Name: Better Than Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons butter; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 cup chopped celery (about 2-3 stalks); 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 cup shredded carrots; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning; 1/4 cup flour; 3 cups chicken broth; 3 cups milk; 1.5 cup heavy cream; 2 cups cooked shredded chicken meat (2 legs and 2 thighs, cooked); 8 ounce chopped frozen spinach; 16 ounces gnocchi

Love the Chicken Gnocchi Soup from Olive Garden? If so, you’re going to fall head over heals for this Olive Garden Copycat recipe! This soup is Better Than Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup and it’s full of flavor, chicken and gnocchi!

RECIPE IS BELOW IN PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BUT BLOG POST IS FULL OF “HOW TO MAKE IT”, TIPS, INFORMATION AND FAQ

When we lived down at Camp Lejeune, NC, we were so excited when we finally got an Olive Garden! I fell in love with their Chicken Marsala, Salad and Chicken Gnocchi Soup! However, I found myself more and more disappointed with the Chicken Gnocchi Soup at Olive Garden as the years went on. It became more watery and sometimes I’d order Chicken Gnocchi Soup only to get a bowl of hot milk and spinach with maybe one piece of gnocchi and no chicken. So that only meant one thing! I need to make my own at home! This is my copycat version of Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi Soup and I think it’s Better Than Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi Soup to be honest!

Quick glance at what you’ll need for Better Than Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup: (amounts in recipe card below)

butter
olive oil
chopped celery
minced garlic
shredded carrots
salt
black pepper
onion powder
Italian seasoning
flour
chicken broth
milk
heavy cream
cooked, shredded chicken meat
chopped frozen spinach
gnocchi

How to make Better Than Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup:

In a large pot, over medium heat, melt butter and heat olive oil. Once butter is melted add in celery and cook for about 5-10 minutes until soft. If you want the celery to be a bit crunchy, 5 minutes is enough time. I like for the celery in this soup to be very soft. Add in the minced garlic and stir. Let the garlic cook for 2 minutes, your kitchen is going to be smelling wonderful at this point.

Better Than Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup in white bowl with breadsticks behind it (2)

Add in carrots and seasonings. Add in flour. Stir until everything is combined. Stir and cook flour mixture for 2 minutes.

This is going to thicken the soup but you don’t want the taste of raw flour in your soup. So make sure to take the time to stir and cook the flour a bit before moving on to the next part of the recipe.

Better Than Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup in white bowl with breadsticks behind it (1)

Add in chicken broth and stir well to break up any clumps.

What type of Chicken broth to use for this homemade soup:

Homemade Chicken Broth
Low Sodium or Regular Store Bought Chicken Broth
Chicken Bouillon made chicken broth
Chicken broth made with something like Better Than Bouillon®

I personally have been loving the Better Than Bouillon® Roasted Chicken Base for making chicken broth at home for recipes. This is not a sponsored statement, it’s just something I’ve really loved lately. I really love the deep flavor that it gives recipes that some boxed chicken broths just can’t do.

Spoonful of Better Than Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup in white bowl with breadsticks behind it

Add in milk and heavy cream, stir. Toss in frozen spinach and cooked, shredded chicken, stir.

Chicken Tip – You can really use any chicken for this recipe as long as it is cooked before it goes into the soup. I love the dark meat from chicken, so that is what I use but you could also use chicken breasts.

Store bought rotisserie chicken are perfect for meals like this! When I make this soup, I use the thighs and legs of rotisserie chicken and save the chicken breasts for recipes like this Chicken Pot Pie Casserole.

Turn up heat and bring soup to a boil. Gently add gnocchi to soup and boil for 4-5 minutes. Serve Hot/Warm.

QUICK GLANCE Better Than Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup FAQ:

Can I use homemade gnocchi? You sure can!
Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen? Yep! Just toss in 2 handfuls or so instead of the frozen.
Does this soup store well? I think so! It does get a little thick as it cools but loosens up as it reheats.