Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Creams The Original
I'm definitely someone who plans meals based on what season it is. During the cold winter months, we crave comfort food casseroles and thick hearty stews to help warm us up. Once springtime arrives, I want lighter flavors and crave all things fresh like big meal-sized salads. Then when summer hits, my favorite season of them all, meals become an outdoor affair, with grilling everything we can get our hands on. But the funny thing about how my taste buds change with the calendar? I can eat a great soup year round; and during the summer months one of my favorite ways to satisfy that craving is a soup and salad lunch combo with the Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup!
Related: Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine
One of the most popular lunch time choices at Olive Garden has always been their never-ending soup, salad, and bread sticks. You can choose your favorite soup (or try them all), a big bowl of salad and their famous bread sticks—and get unlimited refills! Now, you can make one of their most beloved soups at home, in almost no time at all!
What Kinds Of Soup Does Olive Garden Have?
Olive Garden has four types of soups they have become famous for:
Zuppa Toscana
Chicken Gnocchi
Pasta E Fagioli
Minestrone
Related: 100+ Sensational Soup Recipes to Warm You Up This Winter and Year-Round
Is Olive Garden Gnocchi Made Of Potatoes?
Yes, Olive Garden does indeed use a traditional style of gnocchi made of potatoes in their chicken gnocchi soup. A mixture of mashed potatoes, flour and egg come together to form a pillow dumpling perfect for various sauces or in soups.
Best Type of Chicken For Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup
When it comes to cooked chicken in recipes, everyone seems to have their favorite method. For most of my casserole and soup recipes, I roast then shred my chicken. I will also boil it with carrots, celery, and onion. That way, I can make a homemade stock at the same time.
Roasting a chicken for Sunday supper and using the leftovers later in the week is a great way to get double duty out of one bird. For this recipe, I decided to save time and money and use canned all white meat chicken. You could also buy a rotisserie chicken. To make sure I still had lots of flavor, I used a homemade chicken stock from the freezer instead of store bought broth.
Ingredients You Need For Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup
Cooked chicken
Gnocchi
Half-and-half
Chicken stock
Butter
Olive oil
Carrots
Celery
Spinach
Onion
Garlic
Flour
Dried thyme
Dried parsley
Krista Marshall
Tools You Need For Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup
Large stock pot or Dutch oven
Wooden spoon
Measuring cups/spoons
Knife
Cutting board
Colander
Whisk
How To Make Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery and garlic until soft.
Krista Marshall
2. Sprinkle with flour, stir and cook 2-3 minutes.
Krista Marshall
3. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half and bring to a simmer. Allow to cook until slightly thickened. Whisk in the chicken stock and simmer until thickened again.
Krista Marshall
4. Add gnocchi, carrots, chicken, thyme and parsley. Stir well. Cook until the gnocchi are heated through and start coming to the top. Season with salt and pepper.
Krista Marshall
5. Add spinach and cook until heated through, but still green. Serve immediately.
Krista Marshall
Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a creamy, flavorful and hearty soup. It would be perfect on a chilly or rainy spring day. Add a side salad and crusty bread for a delicious meal. It would also be great as a first course for your next pasta night or dinner party. Soup might be our go-to meal during the cold winter months, but as spring and summer heat up, you can still satisfy your cravings with this easy at home copycat!
Krista Marshall
Best Tips for Making Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Canned chicken helps to make this budget friendly. Leftover roast chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken works too.
If using canned chicken, use a chicken stock instead of broth for more flavor.
I buy matchstick carrots from the produce section and chop them to save time.
If your soup doesn't seem very thick, don't worry. The flour from the gnocchi will help, and it will thicken it as it sits.
If using baby spinach, you might not have to chop it.
Packaged gnocchi can be found on the pasta aisle. I actually buy mine at the dollar store!
Keep leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave, adding a little milk to water to thin soup out.
What To Serve With Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
More Copycat Recipes For Restaurant Favorites At Home
Ingredients
¼ cup butter
1 tbsp olive oil
16-oz package prepared gnocchi
2 (12-oz) cans cooked chicken, drained and broken up
1 quart half-and-half
3½ cups chicken stock
1 cup matchstick carrots, rough chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 -3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 heaping cup spinach, rough chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried parsley
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, melt butter with olive oil over medium high heat.
Sauté onion, celery and garlic for 5 minutes until slightly soft.
Sprinkle with flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Whisk in half-and-half and bring to a simmer.
Cook until slightly thick, about 5 minutes.
Whisk in chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add carrots, chicken, thyme, parsley and gnocchi.
Stir well.
Simmer until gnocchi are cooked, and float to the top slightly.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add spinach and cook for 5-10 minutes to heat through.
Serve immediately.
