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!
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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!
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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.
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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
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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.
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This was so good! Thank you!
I omitted the chicken & bacon and used vegetable broth to make it vegetarian, and it still turned out great! I also only used one package of gnocchi but added a can of cannellini beans and some sweet potato. Such a versatile recipe that I come back to it every year. Also a bonus that my husband who is a meat eater loved it!
Would this fit in a 4qt crock pot or would I need to reduce the recipe? Looks delicious!
This soup should cook just fine in a 4 quart!
Have you had any experience with adding rice to the recipe?
Hi Dave! We haven’t tried adding rice to this soup.
Would you please tell me what mirepoix is and where do you find it.. I live in Canada.. Thanks so much…
Hi Julie! Yes, mirepoix is a combination of chopped carrots, celery, and onions.
I had to make a couple subs based on what I had: cabbage for celery (to die for), gluten free cauliflower gnocchi , shredded rotisserie chicken instead of breasts, and all purpose seasoning for poultry seasoning. Topped with a bit of parsley. This recipe was DYNAMITE! Love the thick creamy consistency. Will for sure be adding this to the meal rotation!
We love hearing this, Kelsey! Thanks for the comment!
Hi!
Would this soup freeze okay to reheat later?
Yes we think so!
Hi. I’m fromNew Zealand. Our seasons are the other way around but I really love this soup. To me it tastes like “real” chicken soup. I can’t get Italian seasoning so I use some fennel seeds and dried thyme. The fennel seed give it a really savoury flavour. It’s delicious and also feed us for more than one meal.
Hi Andra! So glad you’ve been enjoying this soup! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Okay this is delicious! Made it tonight for dinner in the instant pot and it was a big hit with the family. My picky eight year old loved it. Thanks for another great recipe.
This is amazing!! I did it in tha instant pot but I cooked the bacon (whole package) in batches, took out to drain. I then added garlic and spinach. Took it out once it wilted. Threw in veg to cook down a bit before adding other ingredients. Worked amazing. Didn’t have enough cornstarch but still good.
I was worried about the chicken being over cooked; but it was tender and delicious. Will definitely make again.
I meant to say I cooked the bacon and spinach in the pot. Cause, ya know. One pot. 🙂
I was wondering the size of each serving and if your can double this and fit it in a large crockpot.
It looks fabulous and I can’t wait to make your chicken gnocchi soup. 😋
Not being in the US can you explain what half and half is? Would cream suffice? We don’t get evaporated milk either so not sure what would be best to use!
Half and half is a mixture of equal parts heavy cream and whole milk. Yes, cream would be a great substitute!
This recipe looks delicious! Before I make it, I was wondering if you pre-cook the mirepoix? I did some research and it seems like most people do, but you don’t mention it and I don’t want to burn anything. I was planning on using a 2:1:1 onions to carrots to celery with butter and cooking until soft before assembling the first step. Does that sound about right?
Yes that’s a great plan! Pre-cooking the mirepoix isn’t necessary, but it does help enrich the flavor!
Started making this when we’ve gone out camping early or late in the season when the nights are getting chilly. Everyone loves it! I’ve made exactly as written with the exception of changing up fresh and/or dried herbs, depending what’s on hand. It’s now a staple and get requests everytime we go (even in the dead heat of summer)! Thanks for this and all your other tasty dishes!
We’re loving trying out all of your great recipes – this is SUPER tasty – and one of our new faves! Thanks so much for sharing. We tried a scallop version too – adding them to the broth after pan frying. Delicious!
Thank you
Hi, just about to start making your soup. I don’t have poultry seasoning. Can I use another spice or can I just omit it from the recipe?
You could use thyme, rosemary, sage (or any combination of the three) in its place! Or simply omit!
I read your Gnocchi Soup recipe on 17th march and today I tried this it was aammmmaaaazzzinggg I love soo much my mother and sister gone crazy soo much love from India
THANKS FOR SHARING WITH US
This soup is AMAZING! My husband and I both loved it, as did our 3 year old daughter. It’s so creamy, but not heavy at all because you use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream. Absolutely delicious. I did the first batch of cooking on LOW for about 4 hours (my crock pot tends to get overheated) and it was perfect. I also added a bit extra bacon. Because… bacon. This is a new favorite that I’ll make all through the fall and winter!
Extra bacon is always a good idea! So glad it was a hit with your family!
Excited to try and make this! Just one quick question: I know the recipe says it serves 10. What is a serving size? TIA!
Hi Tara! We’d estimate the serving size to be around 1 1/2 cups.
Question (2, actually): Can i make this full through to completion and then leave on warm for a couple hours, do you think? Wanted to make before leaving for sports. Since you add the milk and gnocchi in and need 45 more min, trying to figure out if i can make this work. 2nd question/comment – trying to view/read on iPhone is PAINFUL! The page just keeps leaping back to the top every time a new add pops up. Is there anything that can be done? Thx!
Yes, you can keep this warm for a couple hours after cooking! And thank you for the user experience feedback. I will definitely pass it along to the team so they can troubleshoot.
delicious recipe ~ can leftovers be frozen?
Hi Denise! You can freeze the leftovers, but since this is a creamy soup, the texture might be a bit grainy the second time around.
What would be the best way to defrost the soup if frozen?
We suggest popping it in the refrigerator to defrost!
That soup was so amazing!!!
Thank you!
Glad to hear it!
Making this right now and it’s super runny. What else can I do to make it thicker?
We’d suggest adding another tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in a tablespoon of water.
Can I use frozen gnocchi?
Yes, we think frozen gnocchi will work!
Made this soup last night! It’s just me an my partner, so I actually halved the soup recipe and it made plenty for dinner for 2 and lunch tomorrow for us both as well! It’s SO GOOD and nice to have a crockpot recipe that doesn’t taste like just, all the same thing.
We used sweet potato gnocci that we found at the store. It was Gluten Free (we are not gluten free) and it was okay. I think I’ll try again but with regular Gnocci.
Thanks for reporting back, Sarah! So glad you both enjoyed it!