This Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup is lusciously cream-free, comforting, and made with lots of vegetables. Perfect with crusty bread and a green salad. ♡
Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Hello there, cozy Chicken Gnocchi Soup!
Featured comment
My family has a new favorite dinner! We really loved this soup. I just made it 2 nights ago and my son is already asking me to make it again. Highest compliment ever!
Nancy
I’m super glad to see you, sitting there in my crockpot, all creamy and delicious.
I will now put on my best sweatpants, my thickest socks, and get out my deepest bowl so I can experience the best of the end of this cozy season with you right here on my couch. Let’s do this.
In This Post: Everything You Need For Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- WATCH How to Make This Soup
- Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Ingredients You Need for Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- How to Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
Why This Gnocchi Soup Is So Good
This is a re-make of an old recipe that was inspired by a friend and what I love about this soup is, well, there are several things.
- It is wildly similar to the genius and ever-popular gnocchi soup from Olive Garden.
- It reminds me a little bit of the chicken wild rice soup in that we just start pretty basic with carrots, celery, onions, chicken, spices, and broth in a crockpot. And you know how I love me some chicken wild rice soup slash any soup in a crockpot. Minnesota represent!
- Unlike the wild rice soup, this chicken gnocchi soup is made thick by evaporated milk and a quick cornstarch slurry. So if you’re looking for thick and creamy soup while avoiding the butter/flour/cream route of a roux base, this is your magic. ✨
- GNOCCHI. Those tiny dumplings of happy feelings that are mixed in throughout the chicken gnocchi soup make the whole thing come together. Every time I make this soup, Bjork a) raves, and b) talks for at least 5 minutes about how much he loves “the dumplings.” I could almost actually call this Chicken and Dumpling soup except the Chicken and Dumpling soup of my youth (a Herman’s bakery special in Cambridge, MN) had approximately zero vegetables and was practically untouchable in its level of homey perfection, so I will not go there. Let’s just give ourselves a pat on the back for the carrots, celery, and sautéed garlic spinach that are present at this soup party. And the bacon. I always invite the bacon.
Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use evaporated milk?
You can use something other than evaporated milk, but I found that evaporated milk has the creaminess of half and half or heavy whipping cream without actually needing to use up a bunch of half and half in the soup.
My soup leftovers seem less soupy and more thick. What should I do?
The leftovers soak up a lot of the moisture because of the gnocchi, so you might need to add more evaporated milk depending on how soupy you want it and/or how long you’ll be keeping it around.
Can I make this with dairy-free milk?
It won’t be as creamy with a dairy-free milk, but it should still work. We’d recommend unsweetened almond milk or canned coconut milk and adding an additional tablespoon of cornstarch to the soup.
Can I make this soup in the Instant Pot?
Yes! Add the chicken, mirepoix, basil, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, salt, and broth to the Instant Pot. Cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Let out the steam using quick release. Remove the chicken to shred and then add it back to the pot. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, evaporated milk, and gnocchi. Use the “Saute” function to simmer the soup for another 20 minutes or so to thicken it all up. Add in the bacon and spinach, and stir to combine.
Can you freeze this soup?
Honestly, I’ve never had a ton of luck with freezing soups that have dairy. I’d probably skip freezing this one!
How do you know when the gnocchi is cooked?
The almost one hour of time that it sits in the soup should do the trick, but if you want to be sure, I’d recommend just taking out one of the gnocchi and cutting it down the middle to ensure it’s cooked and tender.
How Do You Make Gnocchi?
To me, crockpot chicken gnocchi soup means something that can be quickly and easily tossed together and tastes best when using good, quality ingredients.
If I don’t just *happen* to have some fresh homemade gnocchi laying around (which hello, like, NEVER HAPPENS, because homemade gnocchi disappears in five seconds flat around here), then store-bought gnocchi it is. Those savory fluffy little bites of airy perfection cook up just right when stirred in at the end of cook time for this soup.
Other Ingredients You’ll Need For This Soup
We’ve already covered the ever-convenient storebought gnocchi, but here’s what else you need to make this soup happen:
- Chicken
- Mirepoix (carrots, celery, onion)
- Seasonings
- Chicken broth
- Evaporated milk (trust me)
- Garlic
- Spinach
- And BACON (yes, yes, yes)
How To Make Chicken Gnocchi Soup
There are only three steps here. THREE. You can do this.
- Add it all to the crockpot: Place the chicken, mirepoix, basil, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, salt, and chicken broth in a crockpot or slow cooker to cook. You’ll even shred your chicken right in the crockpot after cooking.
