Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a comforting and creamy dish featuring tender chicken breasts, flavorful vegetables, and pillowy potato gnocchi simmered to perfection in a slow cooker. Seasoned with herbs like basil, Italian seasoning, and a touch of nutmeg, this soup is a perfect cozy meal for any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 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
- 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
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 (16 oz.) package potato gnocchi
- 3 oz. fresh baby spinach, tightly packed (about 3 cups)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Place the chicken breasts in a 6-quart slow cooker and top with diced onions, minced garlic, diced celery, and shredded carrots to build the soup's base flavors.
- Season: Sprinkle the dried basil, Italian seasoning, ground nutmeg, bay leaf, salt, and pepper evenly over the chicken and vegetables for balanced savory seasoning.
- Add Broth and Cook: Pour the chicken broth over all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and the flavors have melded.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board, then chop or shred into bite-sized pieces. Discard the bay leaf from the slow cooker.
- Combine and Cook Gnocchi: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Pour in the heavy cream and add the potato gnocchi. Cook on high for 30 to 45 minutes until the gnocchi is tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
- Add Spinach: Stir in the fresh baby spinach, cover, and let the residual heat wilt the spinach into the soup for a few minutes.
- Adjust and Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed, then ladle into bowls and serve hot for a warm comforting meal.
Notes
- This recipe is a fantastic copycat of Olive Garden's creamy chicken gnocchi soup, delivering rich flavor with little effort.
- Use fresh or frozen gnocchi but adjust cooking time slightly if using fresh to avoid overcooking.
- Heavy cream adds richness, but for a lighter version, substitute half-and-half or a lower-fat dairy alternative.
- Make sure not to stir the soup too often during gnocchi cooking to avoid breaking them apart.
- Leftover soup stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid overcooking the gnocchi.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 274 kcal
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 1134.4 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 23.6 g
- Cholesterol: 82.1 mg
