Chicken & Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden copycat recipe)
The cutest little soup
I worked at Olive Garden for 4 years during & after college— long enough that those breadsticks don’t even taste good to me anymore!— but this soup is still a winner. It’s creamy and comforting while also being pretty easy to whip up.
This recipe is a great way to use up the rest of a rotisserie chicken (or the rest of the slow-cooker chicken dinner from our recipe catalog! If you’re making your own chicken stock from the leftover chicken frame, this soup will be that much more delicious. (Don’t worry, it’s so easy— water + chicken frame + salt in a crockpot. Instructions below!)
Chicken Gnocchi Soup (adapted from the copycat recipe from CozyCook.com)
Cook time = 30 minutes
Serves: 8
For Dietary Restrictions
Gluten free: use gluten-free pasta instead of gnocchi — or gluten-free gnocchi if you can find it!
Dairy free: omit the cream
Kids Can Help
Add ingredients to the soup pot; stir the soup (not much to do… it’s pretty easy!)
Ingredients
3 quarts of chicken stock + ½ stick butter OR 10 c water + 1.5 Tbsp salt + the chicken frame (the bones from a cooked chicken)
1-2 lb gnocchi (use 2lb if you want a heartier soup)
2 c shredded carrots
2-3 cups chopped spinach
½ tsp ground thyme
4 cups of chopped cooked chicken (about 1 lb of chicken breast)
1 cup heavy cream
Directions
If you’re using the chicken frame to make your own stock, start here:
1. In a crock pot or large soup pot on the stove, bring the water to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Add the chicken frame (including leftover meat and skin) and salt; allow to cook slowly for a few hours until the stock is nice and broth-y… rich and flavorful.
2. Next, you’ll be separating the solids from the broth; carefully drain using a large colander, capturing the broth in a large bowl underneath. Allow the meat/bones to cool, and then carefully separate out the meat (don’t worry about the teeny bits); discard bones and skin.
3. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
4. Skim the broth with a fine mesh strainer until it is clear. Taste and adjust salt (add more water if it’s too salty). Now your homemade stock is ready to use!
When you’re ready to make the soup:
Bring chicken stock to a boil.
Add thyme, carrots and gnocchi; cook 5 minutes or until gnocchi are floating.
Add spinach, cream, and chicken; stir. Serve immediately.
If you are using store-bought stock and chicken breast, start here:
Heat 1 Tbsp of butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes until undersides are nicely browned. Sprinkle with salt and flip.
Mince garlic and add to the pot with the chicken, then quickly cover and lower heat; cook until chicken registers at 165 degrees in the center. Remove and set aside to cool, leaving the garlic in the pot.
In the same pot, bring chicken stock to a boil; add ½ stick of butter and ½ tsp salt (or more to taste).
Once stock is boiling, add thyme, carrots and gnocchi; cook 5 minutes or until gnocchi are floating.
Meanwhile, chop the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces.
Add spinach, cream, and chicken to the pot; stir and taste. Add more butter/salt if the flavor is lacking, then serve immediately so the gnocchi won’t get overcooked.