- Thicken the soup: Add the evaporated milk, cornstarch, and gnocchi, and stir. This is how you’ll cook your gnocchi – no extra pot needed!
- Crisp up your bacon: The BEST PART. Crisp it up, then add the spinach and garlic, and add it to the soup. Stir it all up and your done.
So easy, so good. Serve it with a delicious little green salad and you’re in dinner business.
Perfect For a Meal Delivery
I could totally see this chicken gnocchi soup being a great bring-to-a-new-mom-or-sick-friend type of meal. It’s easy to throw together, it’s got that basic-yummy flavor that families love, there’s some redeeming vegetables in with all that creamy awesomeness, it saves well in the fridge or freezer… win, win, win, all around.
I have brought it to a few friends with a loaf of the Miracle No-Knead Bread and the bread + the chicken gnocchi soup combo get rave reviews every time.
Match made in heaven, I’d say.
This recipe was adapted from Jessica’s version – she introduced me to the genius of using evaporated milk!
Print
Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 1x
Description
This Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup is lusciously cream-free, comforting, and made with lots of vegetables. Perfect with crusty bread and a green salad. ♡
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups mirepoix (just a simple mixture of chopped onions, celery, and carrots)
- 1–2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1–2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
- two 12 ounce cans evaporated milk
- two 1 lb. packages gnocchi (about 4 cups)
- 6 slices bacon
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Place the chicken, mirepoix, basil, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, salt, and broth in a crockpot or slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Shred the chicken directly in the crockpot.
- Add the cornstarch mixture, evaporated milk, and gnocchi. Stir and replace cover. Cook another 45 minutes – 1 hour until the soup has thickened and the gnocchi has softened.
- While the soup is thickening, cut the bacon into small pieces and fry until crispy. Drain on paper towels and wipe most of the bacon grease out of the pan, leaving just a little bit for the spinach/garlic. Add the garlic and saute for one minute. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from heat. Add the bacon and spinach to the crockpot. Stir to combine.
- Add any additional liquid as needed (I added about a cup of water once it started to thicken) and season again with salt and pepper as needed.
Equipment
Buy Now →
Buy Now →
Buy Now →
The equipment section may contain affiliate links to products we know and love.
Notes
Be sure to taste and adjust with salt/pepper before serving. It may need more depending on the saltiness of your broth.
Instant Pot Instructions: Add the chicken, mirepoix, basil, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, salt, and broth to the Instant Pot. Cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Let out the steam using quick release. Remove the chicken to shred, and then add it back to the pot. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, evaporated milk, and gnocchi. Then, use the “Saute” function to simmer the soup for another 20 minutes or so to thicken it all up. Add in the bacon and spinach, and stir to combine.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: crockpot soup, gnocchi soup, chicken gnocchi, slow cooker soup, easy gnocchi soup
Recipe Card powered by 
More Creamy Soup Recipes That You Need Right Now
- Basic + Awesome Broccoli Cheese Soup (a perfect cozy classic)
- Ang’s Creamy Tortellini Soup (rich, creamy, and so yummy!)
- 5 Ingredient Cheesy Cauliflower Soup with Kale Pesto (easy, cheesy yum in a bowl)
- Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo (a creamy cream-less soup wonder)
- Basic + Awesome Creamy Potato Soup (just so comforting and SO DELICIOUS)
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our all-star slow cooker recipes page. Check it out!
April 9, 2021
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
I don’t have a crock pot and do not eat bacon. Can I make this in the Instant Pot and omit the bacon? Will omitting the bacon change the flavor completely?
These sound so delicious. As we are in early Winter down here in South Australia and it’s going to be great to have so many choices. Of soup. Thankyou.
The bacon adds smokey flavor, which is really nice in this soup. A great substitute would be adding in 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika!
OMG, I just saw this recipe on Instagram and even though I can see it is basically for Fall, I tracked it down so that I’ll have it available when cooler weather comes.
For this recipe, is it made with homemade gnocchi or store bought? I want to use my own homemade gnocchi and I would like to know what changes I need to make to the recipe instructions.
Hi Sarah! We use store bought gnocchi. If you’re using your own homemade gnocchi, it might be best to add it in at the end of cooking.
Should the crock pot be on low or high for the 45 min – 1 hr portion?
Shouldn’t need to be on either actually (just kept warm) but low wouldn’t hurt!
