Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup – 🍲👏🏻🧀 Hearty, creamy, warm, and comforting, this soup is like a hug in a bowl! An Olive Garden copycat but I promise you, my version is so much BETTER! Made with big bites of chicken, gnocchi, tender vegetables and spinach, and seasoned to perfection. Cream and Parmesan cheese take this Italian-inspired EASY slow cooker soup recipe over the top!
Easy Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
This Italian-inspired slow cooker chicken and gnocchi soup is like a bowl of creamy comfort. It slow cooks away for hours, perfuming your house with tantalizing aromas as it simmers.
Between juicy bites of tender chicken, soft pillowy gnocchi, tender vegetables, and flavorful herbs, this is one hearty soup.
You’re going to love this chicken gnocchi soup because:
- A truly better-than-the-restaurant type of copycat recipe. You can’t argue with homemade when it comes to quality and flavor.
- It’s a set-it-and-forget it type of recipe – the best kind!
- You don’t have to sear the chicken separately on the stovetop, it’s all made right in your slow cooker. Which is one less pan to wash later if your brain thinks ahead like mine to the dishes.
- You can use fresh or frozen gnocchi and it’s a very flexible recipe like soups usually are. If you don’t have all the dry seasonings or don’t keep bay leaves on hand, don’t worry. It’ll be fine.
- Ideal for a cozy family dinner or a warm lunch on a chilly day, this soup is as easy to make as it is rich and creamy.
- Hearty, filling thanks to the veggies, and can be a stand alone meal. Just serve it with a piece of sourdough, dinner rolls, breadsticks, or a house salad.
more olive garden Copycat recipes
Ingredients in Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
- Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken thighs because I find thighs have more flavor and stay nice and tender during the slow cooking process. However, boneless skinless chicken breasts are also an option.
- Onion – White, yellow, or Sweet vidalia onion are all fine.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Dried spices: Thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary. If you don’t have all these and are short one, don’t worry about it.
- Bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
- Chicken broth – I use reduced sodium and add salt to taste. However, you can use regular chicken broth and then reduce the salt you add. Chicken stock is also fine.
- Half-and-half – I don’t think you need to use heavy cream, although it’s fine if you do if you want an extra thick and decadent soup. I suppose you could use whole milk but I haven’t tried it.
- Cornstarch + water – This creates a slurry which helps to thicken the soup. If you want a thinner soup, cut this in half.
- Gnocchi – I use refrigerated gnocchi that I buy in the refrigerated pasta section of my local grocery store. Technically it’s called potato gnocchi. You can use frozen gnocchi. No need thaw it if you forget and don’t take it out, you can just add it frozen.
- Fresh baby spinach – It’s the only way to go. Frozen is more like confetti and better suited for use in Spinach Artichoke Dip rather than in soup.
- Parmesan cheese – Adds a wonderful flavor, richness, subtle cheesiness and is just a good move. Use grated Parmesan that’s high quality – not the stuff in the green can.
- Fresh parsley – Optional for garnishing, and you likely won’t miss it since there’s already so many layers of flavor in this Crockpot chicken gnocchi soup.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup in a Slow Crockpot
- To a 6-quart slow cooker or 7-quart slow cooker, add the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, and minced garlic, and bay leaf. Evenly sprinkle the spices, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chicken broth, place the lid on the slow cooker, and cook on low for about 6 hours OR on high for about 3 hours.
- After the cooking time has elapsed, pour in the half-and-half, add the slurry, and stir to combine.
- Add the gnocchi, spinach, cover, and cook on high for 30-60 minutes to cook the gnocchi through and wilt the spinach.
- Stir in the Parmesan, taste for seasoning balance, remove the bay leaf, optionally garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
what to serve with Gnocchi Chicken Soup
Recipe FAQs
I recommend a 6-quart slow cooker or 7-quart slow cooker. The smaller round 5-quart slow cookers aren’t quite big enough and anything larger than a 7-quart is unnecessarily large.
