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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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 have a question. The chicken has to be cooked separately, or together with everything else?
Cook the chicken separately.
Cook the chicken first and dice it up. Separate that and then follow the directions for the veggies etc and you throw the chicken in towards the end. I made it two days ago and it was delicious!
Can be cooked together with the soup so long as the soup is hot enough to get the chicken up to 165 F
it was good. I used 2% milk and I think it came out rich enough. I recommend using a food chopper on the onion, carrots, and celery. I did not and the veggies were still crunchy when the soup was done. However it was still lovely. I think homemade gnocchi would make a huge difference rather than the bland store bought.
Shredded the chicken and cooled off to room temperature of course
My daughter just had a tonsillectomy and is required to be on a soft diet….this recipe was perfect.thanks for sharing!
this soup is so good. I also add a 1/2 teaspoon rosemary to mine, and salt or garlic salt to taste at the end if it’s needed–I season my chicken with salt and pepper when I cook it, so I don’t add salt to the soup until the end to make sure it is not over-seasoned. and I’ve made it without the gnocchi before and it was still awesome. instead of chicken I picture this as scrumptious with scallops or lobster. yum. thank you so much for sharing. my kids LOVE it. I have to be careful not to make it too often though as it is wicked fattening and I will stay in it until it is gone, lol.
making this soup was fun, and easy! it tasted great, cant wait to make it again!(:
i love the soup i tried it at OG a week ago im making it tonight for dinner for my family and grandma. wish me luck:P
Just finished making this dish and i must admit it is very close to the OG recipe. I used some corn strach and milk to ofset the amount of half&half. Forgot to bleed my carrots though so it came out a hue of orange but otherwise still very good.
Thanks for sharing how you changed your recipe. I have never had the problem with the soup turning orange. I don’t cook it too much after the cooked gnocchi are added.
i got the receipt tonightfrom a chef at OG, now unfortunately i didn’t get the amounts for each item but i can use stephanie’s as a guide. Oil, yellow onions, julienne carrots, celery, Chicken marinated in rosemary, cold water, half/half, flour, white sauce base, and pepper/salt. I personally didn’t like the gnocchi so i didn’t ask for that part of but know how to make it. Personally if i wanted the pasta in it, i probably would buy the mini ravioli and precook it before adding to the soup.l
oops i didnt mean pasta, i meant to say potato dumpling. I’m also thinking that substituting the chicken with crab meat would be delicious too.
hi i love this soup from OG and when i learned how 2 make Clam Chowder, i imagined that the similar ingredients are used in the chicken gnocchi soup and they are very similar. i will be trying this recipe myself. BTW I made the clam chowder from a Chef at my job and added crabmeat, mussels and a few shrimp and it was off the charts!!! So I’m sure substituting the chicken for crabmeat would be awesome!
I am going to guess that they do not make the gnocchi there.
This soup is amazing. I just had it at Olive Garden yesterday and made it at home today. I left out the celery (not a fan) and did not add any chicken (except the stock) as I just didn’t have any ready to use. Still wonderful. I imagine it would be a great vegetarian recipe if vegetable stock were used and the chicken left out. Awesome!!
I just made this recipe, Its so easy to make !! Loved it !! Thanks !!
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This soup is not even close to the soup served at Olive Garden! It calls for at least twice as much gnocchi, and the pasta soaks up all the liquid, so you end up with a dish that is mostly pasta, not at all soup. Bad deal, waste of time and money!
Thank you very much for posting this recipe! My boyfriend has been asking me to try to make this for months! He has been out of town for the past 2 weeks, so I think I’ll make it for him when he gets home! =D
I hope you two have a fabulous evening when he comes home.
You just made my mother’s day. She loves this soup and I figured I’d look and see if you had it. Will let you know what she thinks!!
Let me know what you think of the soup.
It was so good but i used ground thyme and it seemed that is all i could taste, and it was really thicker, so do i add more chicken broth….
Thank you for this recipe!! I have always loved this soup from Olive Garden. I made it tonight for my family and it was wonderful. The soup base was almost exactly like OG’s. The gnocchi was not as good as theirs, but I used store bought gnocchi instead of making it myself. I think the next time I make it I may add a splash of white wine as well. Wonderful recipe though!!
Making this on Saturday for a ladies Mother’s Day Luncheon along with some cucumber tea sandwiches. I think the whole meal will be lovely and delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
how much does it make?
Could it go in crock pot overnight? (without spiniach yet)
I don’t think the gnocchi could go in there, I think it would turn into paste if left overnight in the crockpot.
what if i mixed everything up, but added the gnocchi and spiniach the next day?
I think that you will need to add more liquid the next day I think this will get very thick.
I would recommend buying a Crock Pot timer from Rival so that you can limit your cook time to 3 hours on low. Add the cooked gnocchi and finely chopped leaf spinach last to prevent breakdown/loss of texture and color in the spinach. I use this technicque to cook chicken and dumplings.
The hot liquid should heat it through in about 15 min to half an hour, also allowing the flavors to meld together without getting mushy. Worth a try…
Thank you for your great suggestion.
I adjusted this recipe by using what I had on hand. Instead of chicken, I used some browned hamburger. In the place of butter, I used margarine. Half and half was replaced with heavy whipping cream and milk. I also used canned spinach. I completely forgot the parsley. I had no gnocchi; so, I just threw a diced potato into the pot. Although I used a few substitutions and I didn’t measure (I just “eyeballed” the amounts), this soup came out wonderfully. Thank you ever so much.
Wow you did a lot of changes to that recipe! I am glad it still worked out well for you!
I have a question for ya. Is there anyway to make this soup n let it simmer all day?
I don’t think I would try this. Or if you did, I would not thicken the soup to start with, and I would also not add the gnocchi until after it is cooked completely.
Know this is a shot in the dark since your question was a yr ago. but ….. Coming from alot of potluck cooking, if you needed this to simmer I would just wait till ready to eat to add dairy products and gnocchi (I think it would eventually dissolve). Be great in crock to that point on low, then hit high for about hour and add last ingredients till all is warmed through. Dairy could separate
on you with long cooking.
Karen thank you for your great explanation on what would happen.
Lol! I don’t think you made this recipe. You made something entirely different.
I am glad songbird liked what she made.
I’m glad too.