How can I adjust the recipe if I cook this in a Dutch over or large pot rather than a crockpot ?
Hi Christina! You should be able to complete step #1 in a pot on the stove, should need to simmer for about an hour for the chicken and veggies to get cooked!
This looks so yummy and I can’t wait to try it out. Was just wondering…hubby can’t have the carbs–found some cauliflower/spinach gnocchi at the store. Has anyone tried that &/or would that type of gnocchi work?
I am gluten and dairy-free and I’ve only ever made this with cauliflower gnocchi! It’s delicious and turns out perfectly every time!
Hi Debby! Great question. We haven’t tested this soup with that type of gnocchi, so it’s hard to say. My initial thinking is that the gnocchi might break down and become mushy due to the longer cook time in the slow cooker. An option might be to cook the gnocchi separately, perhaps in the oven or air fryer, and add it to the soup at the end.
I didnt need to add any water so far. Still seems pretty watery. I did have gnocchi at my hometown store but i got potato dumplings instead. BUT i forgot to take them out of the freezer. Maybe thata why the soup iant thickening?
This is my fourth time making this recipe! It is the essence of warm and cozy! I would highly recommend!
I’m just cooking for 1….if I halve this recipe, should I adjust the cooking time?
Yes, we’d suggest a reduced cook time! Maybe cut the time in half, check the soup, and cook for longer if needed!
Making this right now and realized I don’t have poultry seasoning! Any suggestions on substitutes? Thank you!
I sub in sage, thyme, rosemary for poultry seasoning, since I never buy it. Works like a charm.
Hi! Here’s a recipe for homemade poultry seasoning. If you don’t have all of the herbs, you could just use what you have on hand!
I used frozen chicken in my crockpot and it cooked perfectly.
Hi Lindsay! This looks delicious. If I want to leave out the meat but still use the slow cooker, will I need to adjust the cooking time at all? Thank you!
Hi Maria! We haven’t tested this, but you could probably cut down by an hour or so!
Loved this! It was so easy to make and delicious. I didn’t have any spinach but was still great without it.
Really loved this. We didn’t have evaporated milk, so I used a half-pint of cream and no thickener.
Can’t wait to try recipe
This recipe was simple, delicious and I’ve made it about 3 times now. I made it as the directions stated the two times, loved it and have swapped out different meats, different veggies and deviated from the original recipe but I still love the original!
Well, I was going to use this recipe, but since it won’t print, nor will it allow me to copy and print, it I guess I can’t.
Hi Mary, I find it easy to copy and paste (keep text only) to a blank document. Hope this helps!!!! You can’t go wrong with Kirsten’s recipes 🙂
If you use Duck Duck Go like I do, you can’t print because of the security settings. I temporarily go to google if I need to print a recipe, close it all out after waving bye to my assigned government agent. He waves back most of the time.
I’ve had more flavorful tap water.
The COVID taste depletion sucks. Get well soon!
Not really something to brag about, eh?
This soup is AMAZING! Threw it in the crockpot yesterday morning and when I came home the house smelled so good. I used frozen chicken, spinach gnocchi and peppered bacon. Also threw in a few mushrooms that needed to used up. Just love the fact that it uses pantry staples. Another plus is the that it is creamy and flavorful without being heavy…really appreciated that. This is company worthy and will be added to the favorites list. Thank you for the yummy recipe!
Hi! I plan to make this with a precooked rotisserie chicken breast I already have – how should I adjust since the chicken is already cooked? Thank you!
Hi Dani! I’m guessing you could shave an hour or two off of the cook time!
Easy meal
This was so good in my house! I used frozen chicken in my crockpot and it cooked perfectly. This is definitely on repeat during the colder months. I made this with salad and croissants.
I’m using store bought gnocchi. The instructions say to boil. Should I boil first then put in or put in “raw”?
You can put them in raw!
I’ve loved your recipes for years and am looking forward to making this, but I am having trouble even seeing the recipe ingredients and instructions because I’m being bombarded with ads and videos that I’m unable to close. I don’t remember the site being like this before. Disappointing user experience.
Hi Shannon! Thank you for the feedback. Are you viewing the recipe on your smart phone or computer?
How would you adjust the cooking time for just stovetop?
We haven’t tested this on the stovetop, but I’d say cook time would be at least 20 minutes.
One of the top 5 best tasting recipes we have ever made! Couldn’t believe how delicious this was!
Awesome, Taryn! So glad you enjoyed it!