Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Copycat Recipe

This olive garden chicken gnocchi soup recipe gives you that creamy, hearty bowl from the restaurant without leaving your house. It comes together in about 40 minutes, which makes it a real candidate for a Tuesday night when you want something warming but do not want to commit to an hour of work.

The soup is thick and rich, with soft pillowy gnocchi, tender shredded chicken, and a handful of spinach and carrots in every spoonful. Once you have made it once, you will not need to look at a recipe again.

Why I Love This Recipe

The cream base has just enough body to coat the gnocchi without tasting heavy, and the Italian seasoning keeps it savory rather than flat.

I keep coming back to this version because the ratio of gnocchi to broth is generous. You get gnocchi in every bite, not just floating at the surface.

It also reheats well the next day, which not every cream soup can claim.

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter – Forms the base of the roux; salted butter works but skip extra salt later
• 1 tbsp olive oil – Keeps the butter from browning too fast
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced – Yellow onion gives a mellow sweetness as it softens
• 3 cloves garlic, minced – Fresh garlic only here; jarred garlic turns slightly bitter in butter
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small – Cut them small so they cook through without going mushy
• 2 stalks celery, diced small – Adds a light savory backbone to the base
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour – Thickens the broth; gluten-free 1:1 flour works as a swap
• 4 cups chicken broth, low-sodium – Low-sodium gives you control over the final salt level
• 1 cup half-and-half – The signature creaminess; whole milk will be thinner, heavy cream will be richer
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded – A rotisserie chicken is the fastest route here
• 1 lb (450 g) shelf-stable potato gnocchi – Shelf-stable gnocchi holds up better than fresh in a cream soup
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach – Goes in at the end so it wilts without disappearing
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme – Quiet herb note that rounds out the Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning – Use a standard blend with basil, oregano, and marjoram
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste – Adjust at the end after the broth reduces
• 1/4 tsp black pepper – Freshly cracked if you have it
• Pinch of nutmeg – Optional but it lifts the cream and makes it taste less flat
• Grated Parmesan, for serving – Adds a salty, sharp finish right in the bowl

Variations / Substitutions

• Rotisserie chicken vs. poached – Rotisserie saves 20 minutes and adds a little smoky depth; poached is cleaner-tasting if you want a more delicate soup.
• Half-and-half vs. heavy cream – Heavy cream makes the soup noticeably thicker and richer; it is good if you want a stew-like consistency.
• Half-and-half vs. whole milk – Whole milk works but the soup will be thinner and you may want an extra tbsp of flour to compensate.
• Dairy-free – Full-fat oat milk or unsweetened cashew cream in place of half-and-half gives a surprisingly close result; the soup will be slightly less thick.
• Gluten-free – Swap the 3 tbsp all-purpose flour for a gluten-free 1:1 blend and confirm your gnocchi label is gluten-free.
• Spinach vs. kale – Baby kale holds up longer without wilting to nothing, which helps if you are packing this for lunch the next day.
• Adding heat – A pinch of red pepper flakes stirred in with the garlic gives a low background warmth without overpowering the cream.

If you enjoy this kind of soup, Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe is worth making next.

How To Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Step 1: Soften the Vegetables

Set a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the 2 tbsp unsalted butter and 1 tbsp olive oil together and let them melt until the butter is foamy, about 1 minute. Add the diced onion, 2 diced carrots, and 2 diced celery stalks. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the carrots have softened slightly. Add the 3 cloves minced garlic and stir for another 60 seconds.

The vegetables should look glossy and smell sweet rather than sharp at this point. If the garlic starts to color before 60 seconds, your heat is too high. Pull it back to medium-low.

Step 2: Build the Roux

Sprinkle the 3 tbsp all-purpose flour directly over the vegetables and stir it in with a wooden spoon until no dry flour is visible, about 1 to 2 minutes. Keep the heat at medium and stir constantly. The mixture will look a little pasty, and that is exactly right.