It’s really up to you but I tend to do it on high heat because I’m always running late and don’t tend to have 6-7 hours to wait which is what it’ll take if you cook it on low.
If you have them on hand, go for it. I usually use 2x the quantity of fresh herbs that I use when I’m using dried herbs.
Yes you can. I would follow the same general gist of the recipe that I use in Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup which is made in a pot on the stove and ready in just 30 minutes. Substitute gnocchi for the tortellini, and if desired, add spinach about 5 minutes from the end of the recipe, just long enough to wilt it.
Or my 30 Minute Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden copycat) is done in a flash on the stove. Uses previously cooked and shredded chicken or your own leftover chicken to save on cooking time for the soup.
If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add in half of the cornstarch slurry to start, and then adjust how much more you want to add. I like a thicker soup, so I added the full amount listed.
Alternatively, you can add more broth, and adjusting the seasonings as necessary (you’ll want to add more, since you’re diluting the soup with more broth).
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- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into larger bite-sized pieces (boneless skinless chicken breasts may be subbed)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced small (white onion or sweet Vidalia onion may be subbed)
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch wide rounds
- 2 celery stalks, diced into small half-moons
- 3 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, (regular broth may be subbed, but reduce the added salt, as desired)
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 16 ounces gnocchi, (I use refrigerated, frozen is fine and if you forget to thaw it, you can add it straight from frozen)
- 2 cups baby spinach, stems removed (about 2 heaping handfuls)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or more if desired + more for garnishing if desired
- Fresh parsley, finely minced; optional for garnishing
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To a the insert of a 6-quart or 7-quart slow cooker, add the diced chicken, onions, carrots, celery, minced garlic, and sprinkle evenly with the dried thyme, basil, salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, and add the bay leaves. Herbs Tip – If you don’t have all the dried herbs on hand, don’t worry, just omit. If you have poultry seasoning on hand, it’s a good substitute to help make up for what you don’t have. Italian seasoning also works. I would add 1 tsp of either, and work up from there, depending on your preferences for how well-seasoned you like things and what you’re missing.
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Add the chicken broth, place the lid on top, and slow cook on LOW for about 6 hours OR on HIGH for about 3 hours. I prefer high because I don’t tend to be able to plan ahead for 6 hours, but it’s up to you and what works for you.
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After the cooking time has elapsed, add the half-and-half.
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To thicken the soup, you’ll make a cornstarch slurry by combining the 3 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp of water in a small bowl, add it to the slow cooker, and stir. Thickening Tip – I like my soup on the thicker side so I use 3 + 3. If you don’t want your soup as thick, only use 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch + 1 1/2 tsp water. And/or add more broth or more half-and-half.
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Add the gnocchi, spinach (you can add more than called for, I usually grab 3 huge fistfulls and add it), place the lid on top, turn the slow cooker to HIGH if it’s not already there, and cook for 30-60 minutes, or until the gnocchi has softened and the spinach has wilted.
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Remove the lid, remove the bay leaf, add the Parmesan and stir to incorporate and melt it. Taste the soup, and as desired, add additional salt, pepper, herbs, etc. Salt Tip – Don’t be afraid to add more salt. If you used reduced sodium broth, you’ll likely want to add another 1 to 2 tsp salt, or as desired. If the soup tastes at all flat, boring, or bland, it means it needs more salt so don’t be afraid to add it.
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Ladle into bowls, optionally garnish with fresh parsley, and/or additional Parmesan and serve with crackers, bread, dinner rolls, etc. See the blog post for serving ideas and recipe links.
Storage: Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as desired. I am always leery of freezing soups with dairy in them because you run the risk of the cream breaking (the proteins separate) during the freezing/thawing/reheating process so I’ve never frozen this soup.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 369kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 961mg, Potassium: 597mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 6288IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 186mg, Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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