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 just made this soup. Wow! For anyone with a milk allergy, here’s my substitute for the half and half. 2 cups of raw cashews + 2 cups of water. Blend into a cream. Voila! Non-dairy half and half. Even if you’re not allergic to dairy, the cashew cream is an incredible substitute for a variety of reasons, just one being the yummy taste. No one would have a clue that the soup I made is non-dairy unless I told them.
taste exactly and i was done in 1/2 hour
I just wanted to thank you, for this amazing recipe..I love Olive Garden and their soups and just NEEDED to find the recipe..I’ve made this soup a couple of times in these cold winter days and my family loves it..I’m making this soup for my sister’s baby shower tommorow as an appetizer an I’m sure it will please :)..Thanks so much for taking the time to give us these wonderful recipes!! I’ll be sure to keep getting more!!
Thanks for your kind review. I am glad to hear that you and your family have enjoyed this recipe.
My mother and sisters and I love this soup, we always get it when we have a girl’s date at OG. I am looking forward to trying this recipe tomorrow and to see how it turns out. I was wondering since I will probably boil my chicken breast, if I made the gnocchi in the chicken water if that might give the gnocchi a richer taste. Does anyone know if gnocchi is like pasta in that you have to salt your cooking water or you never get a good salt taste?
I always salt the water when making pasta or gnocchi, it seems like you can’t salt it properly if you try to do is after it is cooked.
So the lady that replaced everything with anything, it’s not longer chicken and gnocchi soup. It’s potato and hamburger soup. LOL I’m going to make this tomorrow. Can’t wait!
I made it today and it was delicious… except for the fact that I had to add A LOT just to make it so. I followed the instructions and it came out so bland. I added a lot more seasonings and 2 boullion cubes. And I made my own gnocchi from scratch (which are much better than store bought)
I had the Olive Garden recipe and was truly disappointed. 1 stinking gnocchi! Hope this recipe is much better. I would not order this soup again.
I don’t know how you ended up with only 1 gnocchi, I promise you will have lots of gnocchi with this recipe.
Just translated the recipe to portuguese in my page! I made the soup yesterday and it was amazing! Thanksss
http://www.sitedanathy.com you can seee the recipe if you translate the page.
Could you make this in a crock pot??
I haven’t tried it, the gnocchi may get mushy if you do, I would add in the gnocchi just before serving.
This is awesome~~thanks so much for posting & showing us how each step of the way! YUM!
Great start to good soup but I thik the addition of 2 tsp of salt and and extra 1/2-1 can of broth was needed to thin it out. I think cutting the carrots down to 1/2 cup made it better. I prefer chicken base to broth as it adds more flavor depth.
Thank you for the recipe! I read through the comments and followed the recipe exactly EXCEPT I used: 8 cloves of crushed, minced garlic; 2 cups (2 breasts) of chopped/ cubed chicken; to the 1 quart of half and half I added water to the top of the carton and then poured it in to roux; a full 2 cups (16 oz) of chicken broth which I made with chicken flavor granules (2 tsp.); Nutmeg- 4 shakes from the container to the pot before serving. My kids loved this recipe! Thank you again for posting this recipe- I will be making this again and again.
Thank you for the recipe! I read through the comments and followed the recipe exactly EXCEPT I used: 8 cloves of crushed, minced garlic; 2 cups (2 breasts) of chopped/ cubed chicken; to the 1 quart of half and half I added water to the top of the carton and then poured it in to roux; a full 2 cups (16 oz) of chicken broth which I made with chicken flavor granules (2 tsp.); Nutmeg- 4 shakes from the container to the pot before serving. My kids loved this recipe! Thank you again for posting this recipe- I will be making this again and again.
Oh my gosh! This is fantastic! I made a couple changes that I think turned out very well. I used 3 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp bacon grease, added a cup of mushrooms to saute with the onion, celery and garlic, doubled the (shredded) chicken, tripled the spinach and used 16 oz chicken broth. I also replaced half the thyme (1/4 tsp) with basil and added two pinches of nutmeg, one pinch of ginger, and one big pinch of ground red chili powder. It didn’t make as much as I thought it would, but it would be super easy to double the recipe. Wow, I think that about covers all the additions, haha! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
Oh my gosh! This is fantastic! I made a couple changes that I think turned out very well. I used 3 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp bacon grease, added a cup of mushrooms to saute with the onion, celery and garlic, doubled the (shredded) chicken, tripled the spinach and used 16 oz chicken broth. I also replaced half the thyme (1/4 tsp) with basil and added two pinches of nutmeg, one pinch of ginger, and one big pinch of ground red chili powder. It didn’t make as much as I thought it would, but it would be super easy to double the recipe. Wow, I think that about covers all the additions, haha! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
I made this with chicken sausage and added extra spices. It was out of this world!!! It’s my girlfriend’s favorite soup and she liked it better than the original! Thanks do much!
I made this tonight and it is very good. I added the nutmeg like someone said and I did add more broth but it was to much and it was not thick like I wanted. I will change that next time. Otherwise this is so stinkin good!!! thank you for the recipe
I actually found vacuum sealed gnocci at Dollar Tree! It was surprisingly good and one third the price of other stores.
I saw these at Big Lots the other day.
Nice! I’m gonna look for that!
Nice! I’m gonna look for that!
Nice! I’m gonna look for that!
I bought it at Aldis for $1.69 a package.
I, too us gnocci at dollar tree and got the same results for my soup. This recipe is divine.
Yeah I found it the Dollar tree as well! Taste was divine!
I followed this recipe exactly, it was a little bland I added in 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp of nutmeg and 1 tsp of celery seed. Made a huge difference!:)P
I forgot also a dash of garlic and onion powder!! 🙂
Check olive Garden website, they have there actual recipe listed there under the recipes section!
Looks amazing. I tried another recipe last night and it seperated somehow. The cream almost curdled. Not a pleasant outcome. I’m going to follow your video EXACTLY and hope for better results!