The first time I tasted Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi Soup, it was during a winter lunch with friends. As the steaming bowl arrived at our table, I was instantly captivated by the aroma of herbs and cream. That first spoonful of pillowy gnocchi and tender chicken swimming in rich, velvety broth was pure comfort in a bowl. I knew immediately I had to recreate this magic at home. You can enjoy the same taste that you can get from the Olive Garden with this easy copycat recipe.
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Table of Contents
Why This Homemade Version Beats the Original
This copycat Olive Garden soup elevates the restaurant experience in several key ways:
- Gnocchi Perfection – Cook gnocchi to your ideal tenderness rather than the sometimes overcooked restaurant version
- Superior Chicken Quality – Use freshly roasted chicken instead of pre-processed meat for juicier, more flavorful results
- Customizable Consistency – Control the thickness of your soup for your perfect creamy texture
- Vegetable Freshness – Enjoy vibrant, just-cut vegetables with perfect al dente texture
- Herb Intensity – Adjust seasonings to amp up flavors beyond the sometimes subtle restaurant version
Everyone Loves Chicken and Gnocchi soup
Why does everyone love this recipe? This is one of those chicken soup recipes everyone loves because it is made with tender gnocchi, juicy chicken, fresh carrots and celery, and a perfectly seasoned chicken broth. Make salad and breadsticks to so with this soup.
The Secret to Perfect Chicken Gnocchi Soup
The magic of this recipe lies in creating a silky, flavorful base and ensuring each ingredient maintains its distinct texture while melding harmoniously with the others.
Ingredients
- Butter – Creates a rich foundation and helps form the roux that thickens the soup
- Olive oil – Adds authentic Italian flavor while preventing the butter from burning during sautéing
- White onion – Provides a sweet, aromatic base that’s milder than yellow onions
- Celery – Contributes essential savory notes and subtle texture to the soup
- Fresh garlic – Delivers aromatic depth that’s essential for authentic Italian flavor
- All-purpose flour – Works with butter to create the roux that gives the soup its signature thickness
- Half and half – Creates the creamy, luxurious texture that makes this soup so comforting
- Low-sodium chicken broth – Forms the flavorful foundation while allowing you to control salt levels
- Dried thyme – Adds classic herbal notes that complement chicken perfectly
- Dried parsley flakes – Provide color and fresh flavor balance to the rich base
- Ground nutmeg – Enhances the creamy elements with subtle warmth and complexity
- Shredded carrots – Adds natural sweetness, color, and nutritional value
- Cooked chicken breast – Delivers tender protein chunks throughout the soup
- Potato gnocchi – Creates the signature pillowy texture that makes this soup unique
- Spinach – Contributes fresh color, nutrition, and a slight texture contrast
Should you use store-bought or homemade gnocchi?
Store-bought gnocchi is perfect for this recipe. You can take the extra step in preparing homemade gnocchi, but premade potato gnocchi works well. Gnocchi can be found in a couple of places in your supermarket, and you have options to purchase them.
- Many local stores sell shelf-stable potato gnocchi in the pasta aisles. I have purchased this at Walmart and Kroger, and I have been told that some dollar stores carry gnocchi.
- I have seen fluffy fresh gnocchi sold in the fresh sections of higher-end grocery stores, where you would pick up a prepared meal. Fresh gnocchi has a better texture and is more desirable, but not every grocery store offers it.
- I have even found it available in the grocery store’s frozen section.
Either type of gnocchi will work well. Your family will love this. Have a hard time finding gnocchi? Make your homemade potato gnocchi.
Preparation tips
- 🥄 PREP TIP: Fresh garlic makes a massive difference in flavor
- 🔥 COOKING TIP: Don’t boil after adding cream to prevent curdling
- ⏰ TIME TIP: “Prep vegetables while heating broth
How to make Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi
Making this Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi soup recipe is straightforward. You will find that all of the ingredients are very common in your average grocery store. We think it is easiest if you gather all of your ingredients before you start preparing the soup. This way, you will have everything on hand to get started.
First, you will sauté the vegetables in butter over medium-high heat. Then, add some flour and cook that through. You will then add the half-and-half and chicken broth. Please bring it to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cooked chicken and gnocchi are added to your seasoned broth and vegetables. Adjust your seasoning, and you will be ready to serve this soup in less than an hour.
Customizing this soup for you
Some people want a larger punch of flavor from their soup, so you can add some additional chicken soup base to dial up the flavor. I would add an extra teaspoon or two of chicken base to this to bring up the flavor. While I don’t find adding a soup base too close to the restaurant version, it can add something additional.
Want to add in a few more vegetables? We recommend adding some chopped zucchini; you could also add carrots or spinach.
