Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is the best kind of comfort food. A soul-warming creamy chicken broth, loaded with pillowy gnocchi pasta, shredded chicken and fresh spinach. It’s an easy one pot recipe in the Instant Pot too!
If you love hearty Italian comfort food like Minestrone or Pasta e Fagioli this soup is for you. It’s packed with delicious wholesome ingredients and robust flavor.
It’s a filling meal so perfect as a main dish recipe or a side soup. It warms the insides like a hearty chicken soup should.
I’ve been told it gives the Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi Soup a run for the money!
Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Making the soup in the Instant Pot allows everything from sautéing to pressure cooking in one pot.
The bacon and vegetables are sautéed to start, creating a delicious flavor base for the soup.
When the chicken and broth are pressure cooked along with the herbs, the resulting flavor is fantastic.
Just like a homemade chicken soup should be.
It tastes like it has been simmering on the stove top for hours but only takes 10 minutes to cook!
Adding the gnocchi to cook at the end keeps them plump and soft.
Fresh spinach is stirred in just to wilt along with Parmesan cheese.
A bit of cream gives just the right touch of rich flavor and makes a creamy broth.
It’s really an exciting delicious soup recipe that’s easy to make.
Olive Garden Copycat Recipe?
Admittedly I’ve never eaten Chicken Gnocchi Soup at the Olive Garden but have friends who have.
When serving this to them they felt it’s not only a great Olive Garden copycat recipe version of the soup but they liked it better.
They felt the broth was richer in flavor and texture and loves all the chunky ingredients.
If you try this recipe and have had the soup at Olive Garden, please leave me a comment below and tell me what YOU think!
Recipe Ingredients + Notes
Olive Oil. Heated to sauté the bacon and vegetables before the soup pressure cooks.
Bacon. Chopped bacon is sautéed first giving fantastic flavor to the vegetables and soup.
PRO TIP: for easier chopped stick the bacon in the freezer for about 20 minutes before chopping it. It will be easier to cut.
Vegetables. Yellow onion and carrots are sautéed with the bacon. Garlic cloves are added and sautéed. Fresh spinach is stirred in at the very end just wilts before serving.
Skinless boneless Chicken Breast. Use a chicken breast aproximately 8-10 ounces in size.
Chicken Stock or Broth. We recommend low sodium stock. Stock or broth may be used.
Seasonings. Fresh rosemary sprig, dried thyme, Italian Seasonings, salt and pepper are added to build Italian flavor.
Gnocchi. Chubby little potato gnocchi are a delicious pasta made primarily from potato flour. They cook quickly and float to the top of the pot when they are done.
Use fresh gnocchi for this recipe (not dried). It’s widely available in grocery stores in the pasta area (shelf stable). Regular or gluten-free gnocchi can be used.
Heavy Cream. Cream is added at the end for a perfect rich touch to the soup.
Parmesan cheese. Shredded Parmesan cheese gives great flavor and melts into the soup.
Note about Gluten-Free Gnocchi
Even though gnocchi is primarily potato flour which is gluten-free, many brands also include wheat flour.
Be sure to read the ingredients before selecting gnocchi for this recipe.
I used Delallo’s Gluten-Free Gnocchi. It was delicious with great texture.
There are other brands too but if not marked as gluten-free read the ingredients before using.
How to Make it – Step-by-Step
STEP 1. Sauté the Bacon and Vegetables.
Select the SAUTE setting and add the olive oil (photo 1).
When it is hot add the chopped bacon (photo 2). Stir frequently until it’s done (5 minutes).
Add the onions and carrots. Cook an additional 5 minutes (photos 3 and 4).
Add the garlic, rosemary and spices. Cook 1 additional minute.
STEP 2. Deglaze the pan.
Pour a little bit of the stock into the Instant Pot. Scrape up any cooked food sticking to the bottom of the insert.
NOTE: this will avoid a burn warning when pressure cooking.
Turn off the SAUTE function.
STEP 3. Add the chicken and stock.
Add the chicken breast and the rest of the stock (photos 5 and 6).
STEP 4. Cook the Soup.
Seal the lid and select HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes.
When cooking completes, allow a NATURAL RELEASE for 5 minutes followed by a QUICK RELEASE to release any remaining pressure.
Remove the chicken breast and rosemary sprig (discard the rosemary).
STEP 5. Finish the Soup.
Select SAUTE function. Add the gnocchi (photo 7). Cook until the gnocchi float to the top of the soup indicating they are cooked (2-3 minutes).
While the gnocchi cooks shred the chicken breast with two forks.
When the gnocchi is cooked turn off the Instant Pot.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese and spinach (photo 8). Stir for 1 minutes until the spinach begins to wilt.
Stir in the heavy cream and return the cooked chicken to the soup (photo below). Stir and serve hot!
Storing Leftovers
The soup continues to build flavor as it’s stored!
Store in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave or stove top.
How to Freeze the soup
- Allow the soup to cool completely.
- Place into freezer safe airtight container(s) leaving some room at the top for expansion when it freezes.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat on the stove top over low heat stirring to combine.
NOTE: soups with milk or cream can separate after being frozen. Heating over low heat and stirring should blend any separation.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Easy Chicken Soup Recipes
- Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup
- Instant Pot Hearty Chicken Soup
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Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 Slices bacon chopped
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 Carrots chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 8-10 ounce boneless skinless Chicken breast
- 4 cups Chicken broth low sodium
- 1 Rosemary sprig
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
- 1 Pound fresh Gnocchi regular or gluten-free
- 2 cups fresh Spinach chopped
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot on the SAUTE setting. Add the olive oil and heat.
- Add the chopped bacon and cook until cooked thoroughly, around 5 minutes.
- Add the onions and carrots and cook until the onion is slightly translucent, around 5 minutes more.
- Add the garlic, rosemary sprig, thyme and Italian seasoning and cook until fragrant, around 1 minute.
- Pour in a little bit of the stock and scrape any stuck food particles that are sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. NOTE: this will prevent a BURN warning.
- Add the chicken breast and rest of the stock.
- Close the lid and valve and set on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Allow a NATURAL RELEASE for 5 minutes. Then perform a QUICK RELEASE to release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the chicken breast and rosemary sprig.
- Select the SAUTE setting and add the gnocchi. Cook until all the gnocchi have floated to the top of the soup (2-3 minutes).
- While cooking the gnocchi use two forks to shred the chicken breast.
- After the gnocchi is done cooking turn off the Instant Pot. Stir in the cheese and spinach. Stir for 1 minute until the spinach begins to wilt.
- Add the shredded chicken and stir in the heavy cream. Serve hot!
Erin says
We had some leftover cream, so we decided to make this recipe. It was so delicious. We’ll definitely make it again.
wilhelmina says
This is one of my favorite soups! It is so easy to make in the instant pot and tastes like it has been bubbling on the stove for hours!
April says
This soup is my love language. I’ve made it twice already….already looking forward to the next time!
LAUREN KELLY says
One of my favorite comfort foods! I never thought to make it in the IP, thank you for this recipe!
Michelle says
My favorite soup to order out! I love that it’s so quick to make in the instant pot!
Andrea Metlika says
This soup is so hearty, warm and comforting! Perfect for the entire family!
Angela says
My family loves this recipe! Cooking it in the instant pot is such a fast and easy way to go. Yum!
Shanna says
This was so delicious and I love that it is made in the Instant Pot. This is definitely going into the dinner rotation.
Pam says
Our weather here in north Georgia just got cold so this is perfect timing. Thanks for a great recipe.