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 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.

Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe

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
2 cups fresh baby spinach

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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

Large Skillet

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Slow Cooker

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Ladle

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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