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
I loved it but used fresh kale in lieu of spinich
Love the soup, my family loves it
Absolutely delicious soup! WE love this.
Love the receipe but will leave the thyme out next time, it was too over powering for my wife and I.
Basil not thyme????
We thought it was a little too thick when made with half & half…. how difficult would it be to make with whole milk or even 2% milk. Sometimes, my daughter’s stomach gets upset with cream….
Also, we just had this at Olive Garden last week and it was way way WAY runnier than when I made it following this recipe. I love it this way – but wondering if I can make it soupier with whole or 2% milk instead of half & half.
If you mean thick as in flavour, yes using milk would make it lighter. If you meant texture, add less flour or skip it altogether to make it more “soup like”.
Or you could just use chicken stock, and it would be thin.
I use more chicken stock and less half and half to cut the richness.
Yes, chicken stock definitely work or add milk. Maybe, evaporated milk.
I would add chicken stock if you are trying to reduce the creaminess. I like to use a fattier milk because it reheats more dependably.
My husband loved it but I added the gnocchi so I didn’t freeze any but next time will definately hold the gnocchi out until I freeze some. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Thanks 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s my kids favorite dinner! It’s like a special occasion whenever I make it. The soup is delicious. We prefer it over Olive Gardens because there is more gnocchi and vegetables to enjoy!
It’s awesome when you find a dinner your family will enjoy.
I love this soup at The Olive Garden and I can’t wait to try this at home! It’s one of my favorites!! Thanks Stephanie!
Will the gnocchi get mushy if left in the soup?
No, i left the gnocchi in ours and it kept just fine.
No, it will not get mushy.
Had this soup when we were in Orlando last at the Olive Garden but alas there is no Olive Garden in the UK so tried this recipe and it is just as I remember, very nice soup and a favourite in our house
I have a difficult time finding gnocchi in my rural area so I use cheese tortellini. It works well and my hubby loves it. This is one of his favorites.
Gnocchi is really easy to make Vonna! I bet you have the ingredients 🙂 I hope it’s okay to share this link: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/18465/gnocchi-i/ (not my recipe)
If you have a World Market nearby you can find it there
U can get gnocchi at Dollar Tree for a buck. Just as good!
You can find it in the dried pasta aisle at Smart & Final!
I buy my gnocchi at the local DOLLAR TREE if you happen to have one in your area or if you are in an Urban area stop in and pick up a few, they are in airtight packages and have a decent shelf life. They are easy to make from scratch but sometimes you need that convenience.
I have made this many times with people telling me it was the best soup they have ever had. Love it. I like to grill some chicken breast with Italian seasoning. It takes only a few minutes and I think makes it even better. I also put some of the carrots in with the garlic onions and celery mixture.
Your swap of grilled chicken breast sounds like a good idea.
This was fabulous! Wow!!! Better than Olive Gardens’. Thank you very much!
I am glad you liked it.
Made a double batch for today’s dinner, and it turned out awesome. I used kale, and I also found the gnocchi at Dollar Tree. A great recipe! It tastes just like the restaurant version
I tried it , Ot came out GREAT!!!
Every body LOVES IT !!
This turned out delicious!! Followed the recipe exactly including adding the nutmeg. I used the gnocchi from the the dollar tree and it was yummy. Input my carrots and spinach in about 10-15 min before serving. I did add the extra salt at the end as it said you may need to as well.
Can this be made a head of time and frozen?
yes, you can, and also the recipe for Olive gardens other great soup, potato & sausage….As suggested, better to use “half & half”…Coming “from the “frozen state” to reheat, it “may look weird”, but as soon as you start to “reheat it slowly”, it all “blends together again, just as you “made it fresh the oringinal time”. I’ve frozen BOTH soups “many times…Also, “packaged chedder Biscuits(Red Lobster brand) go WONDERFUL with these soups. Brush a “melted herb enhanced butter as soon as Biscuits come out of the oven! YUM…Oh, I find “kale” much better than “spinash”, as spinach tends to get mushy when over cooked. Chop fresh kale “into small pieces, add wait till the last 15 minutes to put in. Holds up better when reheating later.
I am beyond impressed with your recipes! Thank you for posting them so we all have an opportunity to make meals that are nutritious and delicious. I am known now for making this soup (for quite some time)and tell everyone about your site!!
Looking forward to more recipes and going to see if you have anything about making moist turkeys….I am not a fan of turkey but I am the one who makes the holiday meals for my family – now that it is growing (grandchildren) I want the next generation to enjoy my cooking more than my own kids:)
My walmart had it with the Kosher items and with the Hamburger Helper not on the pasta aisle 🙂
Sam’s Choice is the brand I found with the Hamburger Helper I go the four cheese kind and left the sauce that came with it off for the soup but we like the sauce to make the gnocchi as a side dish
Very delicious! I used frozen chopped spinach since I had it on hand. Ithereise I didnt alter the recipe at all and it was perfect!
FROZEN SPINACH SOUNDS LIKE AN GREAT IDEAL… !