Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
If you have ever ordered the chicken gnocchi soup at Olive Garden and wished you could make a big pot of it at home, this one is for you. Our copycat Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup is made in the Instant Pot, creamy, full of tender shredded chicken and pillowy gnocchi, and ready in about 40 minutes start to finish.
The first time we made it we followed a basic recipe and it came out thin and a little flat. So we borrowed the trick from our Instant Pot chicken noodle soup: brown the chicken thighs first, then cook the onion and celery in that same butter. That one change gives the broth so much more flavor, and a quick cornstarch slurry at the end makes it properly creamy instead of brothy.
Why We Love This Soup
- Browning the chicken builds real flavor. Those golden bits on the bottom of the pot end up in the broth.
- Chicken thighs stay juicy under pressure, where breasts can dry out.
- It all happens in one pot. No stovetop babysitting, and only one thing to wash.
- Kids eat it. Gnocchi are basically little potato dumplings, and ours ask for seconds.
Ingredients You Will Need
Nothing fancy here. We grab most of it at Trader Joe’s and Costco. The full amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: our pick for juicy shredded chicken. If you would rather use breasts, see the notes below.
- Butter, onion, celery, and garlic: the base of the soup.
- Dried thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
- Low-sodium chicken broth plus Better Than Bouillon: the bouillon is our secret for a rich broth without simmering all day.
- Half-and-half and cornstarch: half-and-half keeps it creamy without being heavy, and the cornstarch gives it body.
- Shredded carrots: we use the matchstick carrots from the produce section to skip the grating.
- Potato gnocchi: the shelf-stable kind from Trader Joe’s works great.
- Baby spinach: stirred in at the very end so it stays bright.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Season the thighs and brown them in butter on the Sauté setting, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Pull them out, then cook the onion, celery, and garlic in the same butter for a couple of minutes.
Pour in the broth and scrape up every bit of browned goodness from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the bouillon, set the chicken back on top, and pressure cook on High for 6 minutes with a quick release.
Shred the chicken while the pot comes back to a simmer. Whisk the cornstarch into the half-and-half, stir it in with the carrots and gnocchi, and simmer a few minutes until the gnocchi float. Add the chicken and spinach, taste for salt, and serve with crusty bread.
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and melt the butter. Brown the thighs 3 to 4 minutes per side, then set aside on a plate.
- Add the onion, celery, and garlic to the pot. Sauté about 2 minutes, then stir in the garlic powder.
- Pour in the broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the bouillon. Set the thighs on top of the vegetables.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Remove the thighs to a cutting board and shred.
- Set the pot back to Sauté. Whisk the cornstarch into the half-and-half until smooth, then stir it into the pot. Add the carrots and gnocchi. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until the gnocchi float and the soup thickens.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot, stir in the spinach, and let it wilt about 1 minute. Taste for salt and serve.
Notes
Tips and Notes
- Chicken breasts work too. Use 1 lb boneless skinless breasts, brown them the same way, and pressure cook 6 minutes for small breasts or 8 minutes for large ones. Breasts are closer to the Olive Garden version, thighs are juicier.
- Do not skip the browning. It is the difference between a soup that tastes like broth and one that tastes like dinner.
- Keep it to a gentle simmer once the half-and-half goes in. A hard boil can make it separate.
- It thickens as it sits. If it looks loose at first, give it 5 minutes off the heat. Leftovers will be thicker, so loosen them with a splash of broth when reheating.
- Storage: keeps in the fridge 3 to 4 days. The gnocchi soften over time, so it is best in the first couple of days. We do not recommend freezing this one because of the dairy and gnocchi.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup FAQ
Can I use frozen gnocchi?
Yes. Add it straight from frozen and simmer a minute or two longer, until the gnocchi float.
Can I make this on the stovetop?
Yes. Brown the chicken in a Dutch oven, sauté the vegetables, add the broth and bouillon, and simmer covered for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken and finish the soup the same way.
Is this the same as Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup?
It is very close. Olive Garden uses roasted chicken breast, and we use thighs for a juicier bite. Dice the chicken small instead of shredding it if you want it to look like the restaurant version.
We would love to know if you try this one. Did you go with thighs or breasts? Let us know in the comments!
