With cooler weather coming to Northeast Ohio this week, my kids are requesting that I make this knock off recipe of our absolute favorite soup from Olive Garden: Chicken and Gnocchi Soup. This recipe is a cross between a few others I found online. It’s a creamy, garlic-y soup with chicken, veggies, and hearty gnocchi, perfect for a crisp fall evening, and I think the taste is pretty close to the restaurant!
It’s a great way to use up left-over roasted, baked, rotisserie, or grilled chicken, or in a pinch I’ve even used canned chicken. I used chicken that I’d prepared this way. You can decide whether to use milk, half & half, or cream in the soup–it’ll be thicker with the heavy cream, but when I used the whole milk I had on hand it was fine, just a little thinner.
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
- 1 cup cooked, diced chicken
- 1/4 cup (4 T) butter (don’t use margerine)
- 1 tablespoon oil (olive oil is best, but regular will do)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups whole milk, half & half, or cream
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (2 14-oz. cans, homemade stock, or a concentrated broth tub with enough water)
- 2 minced garlic cloves (more or less depending on your taste–the garlic taste gets stronger the next day if the soup is left over)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup finely diced onion
- 1 cup fresh spinach chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley (optional)
- 1 lb. prepared potato gnocchi
- salt and pepper to taste
- parmesan cheese to garnish
Prepare the gnocchi according to package directions. While the gnocchi cooks, use a separate large pot to saute the onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the flour, stirring with a whisk to make a roux. Cook that mixture for about a minute, then add the milk/cream. Whisk to a smooth consistency, then add the carrots and chicken. Allow it to thicken a little, then add the chicken broth. Simmer until it thickens again, then add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, parsley, salt, and pepper. Garnish with parmesan cheese when serving, if desired.
