Prepare to fall in love with this creamy Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup. This hearty, comforting soup—reminiscent of the Olive Garden classic—is easy to make either in a crock pot or on the stove. It’s perfect for chilly days or whenever you want a bowl of rich, satisfying soup.
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If you’ve ever tasted a restaurant version and wanted to recreate it at home, this copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup is for you. While Olive Garden’s soups are famous, you can make a similarly comforting bowl right in your kitchen. This recipe works in a slow cooker for hands-off simplicity or on the stove for a quicker finish.
What is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi are small dumplings typically made from potatoes, flour and eggs. They’re soft and pillowy, and they pair beautifully with creamy soups and sauces. Many grocery stores now carry several varieties of ready-made gnocchi, making this dish even easier to prepare.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Ingredients
This recipe uses store-bought potato gnocchi in an Italian-inspired chicken soup. You will need:
- Chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken thighs/breasts
- Onion, carrots and celery
- Chicken broth or stock
- Flat-leaf parsley and fresh basil
- Fresh spinach
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cream, half-and-half or evaporated milk
- Potato gnocchi
- Salt, ground black pepper, celery salt (optional), red pepper flakes and mustard powder
- Cornstarch (cornflour) to thicken, if desired
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Full measurements and printable instructions are on the recipe card below. Read through the steps first and watch the video if you’d like a visual guide.
Place the chicken, diced onion, carrots, celery and seasonings into the slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth, cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or on LOW for 5 hours. There’s no need to brown the chicken first—this method is intentionally simple.
When the chicken is cooked, lift it out with a slotted spoon and shred or slice it on a plate. Add the gnocchi and cream to the cooker, then stir the chicken back in. Cook on HIGH for 15–20 minutes, or until the gnocchi are tender.
Stir in chopped spinach, diced cherry tomatoes and half of the chopped herbs. If you want a thicker soup, add a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water) and cook a couple more minutes. Finish with grated Parmesan if you like. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the remaining herbs and serve with focaccia or crusty bread for a complete meal.
Recipe Notes and FAQs
- Leftover roast chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken works well if you don’t want to cook from raw.
- Gnocchi cooks quickly, even in a slow cooker—check after about 5 minutes and continue until tender.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to three days, though the gnocchi will soften. To avoid a mushy texture, reheat the broth first and add fresh gnocchi to cook for a couple of minutes when reheating.
- For a richer soup, increase the cream to taste.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup on the Stove Top
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, carrots and celery for 5–7 minutes until softened. Add the chicken, seasonings and chicken broth, then bring to a simmer. For the stove-top version, you may want an extra 1/2–1 cup chicken broth to maintain soup consistency.
Simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken, chop or shred it, then return it to the pot. Add the gnocchi and cook 2–5 minutes according to package directions. Stir in the cream, spinach, tomatoes and herbs at the end, adjust seasoning and serve.
Love Soup? Then You Will Also Enjoy…
If you enjoy this recipe, consider trying other comforting soups for weeknight dinners or cozy weekends.
- Avgolemono Soup Recipe (Greek Chicken and Rice Soup)
- Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Red Lentil Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Soup
- Leftover Turkey Soup
Have you made this Chicken Gnocchi Soup? Leave a rating and, if you’d like, share a photo on social media to let others know how it turned out.
Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Video
Equipment
- GreenPan Slow Cooker
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil (stove top method only)
- 6 chicken tenders or 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 celery sticks, finely diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 4 cups (960ml) chicken broth or stock
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp celery salt (optional)
- ½ tsp ground black pepper, plus more to serve
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 16 oz (450g) potato gnocchi
- ½ cup (120ml) cream or half-and-half/evaporated milk
- 1 cup (200g) fresh spinach, chopped
- 10 cherry tomatoes, diced
- 2 tsp cornstarch (cornflour) diluted in 1 tbsp cold water
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan (optional)
- Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- Handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Add the chicken, onion, carrots, celery, salt and seasonings to the slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth, cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 5 hours.
- Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and shred or slice it on a plate.
- Add the gnocchi and cream to the soup, then return the chicken. Cook on HIGH for 15–20 minutes, until the gnocchi are tender.
- Stir in chopped spinach, cherry tomatoes and half the herbs. Add the cornstarch slurry if you prefer a thicker soup, cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Divide into bowls, garnish with the remaining herbs and serve with focaccia or crusty bread.
Notes
Stove-top instructions: Heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté the vegetables 5–7 minutes. Add chicken, seasonings and broth, and simmer 15–20 minutes until the chicken is cooked. You may want an extra 1/2–1 cup chicken broth for the stove-top method. Remove and chop the chicken, return to the pot, add gnocchi and cook 2–5 minutes, then stir in cream, spinach, tomatoes and herbs. Adjust seasoning and serve.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 56 g |
Protein: 28 g |
Fat: 21 g |
Saturated Fat: 9 g |
Sodium: 1494 mg
Nutritional information is approximate and will vary by ingredients and portion size.