Better Than Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup (Copycat Recipe)

As a recipe developer, one of my favorite things to do is recreate popular restaurant dishes to make them easy to make at home. I’ve spend many years working in restaurants, so I know a few secrets, as well as how to make these dishes much better at home. I have years if experience in making classic soups like this one and many other recipes. You can trust that this is a truly tested and perfected recipe that will become a new family favorite.

Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Chicken – you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or you can use boneless skinless chicken thigh meat. Thigh meat is more flavorful and juicy but does have a slightly higher fat content. Breast meat is leaner, but not as juicy or flavorful.

Veggies – you will need the classic base vegetables for the soup: carrots, onion, and celery. This is called either “mirepoix” or “softito,” or “soffritto.” It a flavor base for many soups and if you make soups often, you can prepare it ahead of time.

Chicken Broth – chicken stock is best for deeper, richer flavor, but if you need to, you can substitute vegetable broth if needed. When using store-bought broths and stock, try to get “low sodium” or “no salt added” kind. Try to also get bone broth if available, it will have a richer flavor.

Gnocchi – Homemade gnocchi is a great option for soups and you can always makes a large batch so you can use some in this soup, eat some sauteed in butter and Parmesan, and freeze some for easy weekly dinners. Although, you can always save a lot of time by getting store-bought gnocchi. If buying gnocchi, get the ones in the refrigerated section because it will be more fresh and way less preservatives. You can also use frozen gnocchi if you have any. No need to thaw frozen gnocchi, simple add it to the soup and cook until cooked through.

Gluten Free Option – some stores carry gluten free gnocchi so you can find some if needed. Otherwise, it’s easy to make homemade by swapping out 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour.

Herbs – use an aromatic combination of fresh thyme. If you don’t have access to fresh thyme, it’s completely okay to use dried. Just remember that dried herbs do tend to me more potent, so use half the amount listed in the recipe.

Spinach – while it’s best to use fresh spinach, you can use frozen spinach if needed. Just make sure to thaw and drain off excess liquids first.

Milk – use whole milk for rich and creamy soup. If you need to keep it lactose free, use lactose free milk. If you need to keel the soup dairy free, you can use almond milk or soy milk but note that it does taste quite different from milk.

Heavy whipping cream – for the best rich and creamy texture, do use heavy whipping cream and nothing less. (If you need to keep it lactose free or dairy free, use lactose free half and half and some lactose free sour cream. There are some plant-based whipping cream options if needed, check your grocery stores.)

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

The Secret Ingredient!

I’ve incorporated a secret ingredient – a Parmesan cheese rind – a staple of traditional Italian cooking that adds a unique depth of flavor and takes this copycat soup to a whole new level of deliciousness. Parmesan rind is very sturdy and stands up to cooking for a long time. It will be intact but incorporate a lot of flavor into the soup without changing the concistency.

To get the rind, simply cut it off the block of parmesan cheese (it can also be Parmigiano-Reggiano). The rind is the darker, thicker part of the outer rim of the block. You will need a rind that’s about 2-3 inches in length and it’s about 1/4 inch thick.

How to Make Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Make sure to preheat the pot, before adding the chicken, so you get a nice sear on it. This is one of the best ways to add flavor to your soup. Searing locks moisture into the chicken as well as adding to the fond in the bottom of the pot.

Once your chicken breasts are seared and have a golden-brown crust, take them out to let them rest. You want to leave all that flavorful brown ‘fond’ at the bottom of the pan—that’s the key to building a rich broth!

When chicken cooled down enough to handle, dice it and add it to the pot with softened vegetables.

When adding your milk and broth to the pot, make sure to scrape up all the browned goodness off the bottom of the pot and mix.

Add Parmesan rind and seasoning to the soup. When the soup starts to heat, don’t let it come to a full, rolling boil. A gentle simmer over medium-low heat is all you need. This prevents the dairy from curdling and keeps your soup perfectly creamy.

PRO TIP: Parmesan rind should be cooked with the soup but when the soup is done, make sure to find it and discard.

(If using packaged gnocchi, check gnocchi package instructions for exact cooking time) Add gnocchi, spinach, grated parmesan cheese. Cook until gnocchi is done and pour in heavy whipping cream. (Best way to tell if gnocchi is done, is to wait until it floats up to the surface. This usually takes 3-5 minutes.)

Once the gnocchi is done, discard the Parmesan rind.

PRO TIP: Don’t let the soup come to a full boil at any point because there is a high chance that milk and cream will curdle. Gentle simmer is okay but don’t let it boil.

Serving & Pairing Suggestions

Try to serve this comforting, filling soup along with some crusty bread. You’ll be glad you have the bread to soak up every last drop of the soup from your bowl!

Bread – you can get a crusty baguette or make homemade garlic parmesan herb biscuits and dinner potato rolls.

Salad – soup and salad is a classic combination and you can’t go with Caesar salad as a side. Of make a simple side salad with Italian dressing.

Storing and Shelf Life

Store the leftover chicken and gnocchi soup right in the Dutch oven you cooked it in or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator. Make sure to COOL the soup to room temperature first and cover the pot with the lid if using the same pot.

Stored properly, this soup should be good for about 3-4 days.

You can reheat the individual portions in the microwave. If you need to reheat a lot at the same time, do it on stovetop in the Dutch oven over medium heat until warmed through.

Will gnocchi be okay stored in soup?

• Yes, store-bought gnocchi will be able to hold its shape while being store with soup for a couple of days. It will be softer though, but still be completely good to eat.
• Note that store-bought gnocchi will hold its integrity a little better than homemade. Homemade gnocchi are also fine to store in leftover soup but will be a little softer.

Freezing Chicken Gnocchi Soup

You can freeze this soup but only partially made. Freeze it without gnocchi, without cream, milk, or spinach. So essentially, you will be making the soup half way in order to freeze it.

Freeze soup in an air-tight freezer container and don’t fill the container all the way so there is room for soup to expand as it freezes. You can also freeze it in zip-lock freezer bags. 

To finish the soup, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then heat it though in a pot over medium heat and lower the heat. Add milk, cream, gnocchi, Parmesan cheese, and spinach, and cook until gnocchi is cooked.

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More Gnocchi Recipes To Try

• Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Homemade Tomato Herb Gnocchi
• Homemade Gnocchi
• Creamy Tomato Gnocchi
• Italian Meatballs & Gnocchi Soup

I also use the parmesan rind trick it in quite a few of my soup recipes such as Pasta E Fagioli and Minestrone. It’s a great way to add a ton of flavor with something that is generally thrown out, but it’s definitely optional if you don’t have one on hand.

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in October 2020.