Description
This creamy slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup combines tender, perfectly seasoned chicken with pillowy potato gnocchi in a rich and comforting broth. Ideal for a cozy meal, the soup features fresh vegetables, spinach, and Italian herbs for warming flavor with minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein and Vegetables
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1.5 lb.)
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
- 3 oz. fresh baby spinach, tightly packed (about 3 cups)
Broth and Seasonings
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Dairy and Pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 (16 oz.) package potato gnocchi
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients: Place the chicken breasts into a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, diced celery, and shredded carrots on top of the chicken.
- Add seasonings and broth: Sprinkle dried basil, Italian seasoning, ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper over the ingredients. Add the bay leaf. Pour the 5 cups of chicken broth over everything.
- Slow cook chicken and vegetables: Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Shred chicken and discard bay leaf: Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and chop or shred into bite-sized pieces. Discard the bay leaf. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
- Add heavy cream and gnocchi: Pour in the heavy cream and add the potato gnocchi. Cook on high for 30-45 minutes until the gnocchi are tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
- Incorporate spinach: Add the fresh baby spinach to the slow cooker, cover, and let it sit in the residual heat for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted into the soup.
- Final seasoning and serve: Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot and enjoy your comforting slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup.
Notes
- This soup is a comforting and easy copycat version of Olive Garden's famous creamy chicken gnocchi soup with minimal prep and cook time.
- If you don’t have fresh spinach, baby kale or regular spinach can be used as a substitute.
- For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream or use a light cream alternative.
- If you prefer thicker soup, simmer with the lid off for the last 10 minutes before adding spinach.
- Leftovers reheat well and may thicken further; add broth or water when reheating if needed.
- Make sure not to overcook gnocchi as it can become mushy; check tenderness frequently during the last cooking step.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 274 kcal
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 1134 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 23.6 g
- Cholesterol: 82 mg
