This delicious chicken gnocchi soup has it all – it’s creamy and comforting, it’s low calorie, and you need just 20 minutes to prepare it. Whether you know and love Olive Garden’s creamy chicken and gnocchi soup or not, you’ve got to try this easy copycat version! Prefer to make the soup in your pressure cooker? I’ve got you covered there too!
Your new favourite creamy chicken soup recipe
Looks good, right? So let’s just dive right in (with a big spoon) and find out why this dreamy, creamy easy chicken and gnocchi soup might just be your new favourite crockpot (or pressure cooker!) soup recipe…
- If you’ve ever had a similar soup at Olive Garden, this recipe will teach you to make your own version. I can’t promise it will be EXACTLY the same, but it’s close. If you haven’t tried it, make it anyway and find out what all the Olive Garden soup fuss is all about.
- Thanks to the evaporated milk you use (rather than cream), this is a LIGHTENED UP creamy soup.
- There are just 7 main ingredients in this soup. You see – so easy.
- You make it in your slow cooker with only 20 minutes hands-on time. So why not chop up your vegetables the night before and then throw them in the pot with chicken and stock/broth in the morning for an effort free and delicious dinner?
- Had a craving for this Olive Garden chicken soup at work? No worries – just make the recipe in your Instant Pot / electric pressure cooker when you get home instead.
- This is a very balanced but substantial meal. It’s packed with nutritious vegetables: carrots, celery, onion, spinach. It’s got protein (hello delicious shredded chicken). And let’s not forget those cute little potato dumplings aka gnocchi carbs!
So what’s gnocchi and how do you make it?
As gnocchi is usually right next to the fresh pasta at the supermarket, you might be wondering… erm, is gnocchi a type of pasta? Or is it a sort of potato?
As traditional gnocchi is made from mashed potato, flour, egg and sometimes cheese, it’s actually more like a kind of dumpling.
In fact, in Italian, gnocchi means ‘lumps’. I’m sure this sounds more appetizing in Italian though than it does in English!
Most people boil gnocchi but my favourite way to eat it is to bake it, like in this 30-minute gnocchi with sausage, peppers and tomatoes recipe. Or try pan frying potato gnocchi – they end up almost like crispy little roast potatoes like in this amazing pan fried gnocchi with cherry tomatoes recipe.
For this gnocchi soup recipe, I either buy a good quality ready made gnocchi from the supermarket, or I make my own. It’s actually pretty easy to make gnocchi. I usually use the ricotta gnocchi recipe in this post which is super quick because I don’t use any potatoes – just ricotta cheese, flour, egg, and parmesan cheese!
Whether you buy gnocchi or make it, you know it’s ready when it floats to the top of the soup!
What ingredients you need
I really wanted to keep the ingredients down to a minimum so that it’s a really easy win of a meal. But I wanted to make sure that it still has plenty of flavour.
So… these are the main ingredients in my soup, plus oil for sauteing and salt and pepper for seasoning, of course:
- 4 kinds of vegetables: carrots, onions, celery and spinach
- garlic and Italian herbs (for some good but simple flavour)
- chicken breasts (the best quality I can find)
- chicken broth / stock (again, I try to stick to really good quality)
- evaporated milk (so it’s creamy but lightened-up!)
- cornstarch mixed with a bit of water for thickening the soup
- gnocchi (of course!) – either homemade or store bought. To be honest I usually buy my gnocchi ready made, but I look for a good quality brand.
Pro tip: As there are only a few ingredients, I try to use the BEST QUALITY INGREDIENTS I can find. I particularly like to buy good quality chicken (take a look at Butcherbox! – affiliate link) and organic vegetables, and use good quality stock/broth (if I have some homemade, all the better!).
You can find other recipes for copycat Olive Garden soup recipes online, but many of them have a much longer ingredients list. There are just 7 MAIN INGREDIENTS in this soup!
How to make it in the slow cooker or electric pressure cooker
Photo 1: Chop the vegetables (carrots, celery, onion, garlic – everything apart from the spinach) and get all the other ingredients ready to go. So measure out the stock/broth, wash the spinach, get the herbs out of the pantry…
Throw the chopped vegetables, garlic, chicken and stock/broth into the slow cooker or instant pot. Slow cooker: cook for about 6 hours on low. Instant Pot/electric pressure cooker: 10 minutes on high, then let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes (on my pressure cooker I use the ‘auto quick release’ setting which takes about 5 minutes).
Photo 2: After the cooking time is up, grab two forks and shred the chicken in the pot.
Photo 3: Now it’s time for the lightened-up creamy magic to happen! About half an hour before you want to eat, stir in a can of evaporated milk, some corn flour/cornstarch mixed with water (for thickening!) and the gnocchi. Replace the lid of the crockpot, turn it to high and let it bubble away for a few more minutes to cook the gnocchi and let the cornstarch do its thing. If you’re using your pressure cooker just use the saute function here.
Photo 4: Stir in a bag of spinach and let it wilt into the soup.
Photos 5 and 6: Season to taste and serve!
Pro tip: After quite a lot of experimenting, I have decided that 3 tablespoons of corn flour/cornstarch is about right for a not-too-thin-not-too-thick-soup. When reheating leftovers, the gnocchi soaks up a bit of moisture, so I sometimes add a little water or milk to thin it out again.
FAQ
What should you serve with chicken gnocchi soup?
Mostly, we just eat it as it is (it’s a wonderful one pot meal!), but if you want to serve some toasted bread with it go ahead!
Can you make it with chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes, no problem! Cook for the same amount of time if using your crockpot. If using your pressure cooker / Instant Pot, you can reduce the cook time to 8 minutes if using thighs.
Can you use frozen chicken?
Yes! The cook time won’t change if you’re using your slow cooker.
Here’s a handy guide for using frozen chicken when cooking the soup in your pressure cooker / Instant Pot:
For frozen chicken breasts: cook for 14 minutes on high pressure and release pressure for 5 minutes (I use the ‘auto quick’ setting on my electric pressure cooker).
For frozen chicken thighs: cook for 10 minutes on high pressure and then release pressure for 5 minutes.
Can you use frozen spinach?
Yes again! Just defrost the spinach, then squeeze out any excess water before stirring into the soup.
Can you leave the crockpot on all day?
Although the recipe states to cook on low for 6 hours, your gnocchi soup will be fine left cooking all day. Out at work for 8, 9 or even 11 hours? No worries!
Once you’ve added the cornflour, gnocchi and spinach and the soup has bubbled and thickened, it’s also fine to leave the soup on the ‘keep warm’ setting for a while until you’re ready to eat.
Can you reheat and/or freeze it?
Absolutely. Reheat either in a saucepan or in the microwave at 50% power (so the chicken doesn’t get tough!). See how it looks when it’s reheated, but feel free to add a drizzle of milk or water if it’s looking too thick.
You can freeze for up to 3 months. Simply let defrost, then reheat as above.
How to make your soup taste better than Olive Garden’s!
I say this with my tongue in my cheek. But I truly don’t think you need a ton of fancy ingredients to get a meal that tastes just as good as Olive Garden’s!
In my very humble opinion, all you need to do is use the VERY BEST QUALITY ingredients you can find and/or afford.
In other words:
- local fresh and in-season vegetables. Organic if you can find or afford them. If you’re in the UK, you can check out an organic vegetable delivery company such as the award-winning Riverford [affiliate link]. Their vegetables are on average 20% cheaper than supermarket organic vegetables, and customers say ‘freshness and flavour’ is the main reason they buy from them – so just what we’re looking for!
- fresh and/or organic supermarket chicken stock / broth or homemade stock. How do you make homemade chicken stock? Sometimes, instead of throwing away a roast chicken carcass, I place it in my electric pressure cooker with: half an onion, some (unpeeled) garlic cloves, a carrot, a bay leaf, salt and pepper and some fresh or dried herbs. Then I pour water over (until everything is just covered) and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. I then let it cool, strain and freeze for the next time I want to make this chicken soup (or these amazing Greek potatoes)! [No worries if you don’t have a pressure cooker. just simmer for 4 hours on the stove top or cook it on low for at least 8 hours in your slow cooker.]
- And, last but not least…
Good quality meat!
Lately, I prefer to buy less meat, but of better quality. I often buy it at a farmer’s market, which has great quality local meat. But what if you don’t have a good farmer’s market, or you don’t have time to go?
If you’re in the UK, you might like to check out the award-winning Riverford [affiliate link]. They have a wide selection of free range and organic meat, or you can order great value veggie, salad, dairy, and recipe boxes, and much more.
Riverford’s chickens in particular are exceptionally well cared for and 100% organic. All in all, they’re a pretty cool company!
More easy slow cooked meals
- slow cooker Korean chicken
- perfect Thai chicken and butternut squash curry (stove top, slow cooker or pressure cooker!)
- easy slow cooked Greek lamb with lemon garlic potatoes (oven or slow cooker!)
- Thai pumpkin and red lentil soup (vegetarian and delicious!)
More easy comfort food
- 30 minute Greek macaroni cheese (another lightened-up recipe using evaporated milk)
- Fan of the Mediterranean diet? Or just like chicken casseroles? You have to try this Mediterranean stove top chicken casserole (make it on the stove top or in your slow cooker or pressure cooker)
- creamy lemon chicken orzo soup (a bit like this gnocchi soup, but it’s a stove top recipe ready in just 30 minutes!)
