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The Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup

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Chicken gnocchi soup
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As a busy bee who barely gets time to make elaborate meals, shredded chicken is my favourite base to make anything. And today I tried making Olive Garden’s copycat chicken gnocchi soup. This at-home version can use any type of leftover chicken, shredded or not. But I like keeping recipes quick, so here I’m using shredded chicken only. 

I was wondering how Olive Garden makes it so delicious every time so I went detective mode on Pinterest but no recipe came even close to the restaurant version. Some lacked the flavor depth and some were just clickbait. Until yesterday when I tried experimenting myself and just after 30 minutes I had the perfect outcome. 

Gnocchi soup
Gnocchi soup
Close up of the soup

The Secret Ingredient Of  Chicken Gnocchi Soup

The OG recipe is not made from scratch in the restaurants when we order it. Mostly it is a pre-made mix that is reheated for serving. So I had to make some of my own additions to make this chicken gnocchi soup. 

My secret ingredients are chicken stock base and nutmeg, sometimes a fresh sprinkle of rosemary too. And of course, the gnocchi must be fresh.

How To Prepare Gnocchi

This section is technically optional, because you can absolutely cook the gnocchi directly in the soup (more on that in the tips section). But if you want to boil them separately first, here’s how I do it:

You can pan fry, bake and boil them. Boiling is what I did for this soup recipe. Here’s how:

  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
  2. Once you see the bubbles, drop the gnocchi in.
  3. Watch for them to float to the surface, that’s your sign they’re cooked. It only takes 2–3 minutes.
  4. Use a spider strainer to collect them gently from the water.
  5. Avoid using a colander; gnocchi are delicate and will break apart when you tip the pot. The spider is the move.

Gnocchi are sort of mini Italian dumplings made with potato, flour, and eggs. Often mistaken for pasta, since both are part of the main course and have excellent sauce holding capacity, gnocchi is the life of this recipe.

What Makes This Chicken Gnocchi Soup So Special?

Beyond the secret ingredients, it’s the whole combination that makes this soup sing. You’ve got a classic mirepoix base of onion, carrot, celery building savory depth right from the start. The chicken stock base amplifies that. 

Then half-and-half makes the broth luxuriously creamy without being heavy. The gnocchi add that pillowy, slightly chewy bite that makes every spoonful feel like comfort food. And the spinach wilts in at the very end for a pop of color and freshness that balances it all out.

I always use shredded chicken because it stirs right in and you’re done. But honestly, any cooked chicken works here: rotisserie, leftover roasted chicken, even diced chicken breast. This recipe is built for busy people, and I designed it that way intentionally.

Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Everything here is pantry-friendly and easy to find. I keep chicken stock base stocked at all times now, it genuinely upgrades so many recipes.

PREP

10 minutes

COOK

20 minutes

TOTAL

30 minutes

SERVINGS

6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups shredded cooked chicken
16 oz fresh potato gnocchi
1–2 tsp chicken stock base (paste)
4 cups of ow-sodium chicken broth
Use 2 cups of heavy cream for extra richness, or whole milk for a lighter version.
½ medium white onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 rib of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
A pinch of nutmeg
1 cup, roughly chopped of fresh spinach
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt & black pepper to taste
Fresh rosemary (optional) sprinkle to finish

INSTRUCTIONS

Build the base. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
Add the vegetables. Stir in the carrot and celery, and cook for another 5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant — your kitchen will smell amazing at this point.
Add the broth and secret ingredients. Pour in the chicken broth, stir in the chicken stock base, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring everything to a low boil.
Cook the gnocchi. Stir in the gnocchi and cook for just 3–5 minutes, until they float and are tender. Don't walk away — they cook fast!
Finish the soup. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the half-and-half, shredded chicken, and spinach. Cook for another 5–7 minutes until everything is warmed through and the spinach is just wilted.
Taste and serve. Adjust the seasoning — sometimes it needs a little more pepper or a touch more stock base. Ladle into bowls, add a sprinkle of fresh rosemary if you're feeling fancy, and enjoy.

NOTES

⚠️ Don’t Overcook the Gnocchi! This is the #1 mistake I see people make. Gnocchi cook incredibly quickly, just 3–5 minutes, and if you leave them too long, they fall apart and turn the broth starchy. Add them toward the end and watch them closely. The moment they float to the top, they’re done.

Tips & Variations

Use chicken stock base, not just broth. This is my biggest upgrade over other copycat recipes. The paste concentrate adds layered, restaurant-quality depth you simply can't get from broth alone.
Don't skip the nutmeg. It sounds unusual for soup, but a tiny pinch of nutmeg adds a warmth and complexity that makes people ask "what's in this?" Trust the process.
Add gnocchi last. They only need 3–5 minutes. Adding them too early leads to mushy, disintegrating gnocchi. Patience is key!
Use shredded chicken. It integrates into every spoonful perfectly and makes the soup quicker to throw together — especially if you're using leftovers or rotisserie chicken.
Add spinach off the heat. If you want spinach with a little more texture, stir it in just before serving with the heat off. It'll wilt from the residual heat without overcooking.
Taste before salting. Chicken stock base is already salty. Always taste the broth before reaching for the salt shaker.
Low and slow after cream. Once the half-and-half goes in, keep the heat low. Boiling the cream can cause it to curdle or separate.
Use whole milk instead of half-and-half. Slightly thinner broth but still delicious.
Add raw chicken breasts to the broth and simmer until cooked through before adding the gnocchi. Add about 15–20 extra minutes.
Slow cooker version: Add everything except gnocchi, cream, and spinach to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6–8 hours. Stir in gnocchi, cream, and spinach 20 minutes before serving.
You can also add diced zucchini, corn, or kale. Kale holds up better than spinach if you want greens that don't wilt completely.
Gluten free: Use certified GF gnocchi — several brands make them with rice flour. Check your stock base label too.
No thyme? Italian seasoning or a bay leaf (removed before serving) works well. Fresh rosemary at the end is my personal touch.

Why This Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup Works

After testing, tweaking, and comparing way too many versions, this is the one that finally hit the mark for me. It has the creamy richness, soft pillowy gnocchi, savory chicken, and that restaurant-style depth I was chasing — but made at home in just 30 minutes.

The biggest difference comes from the little details: the chicken stock base for deeper flavor, the tiny pinch of nutmeg for warmth, and fresh gnocchi for the best texture. Those small upgrades completely change the final bowl.

What I love most, though, is how flexible this recipe is. Use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, extra vegetables, make it lighter, make it richer. It’s comforting without feeling complicated, just like these easy ground chicken recipes that completely changed how I meal prep.

Follow These Tips Before You Cook

  • Fresh gnocchi gives the best texture and cooks in only 3–5 minutes.
  • Chicken stock base + broth creates a deeper flavor than broth alone.
  • A pinch of nutmeg adds subtle warmth and complexity.
  • Add the gnocchi near the end to prevent them from becoming mushy.
  • Keep the heat low after adding the cream to maintain a silky broth.
  • Shredded chicken keeps the recipe quick, easy, and weeknight-friendly.

Make It Your Own

This soup is incredibly forgiving. Swap in rotisserie chicken, add kale or zucchini, use heavy cream for extra richness, or finish with fresh rosemary if you want that extra aromatic touch. It adapts beautifully to whatever you already have in the kitchen.

And if you make it, I’d genuinely love to know if you’ve tried the rosemary finish? Because for me, that little sprinkle at the end pulls everything together.