Can you use a Crockpot for this recipe?
Yes, you can. I like to saute the vegetables first before I prepare the soup. You don’t need to do that if you like.
Place all of the vegetables, except the kale, chicken, seasonings, and stock, into the crockpot. Cook on low for 4 hours. Shred the chicken, add the remaining ingredients, and cook for another hour.
If the soup is too thin, make a cornstarch slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons of water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the soup, turn the crockpot on high, and stir until the soup has thickened.
How to Store and Reheat Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- 📅Refrigerate any leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- ❄️Freezer – freeze for up to 3 months in an air-tight container
- 🔥Reheat – this creamy soup is best reheated in a large pot on the stove over low heat. This way, the creamy broth won’t break down.
Can you freeze copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup?
Yes, you can freeze this soup. The soup stays well in the freezer for several months when stored in an airtight container. The consistency of the soup will change a bit; if you can, I recommend freezing the soup without the gnocchi and adding gnocchi when you reheat it. The texture of the gnocchi will change after it is frozen. Thaw the soup in the refrigerator overnight.
What to serve with chicken gnocchi soup
There are so many things you can serve with this soup. You may want to serve the classic Olive Garden Salad; we have found a good old-fashioned Caesar salad that also hits the spot. But when it comes to bread options, you could serve some garlic bread, crusty bread like sourdough bread, or even our copycat Olive Garden bread sticks.
You may want to garnish this soup with cheese. To top the soup, you could use fresh grated Romano or grated Parmesan.
More Olive Garden Copycat Recipes
- Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken
- Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara
- Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
- Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
- Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
- Olive Garden Dressing
- Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
- Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Olive Garden Salad Recipe
- Zuppa Toscana
Popular Soup Recipes
Love soup? Check out these soup recipes and try one of my great dessert recipes to complete your meal.
Look at more of my copycat Olive Garden recipes to make your favorites at home.
Homemade Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced onion
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart half-and-half
- 28 ounces chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 cup carrots finely shredded
- 1 cup spinach leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 cup chicken breast cooked, and diced
- 16 ounces package ready-to-use gnocchi
Instructions
- Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion becomes translucent.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the half-and-half. Simmer until thickened.
- Whisk in the chicken broth. Simmer until thickened again. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, thyme, parsley, nutmeg (if using), shredded carrots, spinach, chicken, and gnocchi.
- Simmer until the soup is heated through. Before serving, season with additional salt, if necessary.
Video
Notes
- You can use leftover roitisserie chicken for extra flavor
- You may want to use less thyme than suggested
- Some gnocchi is very large, you can cut these pieces in half
- You may want to add additional salt to the final soup. This soup does not have a lot of salt in it, especially if you use low-sodium chicken broth
A great recipe , I ise kale instead of spinach and I usually double the recipe for my large family and when doubling I double the broth but not the half and half, it’s not as thick as the original but it makes for a great soup that isn’t quite as thick, my kids like it “brothier”. Works great either way. One of the kids favorite soups !
I have been making this soup for a while now, and every time I make it it is delicious. I do the one can of broth version and I always add my broth first bc I don’t like boiling cream. Doing the broth first gives me time to lower the heat of my pot without accidentally curdling my half&half. I can do this as one pan even if I don’t have leftover chicken by slicing my chicken and sautéing it first, then transfer to a bowl, then proceed with the recipe; adding it back in near the end.
I originally found this recipe as a way to eat this soup while I lived in Okinawa, and having come back to the states recently and eating it at Olive Garden–this one is better!! Lol Win 🙂 Thanks for the recipe. I hope my “tricks” might be able to help someone else trying this recipe.
I don’t think this tasted anywhere near as good as Olive Garden’s version. Pretty disappointing.
I am very sorry you didn’t like this recipe. A lot of people enjoy it. Where do you think i missed the boat on this recipe?
I don’t think it’s the recipe. It may be the cook!!! Don’t mean to insult anyone, but I have made this soup using this recipe and it turned out great. In fact I’m getting ready to make now for dinner! Thanks for the recipe.
I am glad you liked the soup. Most people do!
I agree with the cook thing. This recipe is great, there was small differences like the chicken was in bigger chunks then olive garden and such. I am very very picky and love olive garden and all in all this is almost identical (would be if not made for a large amount at olive garden ). Thank you for sharing this recipe we drove 11 plus miles to the store to get some of the supplies for it and we are very happy with the result. My kids love it to and now want it for birthday dinner at olive garden. Thanks again.
Or, it’s the fact that this isn’t 100% Olive Gardens Recipe. It’s just an “almost complete” version.
What can I substitute for half and half?
