Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe

✔ Updated November 2, 2026 · cold-weather update and a copycat FAQ

My copycat Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup simmers soft potato gnocchi, chicken, carrots and spinach in a creamy, thyme-scented broth, all in one pot, and it's the soup my family asks for as soon as the weather turns cold. A full nutrition breakdown, about 335 calories per 1 1/2-cup serving, is below. Hosting a group? Our Olive Garden catering guide covers party trays and prices.

Why You'll Love This Soup

• One pot, 45 minutes, starting from raw chicken, with no separate cooking needed.
• Creamy but balanced, with a butter and flour roux and half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
• Nutrition you can see: calories, protein, fat and carbs per serving are listed below.

How Close Is This to Olive Garden's Soup?

Olive Garden's Chicken and Gnocchi is a creamy chicken soup with soft potato gnocchi, spinach and finely shredded carrot, served alongside its other soups with salad and breadsticks. My copycat matches it on every main ingredient.

	At Olive Garden	My copycat
Broth	Creamy chicken broth	Chicken broth thickened with a butter and flour roux, finished with half-and-half
Chicken	Tender diced chicken	Diced chicken breast browned in the pot to 165°F (or rotisserie chicken)
Gnocchi	Small potato gnocchi	Shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi; mini gnocchi if you can find them
Vegetables	Spinach, carrot, celery, onion	The same, with the carrot finely shredded
Seasoning	Mild and herby	Thyme, parsley, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper

The nutmeg is my little addition. You won't taste it as nutmeg, but it makes the cream taste rounder, the way my mum seasoned every white sauce she ever made.

Olive Garden-Style Chicken Gnocchi Soup Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for one 1 1/2-cup serving of this copycat recipe (one-eighth of the pot), made exactly as written in the recipe card with low-sodium broth and shelf-stable potato gnocchi. Brands vary, so treat these as close estimates.

Per 1 1/2-cup serving	Amount
Calories	About 335 kcal
Protein	About 19 g
Total fat	About 15 g
Saturated fat	About 7.5 g
Carbohydrates	About 30 g
Fiber	About 2 g
Sodium	About 600 mg

Where the Calories Come From

The gnocchi and the half-and-half account for more than half of the calories in each bowl, with the butter and chicken making up most of the rest. The vegetables add color, fiber and very few calories, which is why adding more spinach or carrots is the easiest way to stretch the pot and lighten each serving.

• Lighter: whole milk instead of half-and-half and 2 tablespoons butter, about 280 to 290 calories per serving.
• Richer: swap 1 cup of the half-and-half for heavy cream, about 400 calories per serving.
• Lower sodium: use no-salt-added broth and season at the end; the gnocchi already carry some salt.

Step-by-Step Photos

Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.

Tips for Success

• Cook the chicken first, in the same pot. Browning it adds flavor to the soup base, and it should reach 165°F (74°C) before it comes out. Using leftover or rotisserie chicken? Add 2 1/2 to 3 cups, diced, with the spinach and heat until steaming.
• Whisk the broth in slowly. Add it a cup at a time to the roux, whisking constantly, and the soup stays smooth with no lumps of flour. Before that, I cook the roux for a full minute, counting it out loud the way my mum taught me.
• Keep it at a gentle simmer after the dairy goes in. A hard boil can make half-and-half separate.
• Add the gnocchi last. They cook in 3 to 4 minutes and keep softening as they sit, so pull the pot off the heat once they float.
• Shred the carrots finely. Thin shreds cook quickly and spread color through the soup, just like the restaurant-style bowl.
• Season at the end. Broth and gnocchi both contain salt, so taste before adding more.

For a tomato-based soup night instead, try my pasta e fagioli with ground beef and beans, the beefiest of the four Olive Garden soups.

Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

1. Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to Sauté. Melt the butter and cook the onion, celery and carrots for 4 minutes, then the garlic for 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the broth slowly, scraping the bottom well so nothing sticks (that's what triggers the burn warning).
3. Add the raw diced chicken, thyme and parsley. Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release.
4. Check that the chicken reads 165°F. Switch back to Sauté, stir in the half-and-half and nutmeg and bring to a gentle bubble.
5. Add the gnocchi and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until they float, then stir in the spinach and season. Switch the pot off so the dairy doesn't boil.

