Quick & Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a quick & easy version of the classic gnocchi soup! Made easy with jarred Alfredo sauce, cooked chicken, pesto, and chopped fresh spinach. Creamy chicken gnocchi soup can be on the dinner table in just 30 minutes and it’s made in one pot on the stove. 

Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe

I always love coming up with quick and easy versions of classic recipes, like the {CopyCat} Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup, that are simple to make for busy families. I’ve actually never tried the actual soup at the restaurant but regardless, I know that this easy version is so deliciously creamy, and simple to make thanks to some convenient ingredients like jarred Alfredo sauce and pesto. 

Ladle this creamy soup into bowls and serve with some buttery soft one hour rolls to soak up all that creamy broth. 

What You’ll Need To Make It

This gnocchi soup recipe has only a few minutes of preparation time needed. Because it uses prepared ingredients like Alfredo sauce, pesto, dried seasonings, already cooked chicken, and a can of chicken broth, the only prep work needed is to chop up some fresh spinach. Below are the ingredients you need to make this gnocchi soup recipe as well as some suggestions and tips. 

• Chicken Broth – I prefer the full-salted chicken broth in this recipe. Of course, reduced-sodium chicken broth can be used as well. 
• Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce – Be sure and get the roasted garlic version for more flavor. Classico brand makes a jar of this that I use in this recipe. 
• Water
• Cooked Chicken – This is a great use for leftover chicken or use a Rotisserie chicken from the store. 
• Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper
• Potato Gnocchi – These are little potato dumplings that you will find in the pasta aisle by the pasta and pasta sauces.
• Fresh Spinach – I like to use baby spinach because the spinach leaves are smaller. I also take the time to chop off the stems before chopping the spinach. 
• Heavy Cream – No substitutes please!
• Pesto – I know it’s annoying to buy a jar of pesto and only use 1 tablespoon! Please don’t skip this as it adds tons of flavor and really makes this soup amazing. With the pesto leftovers you can make my Pesto Pasta Salad. 

How to Make Creamy Gnocchi Soup (In One Pot!)

It really is so simple to make this soup recipe. One pot on the stove top is all you need! For full recipe directions and instructions scroll down to the recipe card below the post. 

Broth Base : In a soup pot combine the chicken broth, alfredo sauce, water, chicken, and seasonings. Stir it all together and let it come to a gently boil over medium-high heat. 

Gnocchi + Spinach : Once boiling, add the gnocchi and fresh chopped spinach. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the gnocchi are cooked (they will look puffy and float to the top) and the spinach is soft and wilted. 

Creamy : Add the heavy cream and pesto and stir to combine. Let it warm through for a few minutes. 

Tips For Success

I have a few tips that will hopefully make this recipe a hit at your own dinner table.

• Don’t Let the Soup Boil Too Much : If the soup is doing a rolling boil then you need to turn it down. We don’t want the alfredo sauce to scald and burn to the bottom of the soup pot. Bring the soup to a light boil before adding the gnocchi and spinach. Once those are added, let the soup continue to boil but not a rolling boil. Just a light boil, keeping it over medium-high heat, or medium if it’s getting too hot and boiling too hard. 
• Spinach Stems : I prefer to take the time to chop the spinach stem off of each spinach leaf. You don’t have to do this but I prefer to not have long spinach stems in my soup. After the stems are cut off I then chop up just the green spinach leaf part. 
• Heavy Cream : For best results do not substitute this! If you really must then you could use half & half milk or possibly whole milk. But the heavy cream adds this rich and luxurious creamy flavor that really elevates this gnocchi soup. 
• Chicken Broth : I prefer the flavor when using full-salt chicken broth in this soup. Reduced-sodium can be used as well if wanted. It also depends on what kind of chicken you are using. Is it already seasoned? If so, it would probably be fine to used reduced-sodium chicken broth. 

Variation & Substitution Ideas

There are a few ways to change up this recipe if wanted. 

• Alfredo Sauce : While I am a big fan of using the roasted garlic alfredo sauce in this recipe, you really can use whatever you want. Just make sure it’s the same size jar as what is called for in the recipe below. 
• Seasonings : If you want to add more dried seasonings then go ahead. This soup is the perfect canvas for adding what you want. Additional Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano are all good ideas. You can also add some garlic powder or fresh garlic if wanted. 
• Pesto : I normally add a little but more pesto when I am making this recipe! Add more or less depending on preference. Careful not to add too much because pesto does have lots of oil in it, which can make the soup very oily. 

Chicken Gnocchi Soup FAQ’s

• What Do I Serve With Chicken and Gnocchi Soup?
  • I love to serve this soup with some rolls to soak up all that creamy broth! You can buy some from the bakery, buy frozen rolls and cook them in the oven, or make your own!
  • My kids love fruit so I will also cut up whatever fruit I have and serve that on the side. But for me, I am perfectly happy with just a big bowl of this soup and some bread. 
• Can I Freeze Gnocchi Soup?
  • Yes, you can freeze this soup with a few changes. I would make it as directed but leave out the heavy cream. When you are reheating/thawing the soup in a soup pot, add the heavy cream in at this time. You may need to also add some additional chicken broth. You can cook this soup from frozen or let it thaw in the fridge overnight before heating it up in a soup pot on the stove. 
• How To Store Leftovers
  • Leftovers keep well in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. I reheat a serving of leftovers in the microwave, but you could also reheat it on the stove as well. 
• Can This Be Made In The Slow Cooker or Instant Pot?
  • I have never tested this exact recipe in a slow cooker or Instant Pot so I can’t recommend it 100%. But, it would be fairly easy to convert this to the slow cooker. Add all the ingredients into the slow cooker (minus the heavy cream and pesto) and let it cook on LOW heat for about 4-5 hours. Before serving, add the heavy cream and pesto and let it heat through. 

Try These Other Creamy Chicken Soup Recipes

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup – Made in one pot with leftover chicken, fresh veggies, and cream cheese! This stuff always gets rave reviews. 

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup – This recipe uses a box of rice-a-roni wild rice mix so it’s simple to make! 

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup – Everyone’s favorite soup with a creamy chicken broth base. 

Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili – One of my favorites! So much flavor with lots of cream cheese and cream to cool things off.