Crock Pot Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
This Crock Pot Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup is creamy, flavorful and effortless. A simple but delectable soup recipe!
A COPYCAT CROCK POT SOUP
I always order the chicken gnocchi soup when I go to Olive Garden so obviously I had to make my own at home! I really wanted to create a slow cooker version. It took a few tries but I think I nailed it with this chicken gnocchi soup recipe. This soup is full of vegetables, chicken, gnocchi and more. If you are craving this restaurant favorite soup, then you have to whip up a batch of this easy Crock Pot Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe.
This is delicious! My two teenagers agree that it is BETTER than Olive Garden’s!
– Cristen
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Gnocchi are little Italian dumplings made from potatoes. It’s usually served with a sauce.
This uses fresh potato gnocchi. You can either use frozen or fresh. Both will work well in this recipe. Vacuum sealed packaged gnocchi can usually be found in the same grocery aisle as pasta.
Cornstarch is a thickener and it will help thicken this soup slightly. Do not omit this.
Yes, you can do either one depending on your time frame. You can cook this on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Keep an eye on it as some slow cookers tend to run hot.
A 6-quart crock pot should be able to fit all the ingredients for this recipe. If you want to go larger then you can absolutely use an 8 quart but would not use less than a 6 quart.
For this you can freshly shred carrots on a box grater or you can use matchstick carrots and just chop them up a little bit smaller.
This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will last for up to 3-4 days.
Yes. Allow soup to cool then scoop soup into a freezer safe bag. Seal bag well then lay flat in the freezer. It will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. When ready to serve, place bag into the refrigerator to defrost. Then pour soup into a pot and warm back up on the stove.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- chicken breasts – chicken thighs can also be used
- yellow onion, celery and carrots
- garlic – I usually prefer freshly minced garlic but you can use the jarred stuff if necessary.
- chicken broth – if you want to keep the sodium levels down, you could use a low or no sodium chicken broth or try making a Homemade Chicken Broth.
- ground thyme
- nutmeg – I know this seems like a weird ingredient but it is used in Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi soup. It’s one of those ingredients that no one knows is in there but it’s that one little thing that really makes it. However, having said that, if you don’t like it, leave it out.
- kosher salt and black pepper
- potato gnocchi – you will find these usually in the pasta section of your grocery store. They are usually in vacuum packed containers. See my ingredient image below to see the one I used. Many different brands make it, even the store brands.
- heavy cream – it needs to be heavy cream. This really is important that you don’t substitute for milk. If necessary, you could maybe use half and half but we really want this super creamy.
- cornstarch – this is used to help thicken up the soup.
- spinach – again, this is in Olive Garden’s version but if you don’t like spinach, just leave it out or substitute it for something you might enjoy like kale.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN GNOCCHI SOUP:
Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by the diced onion, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pour the broth into the slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Remove the chicken breasts and dice or shred the meat, or shred in crock pot. Return the diced/shredded chicken meat if removed and add in the gnocchi. In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and cornstarch. Pour the mixture into the soup, stir well. Set the slow cooker to high to cook for another 20-30 minutes. Stir in the fresh spinach while hot to wilt.
Serve the soup hot with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for garnish, enjoy!
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Originally published: March 2022
Updated photos and republished: September 2024
Crock Pot Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 cup celery, finely sliced (about two stalks)
- ¾ cup shredded carrots
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth (you can use low or no sodium)
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 16 ounce package potato gnocchi
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, for serving
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by the diced onion, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, nutmeg (if using), salt and pepper.
- Pour the broth into the slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Remove the chicken breasts and dice or shred the meat.
- Place the chicken back into the crock pot and add in the gnocchi.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and cornstarch. Pour the mixture into the soup, stir well.
- Cover and set the slow cooker to high to cook for another 20-30 minutes.
- Stir in the fresh spinach while hot to wilt for a couple of minutes. Serve the soup hot with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for garnish, enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
First time making it. I wasn’t sure how many it would feed so I doubled the recipe for a family gathering and was concerned that I made too much. By the time everyone left, every bite of this was gone. The whole family loved how good this tasted. I followed the recipe to the letter and got nothing but compliments all night!
Freezable?
I answer that question in more detail above in the Frequently Asked Question section 🙂
Absolutely delicious! So impressed with this recipe and like the nutmeg flavor added in!
It tastes even better at home. Thank you!
would rice work to make it gluten free?
Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve never tested this with rice. I know you can purchase gluten free gnocchi. Perhaps someone else can comment and help us out with food alternatives for you 🙂
So good, I add 12 Argentina Shrimp
So happy you loved this one!
This is delicious! My two teenagers agree that it is BETTER than Olive Garden’s!
How much heavy cream do you use with the cornstarch?
Hi Charlie – it’s 2 cups 🙂
Sounds delicious!