Chicken & Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe)

Cozy up with this creamy chicken and gnocchi soup, packed with tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, fresh spinach, and herbs in a rich, flavorful broth. An easy Olive Garden–inspired comfort food you can make at home in under an hour.

Let Them Eat Soup! 

Friends, I’m so excited to share this recipe. You see, I’m a soup-a-holic. And I love all-things-Olive-Garden. So, the idea of making my own soups at home, to enjoy whenever I like? Well, that’s perfection! 

Before I kick off this post I want to share why I’m going to be posting a lot of Italian food recipes over the upcoming weeks. If you’ve read my Weddings by Bella books, you know she comes from a large, Italian family. Her Aunt Rosa is the chief cook and bottle washer and she’s into authentic Italian food. 

Would she approve of Olive Garden? Probably not. But I’m here to tell you, this soup is beyond delicious. In fact, I took most of this to my daughter and granddaughters and they texted right away to say how much they loved it. 

Why You’ll Love (and Benefit From) This Chicken & Gnocchi Soup

• Comfort in a bowl: The creamy broth, tender chicken, and soft gnocchi make this the ultimate cozy meal for chilly days.
• Protein-packed: Lean chicken breast provides a hearty dose of protein to keep you satisfied.
• Veggie boost: Fresh spinach (and optional carrots or celery) add vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
• Quick & weeknight-friendly: Ready in under an hour, so you can enjoy homemade comfort without an all-day commitment.
• Versatile: Easy to adapt for different diets — swap cream for half & half, or use gluten-free gnocchi for a lighter option.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at what you’ll need to make this delicious, creamy soup. You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you can pick up at any grocery store. 

Chicken & Gnocchi Soup Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup flour (not pictured)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup half & half (or heavy cream for richness)
• 1½ cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie is fine)
• 2 cups potato gnocchi (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon parsley (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make this Delicious Chicken & Gnocchi Soup at Home

Start by dicing your vegetables.

Melt butter in a large pot, then sauté diced onion and celery until soft.

Once the vegetables are glistening, stir in the flour, mixing until well incorporated. Cook for 1-2 minutes. 

Gradually whisk in garlic, broth, and cream, then add chicken and carrots, stirring well. 

Add gnocchi. It will sink to the bottom, but that’s okay. They lighten as they cook. 

Simmer until gnocchi floats (3–5 min)

Stir in salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir well. 

Add spinach and parsley. Mix until combined and then remove from heat. 

Serve hot.

Make it yours:

Use mushroom broth for a vegetarian twist with sautéed mushrooms instead of chicken.

Add a pinch of nutmeg for a Tuscan flavor.

Pro Tips (Aunt Rosa approved)

Instead of allowing the garlic to simmer with the onion and celery, (which many recipes suggest), add it when you pour in the broth — the gentle simmer will draw out its flavor without letting it go bitter.

Why to Wait on the Salt, Pepper, and Thyme

1. Salt:
   • Adding salt too early (especially before simmering) can draw moisture out of your chicken and veggies, making them a little tougher.
   • Broths can vary in saltiness — if you add salt before the broth, you risk oversalting. Waiting until the soup is nearly done lets you season to taste accurately.
2. Pepper:
   • Freshly ground pepper’s flavor is most vibrant when added later in cooking.
   • Long simmering can dull its aroma, so it’s often best to add near the end or split it between early and late in the process.
3. Thyme (and other herbs):
   • Dried thyme can go in early so it has time to soften and infuse.
   • Fresh thyme is better added toward the end — prolonged cooking can make it taste woody and less fresh.

What to Expect from this Recipe

This creamy chicken and gnocchi soup isn’t just comfort in a bowl — it’s packed with protein, fresh spinach, and satisfying carbs to keep you full and happy.

It’s creamy, it’s dreamy, and it’s every bit as delicious as the soup at Olive Garden. Best of all, it’s simple to make. Sure, it has a lot of ingredients, but it truly comes together with ease. 

I love the addition of the half and half. It made such a difference, when mixed with the chicken broth. And that half teaspoon of thyme? It really adds to the flavor. 

I loved the way the soup thickened up as it cooked. At one point I had to add a little more chicken broth, but I always keep plenty handy. 

Oh, and those little potato dumplings? Even though mine were store-bought, they were simply delicious! Because I was making my soup for kiddos, I ended up cutting the larger gnocchi in half so it would spread farther. 

I just can’t say enough about this recipe, friends. I truly believe Aunt Rosa would give her stamp of approval! 

Other Fun Italian Recipes

If you love this recipe, hang on for the ride! I’ll be uploading lots of Italian recipes that Bella and her family would love. For now, let me link you to some of my favorite Italian desserts from my Out of the Box Baking site. 

Italian Cream Cake: This is my all-time favorite cake, loaded with coconut and pecans. And that cream cheese frosting? It’s divine!

Tiramisu: This is a scaled-back version of the original, super simple to make. (Please don’t tell Aunt Rosa I took a few shortcuts!) It’s incredibly delicious!

Italian Wedding Cookies: Super simple and in the style of snowballs (Mexican Wedding Cookies) these are sure to please (and not just at weddings)!

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Thanks for stopping by, friends. Let me leave you with an expression familiar to Bella, Aunt Rosa, and the whole Rossi clan:

Finché c’è vita c’è speranza: Where there is life, there is hope.

Before you go, why not pin some photos?

About the Author:

Janice Thompson is the author of over 170 books for the Christian market and the chief baker and blogger at Out of the Box Baking. She’s so thrilled to share recipes inspired by her books, her characters, and her setting. To learn more, check out her bio.