- samosa pie (Like samosas? You’ll love samosa pie!)
- Swedish meatballs!
- pasta alla norma (delicious eggplant and tomato pasta)
- Or check out all of Scrummy Lane’s easy meal ideas!
Last but not least: Need a quick and easy dessert to serve after this meal? Here are 11 really easy dessert recipes (6 ingredients or less).
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Note: This post has been updated from its original version to include an even simpler and better explained version of the recipe, new photos, step-by-step cooking instructions, an FAQ, similar recipes, and a how-to video. I hope you like it!
Easy crockpot chicken gnocchi soup (Olive Garden copycat, with pressure cooker)
Equipment (affiliate links)
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts skinless boneless (3 medium to large)
- 1 onion large, chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- 4 sticks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed or chopped
- 4.5 cups chicken stock (US=chicken broth)
- 1 tablespoon mixed Italian herbs e.g. basil, thyme, oregano (or Italian seasoning)
- 14 ounces evaporated milk (1 can)
- 3 tablespoons corn flour dissolved in a little water (US=cornstarch)
- 16 ounces gnocchi
- 7 ounces spinach (baby spinach)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the chicken, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, stock and herbs in the crockpot and cook on low for six hours minimum (or high for four). If you prefer to use an electric pressure cooker/Instant Pot, cook for 10 minutes on high pressure (70kpa), then quick pressure release (either instant or auto quick which takes 5-10 minutes in my pressure cooker).
- At the end of the cooking time, shred the chicken in the pot with two forks.
- Stir in the evaporated milk, cornstarch/water, and gnocchi (no need to cook it first). Bubble on 'high' until the soup has thickened a little and the gnocchi is cooked (a few minutes). If cooking in a pressure cooker, use the saute function instead.
- Wilt the spinach into the pot, grind in plenty of salt and pepper to taste, then serve.
Jessica says
Made this tonight and the hubby and I loved it! Varied from the originally recipe a little by adding pre cooked rotisserie chicken and the spinach and garlic at the start to save time. Will definitely make again! Yum 🙂
Helen says
Hi Jessica! So so happy to hear that you enjoyed this. No problem at all to add pre-cooked chicken – good to hear that that works well too. Now you’re making me want to make this again soon! 🙂
Berri says
I love this soup at the Olive Garden. I order it every time we go. I made this soup today and my family had it for dinner – I have to admit none of us liked it 🙁 I followed the recipe exactly. It seemed to be more of a stew…
Helen says
Oh noooo – so sorry to hear this, Berri. I have a feeling you won’t want to give it another go, but if you do I’d suggest adding more milk or water before serving – or even reducing the amount of cornflour to 1 spoon instead of 2. I found this was more like a casserole when I reheated it on the second day as the leftovers soaked up a lot of the liquid, but after I added more water it was as good as new. 🙁
Helen says
OK, Lisa! Thanks for leaving your honest review – I appreciate it even though you weren’t a fan!
Alee says
Oh my! To be honest I absolutely love this soup. It’s the main reason I visit Olive Garden. I usually end up too full from it that I end up leaving half my entrée (terrible habit but can’t help myself). I’m not sure how this recipe ended in my page but I have been wondering how to make it at home. Really looking forward to trying it. I rarely use my kitchen but this is sure worthy. Thank you!
Helen says
Hello Alee! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a message. This has ended up being one of my most popular recipes. We love it too, and it really is so easy to make at home. Definitely worth getting into that kitchen for! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Janine says
Do you need to boil gnocchi before putting them in crock pot or just open package and dump? 🙂
Helen says
Hi Janine! No, you don’t need to boil it first. Just dump it in! This is a really yummy soup – hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Susan Armstrong says
Once I had added the spinach and garlic, I cooked it on “high” for half an hour, to fully cook the cornstarch mixture for maximum thickening. It needed a lot of salt and pepper and the touch of nutmeg, but it was delicious.
Helen says
Hi Susan! Thanks so much for the tips. That’s a great idea to cook on high for half an hour, and definitely something worth adding to my notes section.
Rick says
Hi Helen, I made this yesterday and we had it for dinner this evening,it was great,actually excellent,will definitely make again.Thank You
Helen says
Hi Rick! Thank you so much for taking the time to pop in here and leave some feedback! This really is a great winter warmer, isn’t it? I love that it’s nice and comforting and filling, and makes LOADS! Really happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
cheri says
Hi Helen, oh so sorry about your tooth, going to the dentist is definitely no fun. Though I do love this soup, pretty clever to add gnocchi to the mix.
Helen says
Thank you for the good wishes, Cheri … tooth all good now, thank goodness. Goodbye to soup for the time being!
