Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a creamy and comforting dish featuring tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, fresh spinach, and a blend of herbs and spices slow-cooked to perfection. It's a hearty, easy-to-make soup that's perfect for warming up on chilly days.
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 add the diced onion, minced garlic, diced celery, and shredded carrots on top.
- Season the soup: Sprinkle dried basil, Italian seasoning, ground nutmeg, bay leaf, salt, and pepper evenly over the chicken and vegetables.
- Add broth and cook: Pour the chicken broth over everything, cover the slow cooker, and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours until the chicken is cooked through and flavors meld.
- Shred chicken: Remove the bay leaf and transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Chop or shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then return it to the slow cooker.
- Add cream and gnocchi: Stir in the heavy cream and add the package of potato gnocchi. Cook on high for an additional 45 minutes until the gnocchi are tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
- Add spinach and wilt: Toss the fresh baby spinach into the soup, cover, and let it sit in the residual heat for a few minutes until the spinach wilts.
- Season and serve: Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot and enjoy this comforting, creamy chicken gnocchi soup.
Notes
- This recipe is a great copycat of the Olive Garden creamy chicken gnocchi soup, ideal for comfort food cravings.
- You can substitute fresh spinach with kale or Swiss chard for a different leafy green option.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, cook gnocchi a little longer or add a slurry of cornstarch and water to thicken.
- Use gluten-free gnocchi to make this recipe gluten free if desired.
- Leftover soup stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheats beautifully.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 274 kcal
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 1134 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 23.6 g
- Cholesterol: 82 mg
