Our Chicken Gnocchi Soup is one of our favorite comforting soups that is flavorful, simple to put together, and will leave you feeling cozy from the inside out. Make a big batch on the weekend and eat it throughout the week or add a kale salad and some grilled bread to make it a meal.
No matter when you chose to eat it, this rich soup will leave you satisfied and warmed through and through. Follow along as we walk through how to make creamy chicken soup for our next gathering or weeknight in.
The Creamiest Chicken And Gnocchi Soup
If you’re looking for a soup that’s flavorful, filling, and fast, you’ve come to the right place. In under an hour, you’ll have a delicious soup filled with pockets of light gnocchi, perfectly cooked veggies, and tender chicken to keep you going during those cold winter months. If you love the flavor of gnocchi but want a break from soup, try out our tasty baked gnocchi recipe, which is also perfect for busy weeknights.
What You Will Need
- oil – Extra virgin olive oil is our favorite, but feel free to use whatever variety you have on hand. Butter can be used as a substitute if needed.
- garlic – Fresh garlic provides the brightest and sharpest flavor, but use the pre-chopped and canned variety if that’s more convenient.
- yellow onion – A must in any soup as it provides flavor and texture and pairs perfectly with other winter vegetables.
- chicken broth – Pick some up from your grocery store, or if you want to bring your soup to the next level, use homemade chicken broth. We promise that it’ll be a game changer. Chicken stock will work fine here too, just make sure to taste test and add additional seasoning if need be.
- chicken breast – Feel free to substitute chicken breasts for 4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. We actually prefer this option as it provides amazing flavor, but chose the option that’s convenient.
- bay leaf, kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme sprigs – Simple herbs and spices that bring out the best in this hearty soup.
- carrots and celery – A veggie duo that you’ll find in many of our favorite soup recipes.
- coconut milk – Substitute with heavy cream if you don’t need this soup to be dairy-free.
- frozen peas – This simple ingredient provides a pop of color and a subtle sweetness throughout.
- flour – A quick and easy way to add heartiness and a creamy base to any soup. To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute with gluten-free flour.
- gnocchi – Made with potatoes, salt, egg, and flour, these little pockets of potato dough absorb flavors from every other ingredient and make this soup hearty and filling. Check the pasta aisle for a simple store-bought brand, or feel free to use homemade gnocchi if you prefer.
What Is Chicken And Gnocchi Soup
This soup is the creamy cousin of chicken noodle soup. And instead of noodles, we’re using delicious gnocchi, which are basically little balls of dough made from potato, flour, egg, and salt. While many people put gnocchi in the pasta category, they’re actually considered a type of dumpling.
Either way, they’re delicious light nuggets of mild flavored potato dough, making them the perfect addition to soups or pasta dishes. You can find them at your local grocery store either in the pasta aisle or in the refrigerated section.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Crock Pot Option
You can easily use your crock pot to whip up this delicious soup with some small adjustments. Be sure to sauté your garlic and onion using the sauté setting if your crock pot has one or just use a skillet. Next, add your chicken and broth and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Next, shred your chicken right in your slow cooker and add the flour and broth mixture, veggies, seasonings, cream, gnocchi, and mix thoroughly and let cook on high for another hour or so. Finally, add in the frozen peas and spinach and stir to soften.
How To Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Start by bringing a dutch oven or a large stock pot to medium/high heat on your stove top and add your oil. Once hot, add your minced garlic, moving it around the pan for 30 seconds or until it becomes fragrant. Next, add your onion and soften it for 1-2 minutes. Then add your raw chicken breasts and broth and let simmer for 15 minutes or until your chicken is fully cooked.
Make It Extra Creamy
Make this soup even creamier by using 1/2 a cup less of chicken broth in this step. It will be replaced with 1/2 cup of heavy cream, whole milk or full fat coconut milk a bit later in this recipe.
Once the chicken is fully cooked, carefully remove it from the pot to a cutting board or plate to shred and set aside to be added back in later. Next, grab a glass measuring cup and carefully scoop out two cups of broth. Whisk in half a cup of flour to your broth until it’s fully mixed and then add your broth and flour mixture back to the pot.
Add in the shredded chicken, bay leaf, kosher salt, ground black pepper, thyme, carrots, celery and coconut milk (or heavy cream), mix, and bring to a simmer for 5-8 minutes or until your soup has thickened. This is when you would add that extra half cup of cream (or full fat coconut milk) that we mentioned earlier to make your soup even creamier.
Next, add the frozen peas and gnocchi and mix to fully combine all of the ingredients. Cover your soup pot and remove it from the heat for 5-10 minutes, allowing the peas to fully thaw and the gnocchi to soften.
Serve immediately with crusty bread or grilled bread and enjoy!
More Veggies
If you’re looking to add a pop of color and a nutritional punch, feel free to stir in a handful of fresh spinach after you’ve added your gnocchi and peas. Stir the spinach until it’s wilted and the peas are soft.
Recipe Q&As
- dairy-free: Make this recipe dairy-free by using oil instead of butter and coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
- gluten-free: Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and gluten-free gnocchi.
- storage: Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- gnocchi: We recommend store-bought gnocchi to make this recipe as simple as possible, but feel free to use a homemade option as well.
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Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chicken Gnocchi Soup – a delicious, creamy chicken gnocchi recipe that is perfect a cozy night in! Made with simple, real ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2–3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1–2 medium/large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1–2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk or heavy cream
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or 1-to-1 gluten-free flour
- 16oz gnocchi
Instructions
- Bring a large Dutch Oven to medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic and move around pan until fragrant, approx. 30 seconds. Add onion and move around pan until softened, approx. 1-2 minutes.
- Add broth and chicken. Cover and let simmer approx. 15 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
- Remove cooked chicken from Dutch Oven and set on a plate. Shred with two forks. Set aside.
- Ensure broth is very hot and then using a glass measuring cup with a handle, carefully scoop out two cups of hot broth. Add in 1/2 cup flour and whisk immediately.
- Add the broth/flour mixture back into the Dutch Oven. Stir to combine.
- Add in the shredded chicken, bay leaf, kosher salt, ground black pepper, thyme, carrots, celery and coconut milk.
- Bring to a simmer and stir fairly constantly as it thickens, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the frozen peas and gnocchi; mix to fully combine. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5-10 minutes or until peas are fully thawed and gnocchi is softened.
- Serve immediately crusty bread or breadsticks (or grilled bread).
Notes
- Chicken Thighs: alternatively you can use 4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (I actually prefer to use these because they add more flavor).
- Dairy-Free: to make this dairy-free use olive oil and coconut milk.
- Gluten-Free: to make this gluten-free use gluten-free flour and gluten-free gnocchi.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Extra Creamy: if you are wanting an extra Creamy Gnocchi Soup you can use a 1/2 cup less of chicken broth and use a 1/2 cup more of heavy cream (or whole milk).
- Add-ins: feel free to add in a handful of fresh spinach.
- Gnocchi: I recommend using simply store-bought gnocchi (potato gnocchi) but feel free to use homemade if you prefer.
Keywords: chicken gnocchi soup
Bridget Montag says
Made this last night and it was the perfect bowl of comfort food! If you can find mini gnocchi at the store, it’s a must! The perfect size!
★★★★★
Ali says
Easy hearty soup that took no time at all to make! We loved it
★★★★★
Erin says
Thanks, Ali!!!