Copy Cat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup ~ Instant Pot Option
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The only thing better than scalding hot never ending Olive Garden bread sticks, has to be their never ending chicken gnocchi soup. I was always a Zuppa kind of girl, but when I tasted the creamy gnocchi broth for the first time I was hooked!
But alas, I can’t be going to Olive Garden constantly. Both my scale and wallet wouldn’t be able to take it. So instead, I tweaked and tweaked until I was able to replicate the soup at home- if not make it better! Plus, I can make a large batch to have soup for days.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Instant Pot Option
Make this already simple recipe even easier with the chicken gnocchi soup instant pot option! Just like in the original recipe, saute all of the first ingredients together in the Instant Pot.
Once the veggies are cooked through, add in your liquids and set to soup mode for 10-15 minutes with a natural release.
Whisk in your flour, then add the spinach, chicken, and gnocchi and return to saute mode for an additional 5 minutes or until the gnocchi is cooked all the way through.
Enjoy your instant pot chicken gnocchi soup with lots of fresh cheese and bread!
Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe Crockpot Option
Another way to make this recipe super simple is to make this Crockpot version! You can either use precooked chicken like the original recipe, or slow cook chicken breasts with you veggies and liquids for 4-5 hours on high.
If using precooked chicken, add all of the seasonings, vegetables, and broth into the Crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours.
Once the vegetables are cooked through, whisk in the flour, then add the half and half, spinach, chicken, and gnocchi. Cook for an additional 1-2 hours on low until ready to serve!
Follow the same directions for raw chicken, but add the chicken in with the first step and increase time to 4-5 hours.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Without Half and Half
Realize you don’t have half and half, or just don’t want to use so much? There are several options!
If you’re still looking for a creamy, dairy based soup, my favorite option is to increase your broth by 1 cup, and add 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream.
Another option, but slightly less creamy would be to substitute it for whole milk.
For a dairy option that doesn’t require any of your refrigerated products, increase the broth by 1 cup, and add a can of evaporated milk.
If you are looking to modify this to be a vegan option, you can also substitute it with your favorite non dairy milk, use vegetable broth, and omit the chicken.
Vegetarian Gnocchi Soup Recipe
I have made this soup several times in a vegetarian form when I haven’t had chicken or the correct broths- and it’s just as tasty.
Substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and omit the chicken or add in your favorite chicken substitute such as tofu, potatoes, or my favorite, extra gnocchi!
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 2 stalks Celery, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Half and Half Cream (10%)
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, to taste
- 2 cups Spinach, packed
- 1 cup Chicken, cooked and chopped
- 16oz Gnocchi, uncooked
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Place the olive oil and butter in a stockpot over medium heat.
- Once hot, add the diced onion, celery and garlic. Stir and cook for 3 minutes or until translucent.
- Stir in the flour to form a roux and allow to cook until golden or light brown, stirring occasionally for about 2-4 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup of the half and half cream and Italian seasoning to form a thick soup base. Add the chicken broth, then the remaining half and half.
- Bring the soup to a simmer, then add the spinach, chicken and gnocchi.
- Continue simmering until the gnocchi is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
