Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
This classic Italian soup recipe is just like how they make it at Olive Garden... except it's not frozen!
If you're a fan of Olive Garden restaurant recipes, you're sure to enjoy this Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup recipe. This creamy soup, packed with veggies like spinach and carrots is a warm treat that everyone will enjoy. Making this soup in your kitchen is much easier than you may think and only requires a few simple steps. This soup recipe is famous on the Olive Garden menu and now it can be famous in your home.
The creamy soup and filling gnocchi will satisfy any family member or dinner guest. This Italian-style chicken and dumpling soup is a recipe you will definitely want to keep. For the recipe, you can use premade chicken broth for a quick and delicious soup, but making your own adds another layer of rich flavor to this copycat Olive Garden soup.
Serves6
Ingredients
- 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked (see note below)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups half-and-half
- 3 cups chicken broth (see note below)
- 1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup fresh spinach, stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon dry thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dry parsley
- 1 pound packaged gnocchi
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for garnish
Of all the Olive Garden copycat recipes, this one's got to be our favorite! If you like creamy pastas, you'll go crazy for this dish:Copycat Olive Garden's Chicken Alfredo
Instructions
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Place a large soup pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk to coat the vegetables and absorb the butter, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the half-and-half, stirring and simmering over low heat for 5 minutes until thickened. Gradually add the broth and whisk another 2 minutes.
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Stir in the diced chicken, carrots, spinach, thyme and parsley, then drop in the gnocchi and continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 – 8 minutes until gnocchi are cooked and float to the top. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into individual soup bowls and garnish with Parmesan and parsley if desired.
What is Gnocchi and Tips for Making It at Home
Chicken and gnocchi soup is essentially the Italian version of chicken and dumplings. Gnocchi are Italian dumplings made from flour or potatoes and are soft and filling. Traditional gnocchi are rolled using a cheese grater or fork tines when being prepared. This creates grooves and crevasses that enable each dumpling to be covered in sauce, giving the entire dish flavor.
Gnocchi can be used in many different types of dishes. Usually it is served with a thick and creamy sauce, but gnocchi can also be tossed in a lighter, olive-oil-based dressing. Chicken and gnocchi soup is a very popular way to serve this Italian dumpling. Another popular gnocchi dish is gnocchi with brown butter and sage, which is simple but delicious. The recipe above uses pre-made gnocchi, but if you try making your own instead, here are some tips to keep in mind:
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Use a potato ricer. Not many recipes require a fancy kitchen gadget, but we do recommend using a ricer for gnocchi to get the best results. If you use a masher or food processer, your dumplings won’t hold together.
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Don’t peel your potatoes before boiling. This will keep your potatoes from absorbing too much water. Keeping the water at a simmer rather than a rolling boil will also keep your potatoes from becoming too watery.
How To Make Your Own Chicken Broth:
You may use 1 cup of cooked and diced chicken that you already have on hand and use canned broth, or you can begin by cooking a raw chicken breast with
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 stalk celery, chopped
¼ cup chopped onion
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Cook at a simmer for 20 minutes, then strain and measure the liquids – this will give you the 3 cups broth needed for the recipe as well as the cooked chicken needed. Dice the meat into small cubes and proceed with the recipe.
Up next:
The Other Best Olive Garden Soup
What's your favorite Olive Garden soup recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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Gck24 7816915
Feb 27, 2017
I've never had this soup at Olive Garden, but it looks so delicious I can't wait to try it! This recipe would be simple enough to make during the week, but would also make a nice weekend luncheon or starter for a nice weekend evening dinner. The gnocchi would make this soup nice and filling, so it could even be a meal on its own with a salad and some crusty bread. Yummy!
gjones1946 1763988
Feb 02, 2017
loved it, the only soup I get when I go to Olive Garden. I am going to make it myself for a party.
shelfconsciouskati e
Dec 21, 2015
This soup tasted so similar to the restaurant version! I would definitely make this again to save myself the trouble of going out to the restaurant.
amatlin
Oct 30, 2015
This soup was ok, but I would have liked it better if it was a little thicker.
Zimm102090
Oct 29, 2015
I REALLY liked this soup. I wish I could have helped myself to more. It was super creamy and satisfying.
nashmeow
Oct 29, 2015
Creamy and hearty, this soup made the perfect lunch. So often, soups don't have enough "stuff" in them for my liking, but this one has LOTS of gnocchi - my favorite pasta ever - so I'm definitely making this recipe often!
BeckySue
May 02, 2016
What kind of gnocchi did you use? Frozen or packaged in the Italian isle in grocery store? I tried making it from scratch once, but it's very labor intensive and I didn't think it was that good. I need to find a brand I like and keep it in my pantry/freezer.
caitlinmm
Oct 29, 2015
this is my ideal soup recipe. It's creamy and has dumplings, spinach, and onions. Totally satisfying!
faithhallinean 639 0890
Jan 28, 2015
I rated the chicken and gnocchi soup as not good ! I do not see my comment !
jshapazian 9520480
Nov 12, 2013
I made this last weekend. I doubled the recipe and soup for six would have been sufficent! Thought it was BETTER than the Olive Garden's. Heartier! It is a must make again in but in a smaller quantity!! It was a hit
poncerkathleen 262 5072
Feb 14, 2013
Two wks ago went to Olive Garden, had this soup & raved to server, wishing I had the recipe..he said get it on-line..I found this site & made this soup & it was fabulous!!! After I made it on the stove, I put it in my crockpot on low for an hour then turned to warm..sat all day..longer it sat, better it got..all of it was eaten but 1 cup..will definitely try more recipes
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