Chicken gnocchi soup is the coziest soup ever! A creamy soup made with tender chicken, potato gnocchi, and spinach. It’s like chicken soup, but better as it’s so comforting and satisfying.
Everyone LOVES Olive Garden! Their food is so comforting, flavorful, and makes you feel good. As I love this restaurant so much, I always try to recreate their recipes at home.
Making Olive Garden copycat recipes means that I can feed my whole family without spending a lot of money, we don’t have to go anywhere, and I get to enjoy the leftovers on the next day!
If you love Olive Garden as much as I do be sure to check out my Olive Garden breadsticks copycat recipe, their alfredo sauce, and one of my all-time favorite dinners; chicken scampi! I also created my own version of alfredo chicken tortellini soup, and I’m obsessed with it!
I order this chicken gnocchi soup at the restaurants during the winter, but recently decided to recreate it at home and my husband said that it tastes even better than Olive Gardens!
The Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken – raw boneless skinless chicken breasts that will be pressured cooked and sliced, then added back to the soup. Or cooked/rotisserie chicken that can be added to the soup after pressure cooking.
- Potato gnocchi – either homemade or store-bought, dried, frozen or fresh.
- Veggies – carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and baby spinach leaves (or chopped spinach).
- Vegetable or chicken stock, oil, butter, and half and half.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Heat oil and melt butter in the Instant Pot using the SAUTE setting. Add the onions and celery, and cook for 2 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Switch off the saute setting.
- Add chicken or vegetable stock, raw chicken breasts, carrot, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 7 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take around 7-8 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam.
- Carefully remove the lid, and take the chicken out and dice or shred it into pieces then set aside.
- On the Instant Pot choose the SAUTE-low setting, and add in the gnocchi and let the soup simmer until the gnocchi float to the top (the recommended cooking time is usually written on the package). Switch off the saute setting.
- Stir in half and half, spinach, and chicken. Give the spinach a few minutes to wilt, and the soup is ready to be served!
- If the soup is not thick enough, you can thicken it by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. Stir until the soup is thickened (keep in mind that the soup will thicken even more when it cools down).
Top Tips
- Make sure that you don’t slice the carrots too thin as they will be pressure cooked, and might fall apart.
- I like to use baby spinach leaves, but if you’re using ordinary spinach then chop it roughly before adding it to the soup.
- The potato gnocchi are done when they float to the surface.
- To make this soup vegetarian omit the chicken, and use vegetable stock.
Serving Ideas
My ABSOLUTE favorite way to serve chicken gnocchi soup is of course with Olive Garden breadsticks! While you can buy them from Olive Garden, I like to bake them from scratch because they’re extremely easy to make.
So before you start making the soup, make the dough for homemade breadsticks. And what are breadsticks without alfredo sauce for dipping? Definitely make my Olive Garden alfredo sauce copycat for the whole experience!
It also wouldn’t hurt to serve all of this with a salad, and here you have it, a complete Olive Garden meal at home!
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend freezing soups with dairy, but you can store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Yes! Just add it in after pressure cooking, and reduce the pressure cooking time to 3 minutes instead of 7 as you’re no longer cooking chicken.
Chicken gnocchi, pasta e fagioli, minestrone, and zuppa toscana.
Also, make sure to check out my gnocchi with Pomodoro sauce, a quick and easy dinner idea that you’re gonna LOVE!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 2 chicken breasts boneless skinless
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 package 16-ounce potato gnocchi fresh, dried, or frozen
- 1 cup fresh spinach baby spinach or roughly chopped spinach leaves
- 2 cups half and half
Instructions
- Heat oil and melt butter in the Instant Pot using the SAUTE setting. Add the onions and celery, and cook for 2 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Switch off the saute setting.
- Add chicken or vegetable stock, raw chicken breasts, carrot, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 7 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take around 7-8 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam.
- Carefully remove the lid, and take the chicken out and dice or shred it into pieces then set aside.
- On the Instant Pot choose the SAUTE-low setting, and add in the gnocchi and let the soup simmer until the gnocchi float to the top (the recommended cooking time is usually written on the package). Switch off the saute setting.
- Stir in the half and half, spinach, and chicken. Give the spinach a few minutes to wilt, and the soup is ready to be served!
Notes:
- Make sure that you don’t slice the carrots too thin as they will be pressure cooked, and might fall apart.
- If you’re using frozen gnocchi, then I recommend taking them out of the freezer 1 hour prior to cooking.
- The potato gnocchi are done when they float to the surface.
- I like to use baby spinach leaves, but if you’re using ordinary spinach then chop it roughly before adding it to the soup.
- To make this soup dairy-free, substitute half and half with soy milk or coconut milk.
- To make this soup vegetarian omit the chicken, and use vegetable stock.
- If using rotisserie chicken, add it after pressure cooking and reduce the pressure cooking time to 3 minutes.
- If the soup is not thick enough, you can thicken it by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. Stir until the soup is thickened (keep in mind that the soup will thicken even more when it cools down).
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
jennifer foster says
Any special instructions if I dont have an instant pot?
Little Sunny Kitchen says
To make this into a stovetop soup recipe, you will want to simmer the chicken in the broth (or cook it separately, ahead of time), slice it and add it back to the soup. Then cook the gnocchi in the same way. This way will take a little bit longer, but will be delicious!
Nancy Hill says
Can you make it in a slow cooker or regular pot. What adjustments should I make?
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Nancy! To make this into a stovetop soup recipe, you will want to simmer the chicken in the broth (or cook it separately, ahead of time), slice it and add it back to the soup. Then cook the gnocchi in the same way. This way will take a little bit longer, but will be delicious!
Beth Anne Gonzalez says
Love it very easy to make
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you.