Make this Hearty Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup at Home in less than 30 minutes! (2024)

A hearty soup recipe that is a complete meal by itself, this Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a delicious and 30-minute recipe the whole family will love. Creamy, hearty and packed with veggies, chicken and gnocchi – and better yet, it’s all made in one pot!

Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe

Our closest Olive Garden is over an hour away, but to be honest, even if I had one a block away – I’d still be making copycat versions of my favorite meals at home.

Dining out with a family is expensive – no matter your family size. And making a family-sized batch of this copycat chicken gnocchi soup at home costs me less than ordering a single bowl at Olive Garden.

But just because we’re saving money doesn’t mean we’re sacrificing flavor.

This hearty chicken gnocchi soup features soft, pillowy gnocchi, tender, perfectly cooked veggies and plenty of chicken simmered in a flavorful and creamy broth seasoned with Italian herbs.

Gnocchi is a traditional Italian potato dumpling that can be found in the pasta aisle of most large grocery stores or at speciality Italian grocers. Some versions are made with semolina or flour – I prefer the potato or flour versions as the semolina ones can be a bit gritty in soups.

To make this recipe super quick and easy, we just used store-bought gnocchi but if you’re up for spending a little bit more time prepping, gnocchi is actually incredibly easy to make at home and it’s fun to make with the kids. You can make a big batch and freeze the excess to use in future meals. (The first time I made it, it was a bit time consuming but now it takes me less than 30 minutes to whip up several pounds of it with my little helper.) This gnocchi recipe is similar to the one I use.

Can you freeze chicken gnocchi soup? Personally, I’m not a fan of freezing any soups with cream in them as the cream tends to separate from the soup.

Can I make this chicken gnocchi soup in the crockpot? Yes, but it’s not a “throw everything in the crockpot” type of recipe. You will need to sauté the veggies first before adding all ingredients except for the gnocchi, cream and spinach. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, adding the gnocchi in the last hour of cooking. Stir in the cream and spinach about 10 minutes before serving, making sure to taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Storage: keep this copycat Olive Garden soup in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 5 days of making.

Olive Garden Gnocchi Chicken Soup Variations:

• don’t like gnocchi? swap in pasta or finely chopped potatoes
• or, have another favorite dumpling recipe that you love? use it in place of the gnocchi
• swap out the chopped chicken for cooked, ground chicken or pork
• use kale instead of spinach
• add in more veggies like peas, chopped zucchini, white beans, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.
• serve with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese overtop (you can reduce the salt in the recipe if you plan to do this)

More Restaurant Copycat Recipes

• Crockpot Olive Garden Italian Chicken Pasta (with Video)
• Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
• Copycat Cracker Barrel Potato Casserole
• Copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwiches (with Video)
• Copycat Cinnabuns (with Video)
• Copycat KFC Chicken

Check out our quick video to see how to make this creamy chicken and gnocchi soup for yourself – and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable recipe card:

Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup Ingredients

• Olive Oil
• Butter
• Onion, diced
• Celery, diced
• Garlic Cloves, minced
• All-Purpose Flour
• Half and Half Cream (10%)
• Chicken Broth
• Italian seasoning, to taste <– grab our recipe for homemade Italian seasoning here
• Spinach, packed
• Chicken, cooked and chopped
• Gnocchi, uncooked
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: check out our list of variations/substitutions above and feel free to add as many extra veggies as you’d like to your soup.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Heavy stockpot or Dutch Oven <– highly recommended for even cooking and seamlessly transferring this recipe from the stove to the oven
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Sharp Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board
• Wooden spoon or spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.

How to Make a Copycat Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup

Place the olive oil and butter in a stockpot over medium heat.

Once the oil-butter mixture is hot, add the diced onion, celery and garlic.

Stir and cook for 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour to form a roux and allow to cook until golden or light brown, stirring occasionally for about 2-4 minutes.

Slowly stir in 1 cup of the half and half cream and Italian seasoning to form a thick soup base. If there are any clumps of flour/roux, use your spoon to squish and break them down so they incorporate into the soup base.

Add the chicken broth, then the remaining half and half.

Bring the soup to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Once soup is simmering, add the spinach, chicken and gnocchi.

Continue simmering until the gnocchi is cooked through, about 5 minutes. The gnocchi should be pillowy soft and easy to cut through with a spoon.

Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Pin this Hearty Chicken and Gnocchi Soup for the next time you’re craving Olive Garden – or comfort food in general:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi soup recipe:

I hope your family loves this easy chicken and gnocchi soup as much as mine does!

For more scrumptious soups, check out our full soup recipe collection here:

For more ways to enjoy chicken, check out our full chicken recipe collection here:

For more perfect pastas, check out our full pasta recipe collection here: