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.
Ally says
I completely forgot to by gnocchi? Thoughts on how I could adjust and add egg noodles instead? Thanks!
Helen says
Hi Ally! I think egg noodles will work just fine. What I’d do is take the lid off your soup at the end of the cooking time, turn the crock pot up to high and add the noodles for the length of time stated on the packet (10 mins? 15 mins?). Just test at the end of cooking of course, and you should be good to go!
Jamie says
I’m surprised at some of the negative reviews. I made this exactly as the recipe says for a family Christmas (I actually doubled the recipe), and EVERYONE loved it, including the kids! I thought it was so DELICIOUS! Thank you for posting this recipe, we love it!!!
*And for people who want it more soupy, just add more milk as stated in the recipe notes. We added a lot of milk to make it thinner, and it was great!
Helen says
Hi Jamie! Thank you so much for bothering to come back and leave your feedback. This definitely gets mixed reviews but I think it’s just one of those recipes that some people will like, and others not so much 😉
That’s OK with me, but I’m so glad you all thought it was delicious. Thank you again – really appreciate it!
Brittany says
So I’ve made this recipe before, but it’s been some time since then. I made this today and am disappointed by the results. The soup is very watery and doesn’t have the creamy taste of Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi at all.
I followed the recipe to the letter and realize it’s not that I did anything wrong, this is just simply not the recipe I’m used to using (although it is much healthier than the version I meant to make). 🙁
If you’re looking for a thicker, creamier soup, I’d recommend using half and half instead of the evaporated milk. And no need to cook in a crockpot. Sautee the veggies and chicken and throw it all in a pot and you’ll be fine. Also, boil the gnocchi before tossing them in the pot with the rest of the meal, and let the spinach wilt in the pot with all the ingredients rather than cooking separately. Next time I’ll pay more attention to which links I’m clicking!
Helen says
Hi Brittany, I’m disappointed that you didn’t think much of this recipe of course, but thanks all the same for leaving your honest feedback. I do tend to veer a little more towards healthier recipes on my blog, and using as few ingredients as possible to fit with my quick and easy focus. I didn’t change this recipe too much from the originals I based it on, however. As for the thickness, there’s a note in the recipe about thickening the soup if you prefer it thicker, or I usually find the leftovers are thicker the next day. Good luck with finding the recipe you like better!
Oh, and thank you for the tips for cooking on the stovetop. I will have to try that!
Sara says
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but mine turned out super runny. I added a couple more tablespoons of cornstarch but it would not thicken. I didn’t want to add anymore in fear of making it feel gritty. I had the crockpot on high, but does it need to boil in order for it to thicken? I’d love to try it again, I just wish I knew how to make it thicker. I was really wanting more of a chowder.
Helen says
Hi Sara! Oh what a shame it didn’t end up exactly as you were wanting it to! Actually the first time I made this it was a bit too thick for our liking (husband called it chicken gloop!) which is why I played around with making it thinner. I think it really depends on a lot of things – your slow cooker, the length of cooking, when you eat it etc. I’d suggest adding a bit more corn starch at the beginning when you put the slow cooker on, and also a bit less broth/stock, and see how that goes.
I also find the soup’s a lot thicker the next day after being in the fridge overnight, so you could try making it the day before.
If all else fails you can pour the soup into a pan and boil it vigorously for a while before serving. That would thicken it up.
I hope those tips help – good luck!
Lauren says
How much is one serving size?
Helen says
Hi Lauren! There are about 8 servings, but it does depend a bit on how thick you want the soup to be. I’m afraid I don’t know exactly how big each serving size is, but with some crusty bread it’s enough for a main meal size for everyone. Hope you enjoy it!
Katie says
When it ask you to add the water and the gnocchi what water is it talking about, how much, is it the water on the packaging 9f the gnocchi
Helen says
Hi Katie! I think you might be referring to the water that you mix in with the cornstarch? If so, you just add a little bit of water to your cornstarch so that you can pour it into the soup without it being all lumpy. Let me know if this isn’t what you meant! Good luck!
brianna says
what would be the best type of chicken to use (or cut) for this recipe?
Helen says
Hi Brianna! I use skinless boneless chicken breasts!
Amber says
Hello, this looks amazing. I have the ingredients to make this except the store was out of fresh spinach. Will frozen spinach be okay to use instead?
Helen says
Hi Amber! Yes, absolutely fine. Just defrost the spinach and squeeze out a bit of the excess water, then add at the same time as you would add the fresh spinach. Good luck!
Amber Kane says
Thank you that is what I did. It’s in the crockpot now. Just waiting for hubby to get home. It smells delicious.
Helen says
So happy to hear it turned out well, Amber. Thank you so much for letting me know!
Denay DeGuzman says
After making this incredibly delicious soup, it’s one of my favorite Olive Garden copycat recipes! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe gem.
Helen says
You’re welcome, Denay. Thank you so much for your glowing review!
Sandi says
You have me craving this soup now :-). I love how close this is to Olive Garden’s soup.
Helen says
So glad you like it, Sandi. Thank you so much for leaving your review!
Louisa says
This is one of our favourite dinners. I’ve made it so many times now. Sometimes I make it a bit thinner than the recipe suggests, but it’s delicious every time!
Helen says
Thanks so much for bothering to leave your feedback, Louisa. This is one of our favourites too. I must make it again soon!
Elaine says
Just made it and it is just like Olive Garden. I put lots of Italian seasoning…so much so as it began to cook n smell I was a little fearful. After its all done though it is awesome!
Helen says
Great to hear, Elaine! Next time I’ll add more Italian seasoning to mine too! 🙂
P'Jay Gadberry says
For some reason I can’t seem to thicken the soup, it ends up having a bit of a powdery taste in some bites any tips!
Helen says
Hmmm… try putting the crock pot on high and leaving off the lid after you add the cornflour – I think that might work to reduce/thicken the soup
LeeAnn Garfield says
This may seem like a stupid question but is the chicken cooked or uncooked when you put it in at the beginning?
Helen says
Hi LeeAnn – no question is too stupid to ask! Pop the chicken in uncooked! It will slow cook and be really easy to shred into the soup when you’re ready to eat. Hope you enjoy it – I love this soup!
Megan says
Would it be a big deal if I don’t have any basil?
Helen says
Not at all, Megan – go for it!
Judy says
I made this recipe last night. It was so delicious it came out so good. There are just two recommendations I suggest when making this: flavor the chicken with garlic salt before putting it in crock pot and use next time we are gonna try the larger sized gnocchi that is what the OG uses and the mini’s didn’t plump up and my children really love the bigger gnocchi. Thank you for this amazing recipe for something new at home 👍🏻🤗🍽
Helen says
Hi, Judy. You’ve just made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I love your recommendations too. I’ve never seen any giant sized gnocchi here in the UK, but it sounds wonderful! 🙂
Holly says
Can I prepare this before work around 730am and eat at 530? Would it be to thick if I added everything in the crockpot on love for 8 hrs?
Helen says
Hi Holly! Yes, absolutely! Just make sure you add the last few ingredients (spinach, gnocchi etc.) when you get home. Enjoy!
Josh says
What size crockpot?
Helen says
Hi Josh! I don’t know exactly what size my crockpot is, but it’s on the smaller side, so as long as yours isn’t TINY you should be fine. Good luck!
Kate says
Can I leave this on all day? 10 hours?
Helen says
Hi, Kate. Sure! Just make sure you still leave all the last ‘bits’ until you’re home e.g. adding the gnocchi.