pan. Sauté onion, pepper, garlic, and celery in butter until the vegetables are translucent and tender. Add flour and stir until vegetables are coated with flour. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add the milk and half and half. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture starts to thicken. Add chicken broth and again cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until mixture thickens to desired consistency (soup should be chowder-like in consistency).
Cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Add chicken, gnocchi, spinach, thyme, and parsley to the soup base and stir gently. When soup is heated through, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with Parmesan cheese on top.
📖 Recipe
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1-½ cups half and half
- 1-½ cups milk
- 28 ounces chicken broth
- 1 cup cooked chicken, diced or shredded
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Start the soup base by melting the butter in a large soup pan. Sauté onion, pepper, garlic, and celery in butter until translucent and tender.
- Add flour and stir until vegetables are coated with flour. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add milk and half and half. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until mixture starts to thicken.
- Add chicken broth and again cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until mixture thickens to desired consistency (soup should be chowder-like in consistency).
- Cook gnocchi according to package instructions and drain.
- Add chicken, gnocchi, spinach, thyme, and parsley to soup base and stir gently. When soup is heated through, salt and pepper to taste and serve with Parmesan cheese on top.
Gina Helms
Excellent recipe; best thing I've fixed in a long time. Thanks!!