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
Second time I made this soup and it was delicious both times! Recipe was easy to follow! My whole family loves it! I love the flavor and it was definitely NOT bland. It was rich and creamy! Thanks for sharing!
I am glad you like the recipe!
My whole family LOVES this recipe! I make it all the time 🙂 So good!
This is to die for delicious! Sorry to disagree with all the haters out there who say it is bland but they are wrong. I followed the recipe exactly using Purdue simply smart sliced chicken breast from the freezer section as our store was out of rotisserie chickens. I also used College Inn bold flavor no salt chicken broth. The only thing I can say is that when I make soup, more is better. I probably use more garlic, more onion, more celery, pretty much more everything. Tasting it at the end I adjusted by adding a little salt and pepper and some additional thyme. It is simply phenomenal!
This soup was very delicious, I was a little worried as it did not seem to be thickening but it did after I added the last of the ingredients and let it simmer a little longer. As far as people saying it is bland mine tasted fine I added a little bit more salt and it was fine, I also seasoned my chicken when I saute it so that might of helped. Other than that it turned out great. Thank you.
I have made this soup four times and it has been excellent every time. I thank you for putting it together for people to try. A note: if your soup has curdled, its not the half and half, its probably your flour, which has to be added carefully And if your soup is flat or bland, you should season it to taste. Thank you, delicious!
HEY. !! I MADE IT FOR A SPEACIAL DINNER. AND EVERYONE LOVED IT.. NOW i”M HAVING TO FIX IT AGAIN. MY CO- WORKERS LOVE IT. IT DOES TASTE BETTER IF YOU LET IT SIMMER IN THE CROCK POT ALL DAY. BUT THEN I ADD THE NOODLES NEAR THE END, MY HUSBAND IS A VERY PICKY EATER… HE LOVES IT
Is this a soup that can simmer in the Crock-Pot for a while or will the gnocchi disintegrate??
The soup can simmer, the gnocchi not so much. They may fall apart. This soup comes together quickly, so I don’t know that you need to simmer this soup for a long time.
This recipe could use some work, per the instructions it doesn’t tell you when to add the darn chicken. Also, the half and half should be the last part added to the soup or you’ll end up with a white curdled mess that can’t be fixed!
Did the half and half curdle on you? I appreciate your comments, I will see what I can do to make the recipe more descriptive.
I really like this recipe. I have made it a number of times with one variation. I grill the chicken and use Weber roasted garlic and herbs seasoning on the chicken. The grilled flavor really carries into the cream of the soup . My family thanks you????
This was delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
I’m extremely disappointed. I followed this recipe to a T and it was incredibly flat and nothing at all like OG. We’re eating out tonight. Very bummed.
I am very sorry you didn’t like this recipe. I am sure it had to be very frustrating for you to cook dinner, and still go out. What could I have done differently? A lot of people like the recipe, but I understand it fell flat for you.
Yo that ho be trippin son! Dis soup is lit af fam! I made dis for all tha homies and they all ate that shit up!
LOL at Tyrese’s Comment!
Could it be made a day ahead?
Yes, you can make it ahead of time! I make a double batch when I make this soup, and portion the left overs out for lunches for the week. I love this soup the night I make it but, the next day.. flavors are merged together a little bit more, so I suggest to salt lightly if you are making a head of time.
Want to make this for dinner tonight, have everything but the half & half. Can I use milk or heavy whipped cream?
I have followed this exact recipe and it was great, thank you!!!
I am sorry I didn’t see this until after you made dinner. Half and half is a mixture of whole milk and heavy cream, so you could have used both of them.
Can’t wait to make!
Sorry! Won’t make again! SUPER rich and BLAND at the same time. I even added a mixture of parm, asiago and Romano hoping it would add some flavor. The Darling Family ate it out of respect. But this will not be a part of our rotation, unfortunately. Based on the ingredients, I really had high hopes!
I am deeply sorry you did not like the recipe, and you found it both rich and bland at the same time. Again, I am deeply sorry my recipe did not live up to your standards.
Stephanie you are so sweet. You’ve gone out of your way and posted a fabulous recipe. Honey you can’t please everyone. Stop apologizing to them. For so many people to love it They had to do something wrong.
This recipe is one of my favorites. Don’t pay attention to the negative comments. They had to have done something wrong.
No need to put the people that don’t like it down. Doesn’t mean they did the recipe wrong either. Everyone has different taste buds.
I followed the recipe exactly and have to agree that it lacked flavor. I added more garlic at the end to help but still not enough.
I think triple the garlic, extra 1/2 cup of celery and onions each, omitting thyme, adding pepper could help. I sprinkled fresh parm on top too!
I think this recipe is better than OG’s recipe! Especially since I boil a whole chicken and use that broth also!
My boyfriend loves OG chicken gnocchi soup. So, I’m going to give this a try and see if he likes it as much as OGs.
I hope you enjoyed the soup.
Made this last night it was delicious, I will be making it again and again. Easy and full of flavor!
OMG. Came across this online. So happy I did. We are stationed in Japan and miss the OG. My husband is from Australia and his favorite American restaurant is OG. Made this this afternoon and he loved it as did my 3 year old daughter. He asked when we could make it again. I didn’t have any of the seasoning mentioned so just used garlic and Italian seasoning. It was great.
I have made this several times now- almost always doubling it. Instead of cutting the chicken broth, I double the butter/oil/flour accordingly ( so for me, about 4x’s the amount of roux). I do not leave out any seasoning, and usually end up adding additional salt- but that depends on if I am using unsalted or low sodium products. It keeps well- other than the gnocchi can get a little mushy but nothing that my pickiest eater even notices. I usually boil my chicken in seasoned water- salt and pepper, rosemary and thyme. It is delicious that way.
I have made a double batch of this which pairs excellently with the homemade potato gnocchi recipe above and froze the additional soup and gnocchi separately. First, it is well worth making the gnocchi from scratch.. great recipe! Second, once thawed, the frozen soup heated up and the gnocchi cooked for 2-3 minutes then added was even better than when I made it originally.