Chicken Gnocchi Soup
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With a super flavorful wholesome broth full of tender chicken and perfectly cooked little Italian potato dumplings, this simple Chicken Gnocchi Soup is incredible! It’s a wholesome one-pot meal that comes together in just 40 minutes and is sure to warm you up on a cold winter day!
Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
It’s soup season and there is nothing better than a comforting bowl of chicken soup. And if you have tried my Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, you know this! But now, take the base of that soup recipe and combine it with my Chicken and Dumplings Soup recipe. Yet, in this case, switch out the big doughy dumplings and the noodles for some store-bought gnocchi. That’s what we’ve got here!
But, what is gnocchi? Well, if you know then you’re going to try this recipe just by looking at the name! But if you don’t, gnocchi are basically little Italian dumplings made from a potato dough. They are bite-size, soft on the inside, and similar to pasta in that they take on any flavors you blend them with.
Yet, there is no actual dumpling making in this chicken and gnocchi soup recipe. I mean if you want to make homemade gnocchi go for it and I commend you! They are delicious. But store-bought gnocchi is all you need and works perfectly. So if you haven’t tried gnocchi in soup, it’s a fantastic new way to use these tasty little Italian dumplings.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Simple Recipe! It’s a super quick and easy one-pot recipe that only requires basic pantry ingredients that you can whip together in just 40 minutes.
- Wholesome Chicken Soup! Made with fresh ingredients and a delicious flavorful broth, chicken gnocchi soup is both a healthy and hearty meal.
- Tasty Leftovers! The soup gets more flavorful over time, so leftovers are even better the next day. In fact, I sometimes double this chicken gnocchi soup recipe for this reason.
- Olive Oil – I use olive oil for its flavor, but you can use any type of vegetable oil to sauté the veggies. You can also use half butter and half oil if you prefer.
- Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into pieces.
- Salt – A touch of salt is needed to season the chicken and develop the soup.
- Black Pepper – You can use regular or freshly ground black pepper to your taste.
- Mirepoix – It’s a French culinary term that refers to a mixture of celery, carrots, and onions. I prefer to use brown or yellow onion for the most flavor.
- Herbs – Dried thyme and dried rosemary are perfect in chicken soup.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth – To control the amount of added salt I always use a low-sodium or no sodium added variety of broth.
- Flour – Used to thicken up the broth just a bit.
- Gnocchi – Any store-bought gnocchi is fine or you can make your own homemade gnocchi if you like.
- Peas – Frozen peas are added at the end and go well with the gnocchi.
- Parsley – Used to garnish the soup and to add a final layer of flavor.
This is a simple 40-minute recipe that takes very little effort and just one pot! Once the chicken is seared, you make a quick broth and add the potato gnocchi. Easy peasy!
Brown The Chicken
To begin, we need to brown the chicken to create some flavor! Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Then add the chicken thigh pieces to the pot and season them well with salt and pepper. Now, cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes or until it begins to brown. Also, don’t forget as the chicken cooks to move it around the pan for it to properly sauté.
Add The Vegetables And Broth
Once the chicken is browned, add the onion, celery, carrots, thyme, and rosemary to the pot along with the low-sodium chicken broth. Then scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen all the brown bits. This is where all the flavor lies. Now, bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer, and let it cook for 8 minutes.
Thicken The Soup
After the soup has cooked for a few minutes to meld the flavors, we can now use the flour to thicken up the broth a bit. To do this, add the flour to a small bowl and then whisk it together with a few ladles of the soup broth. Now, add the mixture back into the pot while stirring well. Then cook the soup for a few more minutes stirring from time to time until the soup thickens up a bit.
Add The Gnocchi And Peas
Next, let’s turn this simple chicken soup into chicken gnocchi soup! So add the gnocchi to the soup and let it cook for about 3 minutes or until the gnocchi starts to float to the surface. Then add the frozen peas and cook the soup for another 5 minutes.
Finish The Soup
When the soup is finished cooking, taste for salt and season if needed. How much salt you need to add will depend on the amount that was added when you browned the chicken and the amount of salt in your chicken broth, as well as your personal preference.
Serve And Enjoy
To serve, ladle the homemade chicken soup into bowls and top with some fresh parsley. I like to serve this soup with some fresh Garlic Knots or some Classic Dinner Rolls to dip in the yummy broth.