Soup Troubleshooting

Problem	Why it happens	The fix
Mushy gnocchi	Cooked too long or left sitting in hot soup	Add them last and serve as soon as they float. For leftovers, cook gnocchi separately and add per bowl
Lumpy soup	Broth added to the roux too fast	Whisk in the broth a cup at a time. Already lumpy? Whisk hard, or blend a cup and stir it back in
Too thick the next day	Gnocchi soak up the broth	Loosen with a splash of broth or milk as you reheat
Thin and watery	Roux not cooked or soup not simmered	Simmer 3 to 5 minutes more after the broth goes in, before adding the dairy
Split or grainy	Boiled after the half-and-half went in	Keep it at a gentle simmer once the dairy is in
Tough chicken	Overcooked	Brown it just to 165°F, then return it at the end to heat through

Making It Ahead or for a Crowd

• Make ahead: cook the soup through the half-and-half up to 2 days ahead. Reheat gently, then add the gnocchi and spinach just before serving.
• Double batch: use an 8-quart pot, brown the chicken in two batches and whisk the broth into the roux slowly. Add the gnocchi in the last 4 minutes only.
• Soup night: set it next to a pot of copycat zuppa toscana and a basket of Olive Garden-style breadsticks and let everyone pick.

What to Serve With Chicken Gnocchi Soup

A bowl of this soup with warm copycat Olive Garden breadsticks and a crisp green salad makes a full restaurant-style dinner at home. Max fishes out every gnocchi first and saves the spinach for last. Making a soup night of it? Try my creamy sausage and kale Zuppa Toscana, or a vegetable-packed bean and pasta minestrone. The salad, dressing and pasta course for a full Olive Garden-style dinner at home are all in one roundup. On pasta nights, my creamy copycat chicken scampi with angel hair pairs with these same breadsticks.

Variations

• Potatoes instead of gnocchi: add 2 cups of small-diced potatoes with the broth and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until tender.
• Small pasta: use 8 ounces of small shells, cooked separately and added at the end so they don't soak up all the broth.
• Italian sausage: brown 1 pound of sausage instead of the chicken, cooking it through to 160°F (71°C).
• More vegetables: add peas, diced zucchini or kale with the spinach.

For another creamy, cheesy bowl, try my copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories are in a bowl of this chicken gnocchi soup?

This copycat version has about 335 calories per 1 1/2-cup serving, with about 19 g protein, 15 g fat and 30 g carbohydrate. The figures are estimates based on the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card and will vary with the brand of gnocchi and broth you use.

Is this the same as the nutrition for the soup at Olive Garden?

No. These numbers are for this homemade copycat recipe. Restaurant recipes and portion sizes change, so for the bowl served at the restaurant, check Olive Garden's own current nutrition information.

How can I make chicken gnocchi soup lighter?

Use whole milk instead of half-and-half, cut the butter to 2 tablespoons and add an extra cup of spinach or carrots. That brings it to roughly 280 to 290 calories per serving, with a slightly thinner broth.

Can I use rotisserie or leftover chicken?

Yes. Skip the first step, cook the vegetables in the butter plus the olive oil, and stir in 2 1/2 to 3 cups of diced cooked chicken with the spinach. Heat until the soup is steaming hot throughout.

Can I make it in a slow cooker?

Yes. Brown the chicken and make the roux base on the stove as directed, then transfer to a slow cooker with the broth and herbs and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. Stir in the half-and-half and gnocchi for the last 20 to 30 minutes, and the spinach just before serving.

Can I freeze chicken gnocchi soup?

It freezes, but not perfectly: cream-based soups can separate and gnocchi turn soft. For best results, freeze the soup before adding the gnocchi, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat gently and add the gnocchi fresh.

How long does it keep in the fridge?

Refrigerate within 2 hours in an airtight container and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C), adding a splash of broth or milk because the gnocchi absorb liquid as the soup sits.

Why did my gnocchi get mushy in the soup?

Gnocchi keep absorbing liquid in hot soup. Add them in the last 3 to 4 minutes, take the pot off the heat once they float, and for leftovers keep a little extra broth on hand or cook the gnocchi separately and add them to each bowl.

Can I make chicken gnocchi soup in an Instant Pot?

Yes. Soften the vegetables and make the roux on Sauté, add the broth and raw diced chicken and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes with a quick release. Check the chicken reaches 165°F, then stir in the half-and-half, gnocchi and spinach on Sauté.

What kind of gnocchi should I use?

Shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi both work. Mini gnocchi are closest to the restaurant bowl. Skip cauliflower gnocchi here, because it turns soft and falls apart in a creamy soup.

How close is this copycat to Olive Garden's chicken gnocchi soup?

Very close in flavor and texture: a creamy, thyme-scented broth with soft potato gnocchi, chicken, carrots, celery and spinach. Olive Garden doesn't publish its recipe, so the amounts are mine, worked out until the bowl tasted like the one we order with breadsticks.