This Slow Cooker Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup is a fabulous copycat recipe! This creamy soup is the perfect easy-to-make comfort food, full of flavor and a rich broth. Serve this with delicious soup with soft breadsticks, and you won’t even miss the restaurant!
Using fresh, simple ingredients, this copycat recipe for Olive Garden chicken and gnocchi soup is sure to become a family favorite in your home. Enjoy this classic chicken gnocchi soup recipe on a rainy day, or whenever you need a hearty, fresh-tasting meal.
The soup is a filling alternative for people who love stews but don’t love how heavy they can be. Gnocchi, a potato-based pasta, doesn’t feel as hearty as meat but still leaves you satisfied and is full of delicious flavor.
In this article, I will show you how to make my version of Olive Garden’s Gnocchi Soup, give you serving ideas, tell you how to make it dairy free, and include expert tips.
Find more easy soup recipes! Make slow cooker ham and potato soup, minestrone soup, or colcannon soup.
🥘Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts—Or use leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Carrots – Shredded carrots work well.
- Onion
- Celery
- Garlic cloves
- Italian seasoning
- Chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Potato gnocchi— These are usually found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
- Heavy cream
- Fresh baby spinach leaves
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
🥣How to Make Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
1. Dump – Add the chicken, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, and stock to your slow cooker.
2. Cook – Cover and cook until the chicken pulls apart easily, about 4-6 hours.
3. Shred – Use a fork to shred the chicken into small chunks. Then add it back to the slow cooker along with the gnocchi and heavy cream and cook for another 30 minutes.
4. Serve – Right before serving, stir in the spinach and cheese.
🍴Serving Ideas
Ladle chicken gnocchi soup into bowls soon as it’s ready! Like Olive Garden, I think this soup can’t go wrong, served with a simple salad and some breadsticks and garlic bread for dipping.
And if you love Olive Garden make sure to try my copycat Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta. It is another restaurant style slow cooker recipe you can easily make at home!
💭How to Store Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup
Be sure to refrigerate any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge. This soup is best the day it is made but can be eaten for 3-5 days after preparation. I’m sure it won’t last that long, though! To reheat it, microwave it or cook it in a saucepan on medium heat.
🍲Chicken Gnocchi Soup Variations
For a dairy-free alternative, I recommend using vegan, unsweetened yogurt. Another option is to blend silken tofu with your preferred plant-based milk, to achieve the same kind of creaminess you would find in a traditional heavy cream. Whatever alternative you use, choose something that is unsweetened.
Vegetable stock works just as well as chicken stock, so our meatless friends are free to use this. This soup is delicious with or without chicken, but adding tofu would taste fantastic if you want the texture that chicken would add without the meat.
⭐Tips
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Keep your slow cooker on low heat after adding the gnocchi so they don’t get soggy.
- You can also keep the gnocchi from getting soggy by lightly frying them in a few tablespoons butter or olive oil to add a nice crust beforehand.
- Fresh herbs like rosemary and basil will add an excellent depth to take your dish to the next level!
- Add fresh spinach last to ensure it doesn’t overcook and taste bitter. You even can add to individual bowls while still hot. If you use frozen spinach, add it 30 minutes before serving.
- Try a pecorino romano instead of parmesan for a stronger bite if you like cheese.
- Swap the spinach for kale if you prefer.
- Use a crock pot liner to make cleanup easier.
📝FAQ
Well it isn’t unhealthy! This recipe for Olive gnocchi soup is a balanced option with a side of fruits and veggies. While heavy cream has a higher fat content, some fat is part of a healthy diet. Plus this recipe includes chicken, which is a leaner meat that cuts down the overall fat content of the meal.
Don’t add the gnocchi until 30 minutes before serving time, and keep the slow cooker on low heat once they are added. Alternatively, you can lightly fry your gnocchi in olive oil before adding them.
It is not essential. But if you like, rinse the excess starch before adding the gnocchi to the soup.
If you prefer a thicker soup, make a cornstarch slurry with a few tablespoons of chicken and cornstarch. Stir it before adding the spinach, which will help thicken the broth.
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Slow Cooker Copycat Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cup carrots diced
- 1 cup white onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1 ½ cups shredded parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the chicken, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, and chicken stock to your slow cooker.3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 cup carrots, 1 cup white onion, 2 stalks celery, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 4 cups chicken broth
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Thirty minutes before you are ready to serve, turn the slow cooker to low heat. Then remove the chicken and shred it with two forks.
- Add the chicken back to the slow cooker with the gnocchi and heavy cream and cook for 30 more minutes on low.1 pound potato gnocchi, 2 cups heavy cream
- Right before serving, stir in the spinach and cheese.2 cups fresh spinach leaves, 1 ½ cups shredded parmesan cheese
Notes
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- You can skip any of the veggies if you like.
- Put the slow cooker on low before adding the gnocchi and cream.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
