Delicious and creamy chicken gnocchi soup is one of the famous Olive Garden soups in the USA. We love this homemade chicken gnocchi soup and Hong Kong borscht soup for the winter season. Also, this homemade chicken gnocchi soup recipe is the best to go with homemade garlic cheese breadsticks, ciabatta bread, rosemary garlic bread or dinner rolls. Let’s learn how to make this tasty homemade chicken gnocchi soup for lunch or dinner!
Love soups? Check out these Asian style soups wonton soup, sweet corn carrot soup, green radish carrot soup, watercress pork soup, kimchi soup, miso soup and hot & sour soup recipes.
What is chicken gnocchi soup?
When people mention chicken gnocchi soup in the United States, they immediately think of the famous franchise Italian food Olive Garden restaurants. My family loves Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup and they always ask me to make it at home.
Gnocchi is a type of Italian’s dumpling. They are made of small lumps of dough composed of semolina, wheat flour, egg, cheese, potato, breadcrumbs and cornmeal. Most often it rolls out like a small ball or sometimes presses with a fork to make little ridges or lumps.
What are the ingredients for homemade chicken gnocchi soup?
I like to make Olive Garden homemade chicken gnocchi soup recipe from scratch. This homemade chicken gnocchi soup recipe is inspired by an Olive Garden, USA famous chain restaurant. The main ingredients are chicken thighs, spinach, carrots, homemade gnocchi, flour, water, milk and salt. For homemade gnocchi, I used potato flakes, all purpose flour and water.
Cooking tips for how to make chicken gnocchi soup:
- I prefer to use chicken thighs for this soup because it has a better texture.
- Marinate chicken thighs for at least 15 minutes before cooking.
- Personally, I like to use a strainer to remove excess fat for the soup. However, you can skip this step if you want.
- Mix the milk (2% fat) and flour very well and make sure no lumps.
- If you want the soup to be creamier, you can use 1 cup of milk and ½ cup for heavy whipping cream instead of 1.5 cup of milk.
- After pouring milk and flour mixture, keep stirring until it’s boiling add the spinach.
- Always add salt to your taste and black pepper is optional.
Homemade gnocchi:
- Mix the potato flakes and flour well. Then, pour the water over. Mix and knead until it’s not too sticky.
- Roll the dough into a long shape and roll a small piece into a ball.
- You can use a fork to press the gnocchi to make it prettier.
- Boil some water in the pot, put the gnocchi in the pot and let it cook until it’s boiling and the gnocchi is floating on the top. Drain and rinse with water, set it aside.
FAQs:
Gnocchi is an Italian cuisine. It is a kind of dumpling made of potato and flour. Often gnocchi is served as pasta or soup.
There are different ways to make gnocchi and I just simplified the ingredients for this homemade gnocchi recipe. Therefore, I only use 3 simple ingredients: potato flakes, all purpose flour and water. 
Potato flakes are dehydrated cooked or mashed potatoes.
Yes, sure you can use chicken breast. However, don’t put the chicken in until almost the end because you don’t want to over cook it.
Personally, I prefer to use chicken thighs for this homemade chicken gnocchi soup recipe.
Sure, you can use chicken broth and adjust the amount of salt to your taste.
Instructions for how to make homemade Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup:
Preparation:
- Wash, remove excess fat and dice 3 pieces of boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
2. Put the cut chicken thighs into a bowl, add ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. (You can use vegetable oil.) Mix it well and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes before cooking.
Homemade gnocchi:
3. In the meanwhile, put 1 cup of potato flakes and 1 cup of all purpose flour into a bowl. Then, mix it well.
4. Next, pour 1 cup of water over the flour mixture in step 3. Slowly mix and knead the dough until it is not too sticky.
5. Roll the flour dough into a long shape, then take a small piece and roll it into a ball. (You can use a fork to press the gnocchi to make it prettier.)
6. Pour 3 cups of water into a pot. Turn on medium high fire.
7. Slowly put the gnocchi into the water. (Don't need to wait until the water is boiling.) Let it cook until the gnocchi is boiling and floating on the top.
8. After that, drain and rinse the gnocchi with cold water.
Cooking the soup:
9. Put the marinated chicken into a big pot, turn on medium high fire. Stir fry the chicken a little bit.
10. Add 1.5 cups of shredded carrots and stir fry them a little bit.
11. After, pour 4.5 cups of water into the pot.
12. And, add the drained and cooked gnocchi from step 8 into the pot. Cover the lid and let it cook until it boils.
13. In a container, put 1.5 cups of milk and ½ cup of all purpose flour. Mix it very well and make sure no lumps. (If you want the soup to be creamier, you can use 1 cup of milk and ½ cup for heavy whipping cream instead of 1.5 cups of milk.)