Annie says
I have never tried gnocchi before! This looks so perfect and comforting! Really a perfect Winter dinner! 🙂
Helen says
Hi Annie! Really, you’ve never tried gnocchi. Ooh, you’ve got to! 🙂
Maggie says
Sorry to hear about your dental problem Helen. I hope you will recover soon!
I love how creamy the soup is! It’s finally getting cold in Austin and I’m crazing for soup everyday. This one will be on my cooking list 🙂
Helen says
Glad you like this, Maggie. The tooth is OK now, thank goodness, but I’m still craving big bowlfuls of this!
Kelley @ Chef Savvy says
Wow this soup looks fantastic!! I’ve never had this soup before at Olive Garden but it sounds fantastic! I love the gnocchi in it!
Helen says
Thank you, Kelley … I hope you give it a go!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
That looks wonderful! I’ve never added gnocchi to soup although I have added dumplings and pasta so I can see how well it would work! 😀
Helen says
Thank you, Lorraine! This was the first time I’d added gnocchi to a soup too, but it really does work. Definitely a bit like dumplings.
Eva says
Ta soupe est divine, elle a l’air tellement réconfortante! J’imagine déjà le mangé à côté d’un bon feu de chimené. Bon courage chez le dentiste et bon weekend!
Helen says
Merci beaucoup, Eva! Maintenant tout est bien avec le dent … enfin. 🙂
mira says
Dental appointments are not fun, hope everything is ok Helen! Love this soup, so creative and full of flavor! Perfect for the holidays!
Helen says
Everything is fine now, Mira. Thank goodness I don’t have to eat soup any more!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
Oh dear – I am so sorry to hear about your dental issues, Helen. I am glad you managed to catch the doc that afternoon after you displaced your new crown!
As for this soup – it sounds delicious – perfect for people with dental issues and people without any dental issues as well 🙂
Helen says
Hahaha … yes, I agree that this is great for anyone, dental issues or no!!
Bam's Kitchen says
So sorry to hear about the dental woes but if you are going to decide between your steak in the blender and this delicious soup. I think you know which one I would be up for. Love your creamy dreamy soup. I actually have never had Olive gardens soup but this recipe looks so good! Wishing you a successful and permanent tooth solution.
Helen says
Thank you for the good tooth wishes, Bam! Only 1 more day to go before my dental appointment, thank goodness. Pretty sick of soup, to be honest (ahem … yes, even this one 😉
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
This looks so comforting. I just love adding gnocchi to soups, to make them much more filling.
Helen says
Thanks, Dannii! I’ve actually never added gnocchi to a soup before making this, but I certainly will again!
Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness says
This soup looks delicious. Soup is always the perfect comfort food.
Helen says
Thank you, Dawn! Thanks for passing by! 🙂
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
This soup looks amazing! I love gnocchi! I have never been to Olive Garden, but now I don’t need to!
Helen says
Thank you so much, Cathleen. Hope you give this soup a go some time! 🙂
[email protected] says
I have never eaten at Olive Garden, but I do love this soup. It’s so hearty and just what I need when it’s chilly out.
Helen says
Thank you, Janette! 🙂
Marcie says
Now this is a pot of soup! This is perfect for sore mouths after dental visits, right? Haha. And calling yourselves toothless old crones cracked me up! This soup looks just incredible. 😃
Helen says
Thanks, Marcie! Losing my teeth is actually a big fear of mine … hahaha! Hopefully I’ll hold onto them for a good few more years, but just in case I need to gather up plenty of soup recipes … 😉
Chrissy says
Happy healing! This looks delicious- I may make it this weekend!
Helen says
Hope you do, Chrissy! 🙂
Megan stephens says
I have mine in the crockpot as we speak! So excited to try it!!.. how long do i need to cook the gnocchi after putting it in the pot?
Helen says
Hello Megan! Thanks so much for passing by. So sorry for the delay in reply… you must have your gnocchi soup all done and dusted by now. I hope it turned out well! You don’t need to cook the gnocchi. Just tip the package in at the point specified in the recipe and you’ll be good to go! 🙂
Amber Vasquez says
I made this tonight. It was very good. Tasted awesome. I Followed the recipe. However, it was not like Olive Garden Garden. It was very good but it was just missing something.
Helen says
Really happy you gave this a go, Amber, and thank you so much for bothering to leave your honest feedback. I wonder what it’s missing? But at least it’s still tasty! 🙂
Christina says
I have yet to try the crockpot version but in all over the stove recipes I made, nutmeg is part of that list. I usually add tons more garlic, seasonings, and lots of nutmeg. Better than the original! I look forward to trying yours!
Helen says
Oh yes, a touch of nutmeg would be wonderful!
I think I considered adding it to my recipe but decided to keep the ingredients list as short as possible in the end.
I will add a sneaky pinch next time I make this though! 😉