What Can I Add To The Soup?
This chicken and gnocchi soup is delicious as is, but there are no rules in cooking! So feel free to be as creative as you like to make other variations. Sautéed mushrooms are yummy in this soup as well as spinach. You can also top the soup with a little grated Parmesan cheese for a cheesy finish or even add some Italian sausage.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead Of Thighs
Yes, of course! You can use skinless chicken breasts or any part of the chicken to make this soup. Turkey is another option as well if you prefer.
How To Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup Thicker?
To make the soup thicker, just use an additional half tablespoon of flour in the recipe. Another way to thicken the soup is to make creamy chicken gnocchi soup by just adding a little heavy cream at the end with the frozen peas.
Expert Tips
- Pat the chicken dry. To get a good sear on the thighs make sure to pat them dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.
- Scrap the pot well. Do a good job scraping up all those brown bits on the bottom of your pot after you add the broth. This is the key to making this soup really flavorful.
- Stir in the flour. When adding the flour mixture back into the pot make sure to stir it well into the soup and occasionally as the broth thickens to prevent any lumps.
- Season at the very end. All soup reduces as it cooks. So if you add additional salt too early on in the cooking process there is a good chance you will end up having over-salted the soup.
How To Store
Leftover chicken and gnocchi soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To reheat, just put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or reheat it in a saucepan on the stove. From frozen, you can either let it thaw out first overnight in the fridge or reheat it from frozen in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Other Delicious Soup Recipes To Try
- Chicken Barley Soup
- Chicken and Rice Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Beef Barley Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Cream Of Mushroom Soup
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Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ pound chicken thighs (skinless and boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces, 12 oz)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1 medium carrot (chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 5 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces gnocchi
- 1 cup peas (frozen)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken thigh pieces to the pot then season them generously with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken for about 5 to 7 minutes or until they start to brown.
- Add the chopped onion, celery, carrots, thyme and rosemary to the pot. Add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for another 8 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the 2 tbsp of flour with a couple ladles of the soup from the pot. Add this mixture back to the pot and stir well. Cook for a couple more minutes, the soup will thicken a bit.
- Add in the gnocchi and cook for 3 more minutes or until the gnocchi starts to float to the surface. Add the peas and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs for this recipe.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and increase the amount of vegetables called in the recipe to your liking.
- Pat the chicken dry. To get a good sear on the thighs make sure to pat them dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.
- Scrap the pot well. Do a good job scraping up all those brown bits on the bottom of your pot after you add the broth. This is the key to making this soup really flavorful.
- Stir in the flour. When adding the flour mixture back into the pot make sure to stir it well into the soup and occasionally as the broth thickens to prevent any lumps.
- Season at the very end. All soup reduces as it cooks. So if you add additional salt too early on in the cooking process there is a good chance you will end up having over-salted the soup.
- Leftover chicken and gnocchi soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
I made the chicken gnocchi soup last week. Love the gnocchis!
I boiled a mix of white and dark bone in chicken and then gave the meat a rough shred.
I added one small seeded and diced jalapeño and seasoned with Tony Chachere’s instead of salt and pepper.
I would serve this soup to friends or relatives with no fear..
It looks great!
I made this for New Year’s Eve. My 10 year old granddaughter loved it we all did. Very easy. It took longer than stated due to waiting for the carrots to cook. Will definitely make this again it was a hit
Sauté your diced carrots and onions first in the pot or a skillet.
I enjoyed this soup – found that the chicken was not as tender as it should have been – I probably will make it again
This has got to be, no is the best soup I have had in a long time. It’s rich, tasty, creamy and so flavorful. The perfect fall/winter soup. If I could give it 10 stars ⭐️ I would. Thank you so much Jo.
Thank you, Susan, for your kind comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Chicken broth in the UK comes in cans with vegetables though, chicken stock can be bought ready made or in cubes/pods that you add boiling water to or chicken soup that has small pieces of chicken in it. Which do I use?
Either will work.
This soup looks really great! I used to try Wonton Soup with dumpling and noodles, but this chicken and gnocchi dumpling soup is new for me. Thank you for sharing!!
My pleasure!