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Creamy chicken soup with herbs in a white bowl, similar to this chicken gnocchi soup
Chef Emma

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

A creamy one-pot soup of shredded chicken, potato gnocchi, carrots, celery and spinach in a broth thickened with a butter-flour roux and half-and-half, in the style of the well-known restaurant soup.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian-American
Calories: 500
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup / 150 g)
  • 2 medium carrots diced (about 1 cup / 120 g)
  • 2 ribs celery diced (about 3/4 cup / 80 g)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 30 g
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 960 ml
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/2 tsp table salt; adjust to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
To finish
  • 3 cups cooked chicken shredded, about 1 lb / 450 g (rotisserie or leftovers)
  • 2 cups half-and-half 480 ml; or whole milk for a lighter soup
  • 16 oz shelf-stable potato gnocchi 454 g, 1 package
  • 2 cups baby spinach loosely packed, about 60 g, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan finely grated, 25 g, optional

Equipment

  • 5-quart or larger Dutch oven or soup pot
  • Whisk
  • Wooden spoon

Method
 

  1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook 6 to 8 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
  2. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute.
  3. Slowly whisk in the broth, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the thyme, remaining salt and pepper, bring to a simmer and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until the carrots are just tender.
  4. Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in the half-and-half and shredded chicken and heat 3 to 4 minutes until steaming; don't let it boil hard.
  5. Add the gnocchi and simmer gently, stirring now and then, 4 to 5 minutes, until plump, tender and floating.
  6. Turn off the heat, stir in the spinach until wilted (about 1 minute) and the Parmesan if using. Season to taste and serve right away.

Notes

Using raw chicken: simmer 1 1/4 lb boneless breasts or thighs in the broth at step 3 for 15 to 20 minutes, until 165°F (74°C), then shred. Gnocchi keep absorbing liquid, so thin leftovers with broth or milk. Refrigerate within 2 hours for 3 to 4 days and reheat to 165°F (74°C). This is a copycat-style soup, not the official restaurant recipe. Calories are an estimate per serving (about 1 2/3 cups) from USDA FoodData Central values.