Love ordering Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup when at their restaurant? Now you can make this copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi soup recipe at home! Easily made with store-bought rotisserie chicken, fresh veggies, gnocchi and bacon, this delicious soup will be a new favorite.
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
Do you love ordering soup at Olive Garden? You’re not alone – The Olive Garden is just as popular for their soups than their pasta and salad. This delicious, hearty Olive Garden gnocchi soup recipe will have you thinking you’re at the restaurant.
Easily made with fresh vegetables, store-bough rotisserie chicken, and tender potato gnocchi, this soup will warm your body and soul. The best part – this recipe is made in under 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight dinner idea!
What do I need to make Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup at home?
Here’s a quick-reference check list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this soup:
- Olive oil
- Bacon
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Yellow Onion
- Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
- Half and Half – you can also use heavy cream for a richer broth or whole milk a less-heavy base.
- Pre-cooked rotisserie chicken – I like to purchase pre-cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken at Costco. They sell it in vacuum-sealed packages. It’s one of my 15 Things I Buy at Costco for Healthy Meals.
- Potato gnocchi – smaller “gnocchetti” work well in soup
- Fresh baby spinach
- Italian Herb Seasoning
- Garlic salt
- Ground Pepper
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions, be sure to reference the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Thanks!
How do I make Olive Garden’s gnocchi soup at home?
Start by cooking 6 strips of bacon, to a crisp texture. Crumble into pieces and set the bacon off to the side.
Next, in the bottom of a Dutch oven or stock pot, add about two tablespoons of the bacon grease, and sauté the carrots and onions until slightly soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and sauté for one more minute.
Once the vegetables have cooked, add in the chicken broth, cooked chicken and spices, and bring to a low boil over medium heat.
Once the soup comes to a boil, add in the gnocchi and half and half. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer.
Lastly, add in the fresh spinach and bacon to the soup. Cook just until the spinach wilts.
Love cooking with gnocchi? Check out my Italian Sausage Gnocchi in Creamy Red Sauce for fantastic and quick weeknight dinner idea! My Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup is also another soup you might enjoy.
What do I serve with Olive Garden Gnocchi soup?
This soup is hearty and filling enough to serve on it’s own. However, here are some great side options that would go perfectly with this soup recipe:
- Easy Cheesy Breadsticks
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
- Roasted Carrot Salad with Apples and Pistachios
When serving, top the soup with fresh ground pepper, fresh grated Parmesan cheese and additional bacon crumbles.
FAQ for making chicken gnocchi soup:
Feel free to use simple, store-bought gnocchi for this soup. You can find gnocchi in the pasta aisle of your supermarket. The smaller gnocchetti are especially good in soups and stews.
No need to precook the gnocchi. The gnocchi will cook right in the soup. Overcooking will cause the gnocchi to become overly soft, gummy and unappealing.
To make a creamy soup, you’ll need some form of cream or milk. For an extra creamy soup, use heavy cream. For a slightly less heavy broth, feel free to use half and half or whole milk.
To thicken a soup, you can add a slurry. A slurry a mixture of corn starch and water or broth. Use a 2:1 ratio, 2 tablespoons of water to 1 tablespoon of corn starch. Mix in a small bowl until the corn starch is fully absorbed in the water, then pour into your soup. Immediately stir the soup and it will begin to thicken.
When refrigerated in an airtight container, chicken gnocchi soup will last for up to 5 days.
There are 230 calories in a cup of Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup.
Love the convenience of cooking with rotisserie chicken? Here are some of my other recipes that use pre-cooked chicken:
- Rotisserie Chicken Tacos
- Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
- Healthy Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice
- Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Salad with Grapes and Oranges
- Healthy Chicken Cobb Salad
- Kale Apple Salad
Love making soup? Check out some of my other soup recipes:
Here’s the easy, delicious recipe for my Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup:
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Delightful E Made.
Video
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Stock Pot My 9-qt. Le Creuset Dutch Oven is my all-time favorite cookware in my kitchen!
- Santoku Knife Ideal for chopping and slicing vegetables, this Santoku knife comes in a two-knife set.
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon cooked crisply, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons reserved bacon grease
- 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 (32 oz. carton) chicken broth about 4 cups
- 16 oz. shredded chicken like rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup half and half heavy cream or whole milk can also be used
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 (16 oz. pkg.) potato gnocchi
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese for serving optional
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, cook the bacon pieces to a crisp texture. Transfer the bacon to paper towels. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the bottom of the Dutch oven. On medium-high heat, add the onion and carrots. Saute for 5-6 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- To the vegetables, add the chicken broth, chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a low simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add in the gnocchi, half and half, bacon and spinach and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with fresh ground pepper and/or fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
This looks wonderful! I bet it’s great when you’re feeling under the weather!
YUM! This looks amazing! PINNED!
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
What a great soup! Pinning this one – Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party!
This soup looks amazing, gotta try this one. I’ll be sharing this one. 🙂
I love gnocchi and love the idea of adding them to soup instead of noodles. I really want to try this out. Thanks for sharing!
My husband and I love a good soup. We’ll be trying this one at our house! Thank you for sharing on #PartyinYourPJs!
Your Italian Chicken and Dumplings Soup looks fantastic! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Come Back Soon,
Miz Helen
looks so tasty.
Thanks for sharing at the inspiration spotlight party @DearCreatives pinned and sharing.
I have read your article. it is very informative and helpful for me.I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles. Thanks for posting it, again!