14. When the soup is boiling, use a strainer to remove excess fat. (This step is optional.)
15. The following, stirring the milk flour mixture from step 13. Then, slowly pour it into the soup and keep stirring the soup.
16. While the soup boils again, put 3 cups of spinach (5 oz) into the soup.
17. Keep stirring and mixing the soup until it's a little bit thicker. Add 1 ¾ teaspoons of salt. (Always add salt to your taste and black pepper is an optional.)
Enjoy this comfort, warm homemade Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup recipe! Also, check out these Thai chicken pizza, California rolls, sugar donuts, hot chocolate balls drink, orange chicken and tonkatsu recipes.
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Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 4.5 cups Water
- 1.5 cups Shredded Carrots
- 3 cups Spinach (5 oz)
- 1&¾ teaspoons Salt (Remember add salt to your taste)
- Sprinkle Black pepper (Optional)
Marinated Chicken:
- 3 pieces Chicken thighs (Boneless and skinless)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil (You can use vegetable oil)
Homemade Gnocchi:
- 1 cup Potato flakes
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 1 cup Water
Milk Flour Mixture:
- 1.5 cups Milk (2% fat) (If your want the soup creamier, use 1 cup of milk and ½ of heavy whipping cream instead 1.5 cups of milk.)
- ½ cup All purpose flour
Instructions
- Wash, remove excess fat and dice 3 pieces of boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
- Put the cut chicken thighs into a bowl, add ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. (You can use vegetable oil.) Mix it well and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes before cooking.
- In the meanwhile, put 1 cup of potato flakes and 1 cup of all purpose flour into a bowl. Then, mix it well.
- Next, pour 1 cup of water over the flour mixture in step 3. Slowly mix and knead the dough until it is not too sticky.
- Roll the flour dough into a long shape, then take a small piece and roll it into a ball. (You can use a fork to press the gnocchi to make it prettier.)
- Pour 3 cups of water into a pot. Turn on medium high fire.
- Slowly put the gnocchi into the water. (Don't need to wait until the water is boiling.) Let it cook until the gnocchi is boiling and floating on the top.
- After that, drain and rinse the gnocchi with cold water.
- Put the marinated chicken into a big pot, turn on medium high fire. Stir fry the chicken a little bit.
- Add 1.5 cups of shredded carrots and stir fry them a little bit.
- After, pour 4.5 cups of water into the pot.
- And, add the drained and cooked gnocchi from step 8 into the pot. Cover the lid and let it cook until it boils.
- In a container, put 1.5 cups of milk and ½ cup of all purpose flour. Mix it very well and make sure no lumps. (If you want the soup to be creamier, you can use 1 cup of milk and ½ cup for heavy whipping cream instead of 1.5 cups of milk.)
- When the soup is boiling, use a strainer to remove excess fat. (This step is optional.)
- The following, stirring the milk flour mixture from step 13. Then, slowly pour it into the soup and keep stirring the soup.
- While the soup boils again, put 3 cups of spinach (5 oz) into the soup.
- Keep stirring and mixing the soup until it's a little bit thicker. Add 1 ¾ teaspoons of salt. (Always add salt to your taste and black pepper is an optional.)
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make chicken gnocchi soup:
- I prefer to use chicken thighs for this soup because it has a better texture.
- Marinate chicken thighs for at least 15 minutes before cooking.
- Personally, I like to use a strainer to remove excess fat for the soup. However, you can skip this step if you want.
- Mix the milk (2% fat) and flour very well and make sure no lumps.
- If you want the soup to be creamier, you can use 1 cup of milk and ½ cup for heavy whipping cream instead of 1.5 cup of milk.
- After pouring milk and flour mixture, keep stirring until it’s boiling add the spinach.
- Always add salt to your taste and black pepper is optional.
Homemade gnocchi:
- Mix the potato flakes and flour well. Then, pour the water over. Mix and knead until it’s not too sticky.
- Roll the dough into a long shape and roll a small piece into a ball.
- You can use a fork to press the gnocchi to make it prettier.
- Boil some water in the pot, put the gnocchi in the pot and let it cook until it’s boiling and the gnocchi is floating on the top. Drain and rinse with water, set it aside.
Carol Jeschke
Five stars for a great idea. Haven't tried recipe yet. Love simplicity of it. wonder if I can replace potato flakes with potato flour. Both made of cooked potatoes, but can't find answer on line.
Loved the Christmas design and look of the newsletter. Well done.
Tracy O.
Hi Carol,
Thank you for your comment! I haven't tried only potato flour for the gnocchi. I am not sure how much water needs to be added if using the potato flour only.
Potato flakes absorb quite a lot of water. But, I think potato flour should work, just need to adjust the amount of water.
If not, you can use fresh boiled potatoes and mash it, mix with the flour and adjust the amount of water.