Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a comforting, creamy recipe featuring tender chicken, pillowy potato gnocchi, fresh spinach, and a flavorful blend of herbs cooked to perfection in a slow cooker. Perfect for an easy and hearty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Vegetables
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1.5 lb.)
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
Broth and Seasonings
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Finishings
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 (16 oz.) package potato gnocchi
- 3 oz. fresh baby spinach, tightly packed (about 3 cups)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Place chicken breasts in a 6-quart slow cooker. Top with diced onions, minced garlic, diced celery, and shredded carrots.
- Season and Add Broth: Sprinkle dried basil, Italian seasoning, ground nutmeg, bay leaf, salt, and pepper over the ingredients. Pour 5 cups of chicken broth over everything.
- Slow Cook: Cook on high heat for 4 hours or on low heat for 8 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and flavors have melded.
- Shred Chicken: Carefully remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and chop or shred them into bite-sized pieces. Discard the bay leaf. Return the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker.
- Add Cream and Gnocchi: Pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and add the potato gnocchi. Cook on high for 45 minutes until the gnocchi is tender and the soup thickens slightly.
- Add Spinach: Stir in fresh baby spinach, cover the slow cooker, and let it sit in the residual heat for 5 to 10 minutes until the spinach wilts into the soup.
- Final Seasoning and Serve: Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve the soup hot and enjoy the creamy, comforting flavors.
Notes
- This soup is a copycat version of Olive Garden’s creamy chicken gnocchi soup and makes a perfect comfort food meal.
- If you prefer, you can substitute heavy cream with half-and-half for a lighter option, though the soup will be less rich.
- For a thicker soup, allow it to cook uncovered for a few additional minutes during the final step.
- Fresh spinach adds a nice freshness, but you can substitute with kale or Swiss chard if preferred.
- Make sure to shred the chicken finely for better texture and distribution in the soup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 274 kcal
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 1134.4 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 23.6 g
- Cholesterol: 82.1 mg
