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30 Minute Chicken Gnocchi Soup

30 Minute Chicken Gnocchi Soup is creamy, hearty, and so savory on a cold day. It is a family favorite dinner that comes together in just under 30 minutes.

We are all about the soups right now. Brothy, creamy, vegetarian or a meaty stew; we love it all. Today’s soup is one of our favorites. We’ve played with variations of this recipe over the years, but keep coming back to this exact creamy chicken gnocchi soup recipe time and time again. Eat it on its own, or pair it with a side of biscuits or dinner rolls for a truly satisfying meal. 

A bowl of chicken gnocchi soup.

  • Heavy Cream Substitute:

    Heavy cream will give you the creamiest and thickest soup. If you don’t have access to heavy cream, you can always substitute with half and half or cream cheese 1:1. You can also substitute the 1 cup of heavy cream for 3/4 cup milk plus 1/4 cup melted butter. This will give you a more accurate fat content, but it will not thicken as much as heavy cream.

    If you are looking for a dairy free substitute, there are many recipes for dairy free/vegan cream alternatives. However, a commercial plant-based heavy cream alternative is your best bet. You should be able to find this next to the regular cream in your local grocery store, in their specialty vegan section, or you may need to visit a natural food grocer.

  • Gnocchi:

    Gnocchi are small potato dumplings that are wonderful additions in soups. You can find them in your grocery store next to the pasta. If you don’t have access to gnocchi or just don’t like it, you can substitute with cheese tortellini. Cheese tortellini may take a few minutes longer to cook than the gnocchi, approximately 10 minutes.

  • Variations of Chicken Gnocchi Soup:

    There are quite a few variations you can play with in this recipe. As stated above, you can try this recipe with either gnocchi or tortellini. They are both delicious! You could even replace the chicken with a hot (or mild) Italian sausage, and add more or less veggies to suite your own personal taste preferences.

  • Storage and Reheating Instructions:

    Store any leftovers of this soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Cream based soups do not always freeze well. You can do it, and it should stay good for a few months, but expect the consistency to be a bit different due to the separating that will occur. Allow to thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.

    Reheat by the bowlful in the microwave in 30 second increments until warmed through, approximately 90 seconds-2 minutes. If you want to reheat a large amount at once, it is faster to reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat in a saucepan until warmed through.

If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious soup recipes:

A ladle full of chicken gnocchi soup.

Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.

30 Minute Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 white onion diced
  • 1/2 cup sliced carrots
  • 1/2 cup sliced celery
  • 5 cloves garlic crushed
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 pound gnocchi
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups baby spinach roughly chopped

Instructions
  • Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear chicken breasts in olive oil for 2 minutes per side until golden brown, but not cooked through. Remove from pot and set aside.
  • Add in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot. Add in onion, carrots, and celery and saute 4-5 minutes. Add in garlic and toast for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Return chicken to pot. Pour in chicken broth and season with thyme and oregano. Simmer for 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
  • Use tongs to remove chicken. Shred and return to pot. Add in gnocchi and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in heavy cream and spinach and heat 1 to 2 minutes to wilt spinach. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

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