Description
A rich and creamy copycat version of Olive Garden's famous Chicken & Gnocchi Soup featuring tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, fresh spinach, and a flavorful broth, perfect for a comforting meal any time of year.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 small (1/2 ounce) rib celery, sliced 1/4-in.-thick (about 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 small onion)
- 1/2 cup matchstick carrots (from 1 [10-ounce] package)
- 2 tsp finely chopped garlic (about 3 small cloves)
- 1 1/2 cups (about 2 ounces) roughly chopped baby spinach
Dairy and Protein
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
Pantry
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 (12 ounces) package refrigerated gnocchi (such as Rana)
- 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Sauté vegetables: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced celery, chopped onion, and matchstick carrots, cooking while stirring often until the vegetables are tender and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the finely chopped garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Make roux: Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and stir constantly until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is pale golden brown and bubbly, about 1 minute.
- Add liquids and chicken: Stir in the chicken broth, half-and-half, chopped cooked chicken, granulated sugar, and kosher salt. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through and slightly thickened.
- Cook gnocchi: Add the refrigerated gnocchi to the simmering soup and cook while stirring occasionally until the gnocchi are tender, about 3 minutes.
- Finish soup: Stir in the chopped baby spinach, dried Italian seasoning, black pepper, and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach is wilted and the soup is heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
- This homemade version can be made in under 30 minutes, making it a quick and cost-effective alternative to restaurant versions.
- For a richer flavor, you can substitute half-and-half with heavy cream.
- If fresh gnocchi is unavailable, frozen gnocchi can be used but increase cooking time by a few minutes.
- Adjust salt and seasoning according to taste, especially if using low sodium chicken broth.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour and gluten-free gnocchi.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 565 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 1351 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 132 mg