I don’t know if you are trying to stay away from dairy, of if you don’t want to use half and half. If you want to stay away from dairy omit and use an equal amount of chicken stock. Half and half is half heavy cream and half whole milk.
Love it. I used the 4 cheese tortellini (frozen) instead of the dough balls.
Gnocchi is not “dough balls”; it’s a potato dumpling.
Amanda, you sure seem like a bowl of cherries! As for this recipe, I have made it 3 times and my family loves it! Almost identical to Olive Gardens. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Amazing recipe! It worked perfectly! Thanks!
What kind of onions? White,, sweet, yellow?
Whatever you like. I have done it with many different kinds. I think sweet onions are my favorite though.
I used this recipe to make the soup gluten free. Our Kroger store carries GF gnocchi. It’s great! I use cream in mine as well and leave out the flour.
I am gluten-free, as well, Stephanie. 🙂 For future reference, any time a recipe calls for flour as a thickener, replace it with 1/2 as much cornstarch- so in this recipe, you could use 1/8 cup of cornstarch instead of 1/4 cup of flour. (use this trick with gravies and sauces, too)
I just made her potato gnocchi with Namaste GF Perfect Flour Blend (replacing just a couple TBS of the flour with cornstarch for a little more “hold”) and it turned out surprisingly well! My 9-year-old helped me and it was SO easy. Buying it pre-made would have been a lot faster, of course- nice to know there are GF options out there!
You could use almond or hazelnut flour to thicken it, works well!
Stephanie, I’m not sure if anyone else has mentioned this already, but the recipe in the video is incorrect! I followed the video instead of the written recipe and only put in 1 can of the broth as it listed in the video and it came out much too thick. Also, onions and salt are omitted from the list in the video as well. Other than that, the taste was excellent.
I am sorry you had a bad experience. I will put that video up for a reshoot on my next schedule. I that video is about 4 years old, and I think one of the first ones that I had done. I am sorry, I have learned a lot in the past 4 years of doing videos.
Again my apologies.
Stephanie
I just made this soup for my family and I can’t believe how good this is!
My child is 3 and she loves it. Thank you for sharing your recipe. So happy I found your site.
I made this soup with skim milk (not fat free) instead of half-half and fat free chicken broth. I also used only 1/2 T butter and 1 T olive oil. I have eaten it exactly like the recipe which was delicious, but the less fat was just as delicious, if not better. I am a triple negative estrogen non-receptive breast cancer survivor. Studies have shown that limiting fat intake to no more than 20% of total calories (and believe me that is not easy to do) may help reduce breast cancer recurrence. It is not only about the amount of fat but the type. Replacing saturated and trans fat with natural vegetable oils is also important.
Can’t tell you how much we loved finding this recipe thank you thank you it’s my whole family’s favorite my husband and I are both battling cancer and this soup fits all our diets perfectly we enjoyed it so much we eat it now at least twice monthly lol thank you again
Very good! Next time I will cut in half. Not to bad on calories, but very high in sodium. Next time I will watch how much, if any, salt I will use.
if you can’t find potato gnocchi can you use regular dumplings?
Made this, cutting recipe in half (since I will be only one eating it!). Not having gnocchi, I used small dice of gold potatoes, 1/4 tsp of fresh rosemary, minced, and a like amount of dried thyme. At the end I added one half of fresh Meyer lemon juice, which toned down the richness of the soup. All in all, a very tasty soup.
This was wonderful thank you for sharing I used half the butter/oil, no salt and fresh thyme and used skim milk instead. Everyone loved it!
I love this soup at the OG so I was happy to find this recipe . Today I have made it using pre-cooked boneless chicken thighs- I find them to have more flavor. I finally found gnocchi in our local store so am using that. The only things I can say is I found you have to cook the celery & carrots a lot longer so they are soft & I added chicken stock because I did not feel like it was as chicken flavored as I would like. Good recipe!
This is definitely the best soup ever. Tastes even better than Olive Garden’s. I season my chicken breasts with salt, pepper, onion powder, dried chives, LaMadelein’s Lemon Rosemary Spice amd dried basil, and then bake. Cut the chicken is small cubes and add to the soup.
My daughter and I just made this for supper. We added fresh Italian bread and butter on the side. It got rave reviews from the whole family. With just enough left oversaw for lunch tomorrow.
That sounds like a delicious dinner! I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
This was delicious!! I used sausage instead of chicken (half hot, half sweet), used 1 pint half/half and 1 pint milk, and reduced the broth to 16oz. AMAZING and full of flavor. Be sure to drain the sausage before adding it to the soup. Will be making this recipe for years — thanks so much, Stephanie!