This easy-prep one-pot Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup is ready in 30 minutes and made with easy-to-find pantry staples. You can customize it to adapt to your dietary needs by choosing the protein of your choice and swapping ingredients to meet your preferences. It’s the perfect bowl of comfort for those chilly fall and winter nights!
Ingredients For Easy-To-Make Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
To make this signature dish, you need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Fresh thyme
- Red pepper flakes
- Chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- Leftover rotisserie chicken (or tofu)
- Refrigerated gnocchi
- Baby spinach
- Heavy Cream (or unsweetened coconut cream or milk)
- Dried oregano
- Fresh thyme
How To Make 30-Minute Chicken Gnocchi Soup?
- Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the chopped onion, shredded carrots, diced celery, and minced garlic. Saute until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the shredded chicken and fresh thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the potato gnocchi, baby spinach, and heavy cream. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and gnocchi fully cooked.
What Can I Use Instead Of Heavy Cream?
If you want to reduce the amount of calories, use half and half. If looking for a vegan option, use coconut milk or cream (unsweetened).
Can I Use Frozen Spinach Instead Of Fresh?
Certainly! But before adding it to the soup, squeeze out as much water out of it as you can. This will help retain the creaminess of the soup without watering it down.
Storing and Reheating:
Store leftovers for 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Gnocchi keep absorbing water when stored, so you may need to add more broth before reheating the soup in the microwave or spot.
30-Minute Homemade Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
- Knife and cutting board
- Stove
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 2 stalks celery, chopped finely
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 2 cups leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 16 oz refrigerated potato gnocchi
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. Add the chopped onion, shredded carrots, diced celery, and minced garlic. Saute until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the shredded chicken, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the potato gnocchi, baby spinach, and heavy cream. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and the gnocchi fully cooked and float to the surface. Taste the soup and add more salt if needed.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Necessary To Saute The Vegetables First?
It is not necessary, but highly recommended. Sauteeing the vegetables makes them tastier by releasing their flavors in a more concentrated way.
Can I Make This Soup In Advance?
Yes! Make it up to 4 days in advance and store it in the fridge inside an airtight container. When reheating, do it over low heat to prevent the fat in the cream from separating.
How Do I Thicken The Soup If It’s Too Thin?
Mixing one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water and stirring this slurry into the soup will help thicken it. Simmer it for a few minutes until thick.
Can I Use A Different Type Of Meat?
You can use cooked turkey, Italian sausage, or the ground meat of your choice. Make sure you cook the meat before adding it to the soup.
What If I Don’t Have Gnocchi?
You can add a small pasta instead like orzo, small elbow pasta, or ditalini. If using pasta, the cooking time may change. Cook the soup until the pasta is fully cooked.
How Can I Make This Soup Vegetarian?
You can use diced tofu, or add more veggies like mushrooms and zucchini, and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
Can I Freeze This Soup?
You can, but it’s best to freeze it without the fresh spinach and heavy cream. Add these when reheating the soup. Heavy cream does not thaw well.
How Do I Reheat Frozen Soup?
First, thaw it out in the fridge overnight. Then, place it in a pot and slowly bring it to a simmer. If you froze it without the cream and spinach, add them at this time.