This step is what keeps the finished soup thick and silky rather than watery. Cooking the flour out for at least 1 minute also means the soup will not taste like raw flour at the end.

Step 3: Pour in the Broth and Season

Add the 4 cups chicken broth gradually, about 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition so the flour dissolves smoothly into the liquid. Then stir in the 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and the pinch of nutmeg. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a gentle boil, which should take about 5 minutes.

The broth will look thin right now. That is normal. It thickens significantly once the cream and gnocchi go in.

Step 4: Simmer the Gnocchi

Add the 1 lb potato gnocchi directly to the simmering broth and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently every minute or so. The gnocchi are done when they float to the surface and feel tender when you press one against the side of the pot with a spoon.

Shelf-stable gnocchi can turn gummy if you overcook them, so pull your attention here and stick to the 3 to 4 minute window.

Step 5: Stir in the Cream and Chicken

Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the 1 cup half-and-half slowly while stirring, then add the 2 cups shredded cooked chicken. Let the soup heat through for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently. You want it steaming hot but not boiling hard, because a hard boil can cause the cream to separate.

Taste the soup now and adjust with more salt if it needs it.

Step 6: Wilt the Spinach and Serve

Add the 2 cups fresh baby spinach to the pot and stir it in for about 1 minute, just until the leaves are wilted and bright green. Ladle the soup into wide bowls and finish each one with a handful of grated Parmesan on top.

Recipe Tips

• Shred your chicken while it is warm. Cold rotisserie chicken shreds in clumps. Pull it apart when it is still a little warm and you will get longer, more even pieces.
• Cut the carrots small. Pieces bigger than 1/2 inch tend to stay firmer than the rest of the soup. Aim for roughly the same size as the gnocchi so everything cooks evenly.
• Do not let it boil after the cream goes in. A rolling boil breaks the emulsion and the soup can look grainy. Low and slow after step 5.
• Taste before adding salt. Rotisserie chicken and store-bought broth both carry salt. The 1/2 tsp in the recipe is a starting point, not a fixed amount.

Cook times vary a little depending on pot size and stove. Here is a rough guide:

Pot Size	Gnocchi Cook Time	Cream Warm-Through Time
4 qt	3 to 4 minutes	4 to 5 minutes
6 qt	3 to 4 minutes	3 to 4 minutes
8 qt	2 to 3 minutes	2 to 3 minutes

How To Store

• Refrigerate – Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The gnocchi will absorb some of the broth overnight, so the soup will be thicker the next day.
• Reheating – Warm it over low heat on the stove, stirring gently. Add a splash of chicken broth or half-and-half to loosen it back up if needed. Microwave works in a pinch but stir halfway through so the cream heats evenly.

What To Serve With Chicken Gnocchi Soup

A thick, creamy soup like this pairs well with something that has a little crunch and can soak up the broth. A crusty baguette or warm breadsticks work because the crust gives you texture contrast and the bread absorbs what is left in the bowl.

A simple green salad dressed with a bright lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the cream nicely. If you want to keep the whole meal easy, store-bought Italian dressing on romaine with shaved Parmesan does the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this soup ahead of time?

Yes, with one note: the gnocchi keep absorbing liquid as the soup sits, so if you are making it more than a few hours ahead, cook and store the gnocchi separately and add them when you reheat.

Can I freeze chicken gnocchi soup?

It is not ideal. Cream-based soups tend to separate when frozen and thawed, and potato gnocchi turn grainy. Make it fresh or refrigerate it for up to 3 days instead.

What if my soup is too thin?

Stir together 1 tbsp softened butter and 1 tbsp flour into a paste, then whisk it into the simmering soup and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. It will thicken without adding any raw flour taste.

Can I use uncooked chicken instead of pre-cooked?

Yes. Add 2 raw boneless chicken breasts to the broth after step 3, simmer for 15 to 18 minutes until cooked through (165°F / 74°C internal temp), then pull them out, shred them, and return the meat before adding the cream.