Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)

If you have ever ordered the chicken and gnocchi soup at Olive Garden and wished you could have it at home, this creamy chicken and gnocchi soup is your answer. I reverse-engineered it over several weekends, tweaking the thickness, the seasoning, and the gnocchi timing until my family genuinely couldn’t tell the difference — and then declared the homemade version better. Pillowy potato gnocchi, tender chicken, and sweet carrots and celery swim in a velvety, thyme-scented cream broth with wilted spinach and a snowfall of Parmesan. It is ready in 40 minutes and tastes like pure comfort.

The secret to a copycat that actually satisfies is restraint: the broth should be creamy but not gluey, the gnocchi tender but not bloated, and the seasoning gentle enough that you want a second bowl. A simple flour-thickened base, good chicken broth, and half-and-half added at the right moment get you there. This is the soup I make when someone needs cheering up, when the weather turns, or when I just want dinner to feel like a hug.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Tastes like the restaurant — or better. All the creamy, cozy flavor of the Olive Garden classic, made fresh in your kitchen.
• 40 minutes, one pot. Weeknight-friendly from start to ladle.
• Pillowy gnocchi. Store-bought potato gnocchi cooks right in the soup in minutes — no separate pot.
• Balanced and hearty. Protein, vegetables, and carbs in every spoonful; no side dish required.
• Customizable. Easy to adjust the thickness, swap the greens, or make it richer or lighter.

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves)
• 1 small pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 package (16 oz) potato gnocchi
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 cups packed baby spinach
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Ingredient notes: Use shelf-stable potato gnocchi from the pasta aisle — it holds its shape far better in soup than fresh refrigerated gnocchi, which can turn gummy. Half-and-half gives the signature richness without the heaviness of full cream; don’t boil it hard after adding. And that tiny pinch of nutmeg is the background warmth that makes cream soups taste complete — you won’t taste it directly, but you’ll miss it if it’s gone.

How to Make Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

1. Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots are starting to soften. You want them sweet and tender, not browned.
2. Add the garlic. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Garlic burns quickly, so keep it moving.
3. Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes. The flour should coat everything and lose its raw smell, turning just barely golden. This roux is what thickens the soup to that signature velvety body.
4. Whisk in the broth. Pour in the chicken broth a little at a time, whisking constantly to dissolve the roux smoothly with no lumps. Once all the broth is in, add the thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
5. Poach the chicken. Add the chicken breasts to the pot, pressing them into the broth. Bring to a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil — and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
6. Shred the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it into bite-size pieces with two forks. Set aside while you cook the gnocchi.
7. Cook the gnocchi. Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer and add the gnocchi. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi float to the surface and are tender. Don’t overcook — they go from pillowy to mushy fast.
8. Make it creamy. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the half-and-half, baby spinach, and Parmesan. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach wilts and the cheese melts into the broth. The soup should coat a spoon but still pour easily.
9. Finish and serve. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to warm through, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Ladle into warm bowls and top with extra Parmesan and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately — gnocchi keeps absorbing broth as it sits.

Pro Tips for the Best Results

• Don’t boil after adding dairy. A hard boil can make half-and-half separate. Keep it at a gentle simmer once the dairy goes in.
• Cook the gnocchi just until they float. Floating = done. A minute or two more and they start to swell and fall apart.
• Serve right away. Gnocchi are thirsty little dumplings — they keep drinking broth off the heat. If the soup thickens on standing, thin it with a splash of warm broth.
• Whisk the roux smooth. Adding broth gradually while whisking is the difference between silky soup and lumpy soup. Patience here pays off.
• Use freshly grated Parmesan. Pre-shredded cheese contains cellulose that prevents smooth melting and can make the broth grainy.
• Season in layers. Salt the vegetables, season the broth, then taste at the end. Building seasoning gradually gives a deeper, more balanced soup than one big addition. Chicken is done at 165°F per the USDA safe temperature chart.

Variations

Extra-creamy: Swap the half-and-half for heavy cream and stir in 2 oz of cream cheese with the Parmesan for an ultra-luxurious broth.

With kale: Replace the spinach with 2 cups of chopped kale, added with the gnocchi so it has time to soften — a nod to our crockpot zuppa toscana, the other great Olive Garden copycat.

Chicken sausage version: Swap the chicken breasts for 12 oz of sliced Italian chicken sausage, browned with the vegetables at the start. It adds a lovely savory depth.

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free gnocchi (several brands make them) and replace the flour roux with a slurry of 3 tablespoons cornstarch whisked into 1/4 cup cold broth, added after the soup simmers.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The gnocchi will absorb broth overnight and the soup will be much thicker — stir in warm chicken broth or half-and-half when reheating to loosen it back up. Warm gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring, until steaming; don’t boil. I don’t recommend freezing this soup: the gnocchi turn mushy when thawed and the dairy-based broth can separate. It’s best enjoyed fresh or as next-day leftovers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen gnocchi?

Yes — add them straight from the freezer without thawing. They’ll need 1 to 2 extra minutes in the simmering soup. Don’t thaw them first, or they’ll get sticky and clump together.

Why is my creamy chicken and gnocchi soup too thick?

Gnocchi absorb a surprising amount of broth, especially as the soup sits. Thin it with warm chicken broth a half cup at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency. Next time, you can also hold back a cup of broth and add it at the end.

Can I make this in the slow cooker?

You can, with adjustments: cook the chicken, vegetables, and broth on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, then shred the chicken, stir in the gnocchi, half-and-half, spinach, and Parmesan, and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes. Add the dairy only at the end to keep it smooth.

What can I use instead of half-and-half?

Whole milk works but makes a thinner soup — compensate with an extra tablespoon of flour in the roux. Heavy cream makes it richer. Avoid skim milk, which is too thin and more likely to curdle.

Is this soup gluten-free as written?

No — both the flour roux and standard gnocchi contain wheat. See the gluten-free variation above for easy swaps that keep all the creamy comfort intact.

This creamy chicken and gnocchi soup delivers everything you love about the restaurant version — pillowy gnocchi, velvety broth, and that cozy, cheesy finish — in 40 minutes flat. Make a pot this week, then keep the copycat streak alive with our crockpot zuppa toscana. For more bowlfuls of comfort, browse our best comfort food recipes to make at home and our healthy family recipes everyone will love.