Creamy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
This chicken gnocchi soup recipe is dreamy comfort food made slow cooker simple. It’s packed with tender veggies and flavorful chicken, dotted with pillowy gnocchi, and all wrapped up in a velvety soup that will have everyone scraping the bowl.
If you love comforting soups, Instant Pot creamy wild rice, carrot red pepper, or healthy tortellini chicken noodle varieties are all guaranteed to please!
The best part of this soup is the smooth, creamy base. Or maybe it’s the bites when a soft, pillowy gnocchi lands on your spoon. No, wait, I think it’s actually the tender, perfectly-seasoned, slow-cooked pieces of chicken.
Thank goodness we don’t really have to decide. The true best part is that all this comes together in one tasty package.
Whether or not you’re a fan of Olive Garden, which offers chicken gnocchi soup as a very popular menu item, you will love this soup and be excited to add it to your dinner rotation. And, for the busy home cooks among us, it’s one of those glorious meals beautifully suited to the crockpot or slow cooker. You literally get simmered-all-day flavor with minimal effort.
Ingredients and shopping tips
Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy crockpot chicken gnocchi soup. And trust me, you want to make this happen tonight! As always, you can see the full recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions.
- About 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 small onion – white or yellow
- 3-4 medium carrots
- 1-2 stalks celery
- 3 cups or so baby spinach
- Garlic cloves
- Chicken broth or stock – preferably low-sodium so you can control the salt content to taste
- Cornstarch – I consider this a pantry staple; if you don’t have it on hand, look for it in a small box or jar in the baking aisle
- Two (12 ounce) cans evaporated milk – also in the baking aisle
- One 1 lb. package dried potato gnocchi – typically sold with the boxed pasta. If your store carries mini gnocchi, as shown below, they are especially nice for small bites of soup, but I’ve made this with full-size gnocchi, as well, with great results
- Seasonings: dried basil, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper
Why evaporated milk?
Since reading Kitchn’s take on creamy slow cooker soups, I’ve been dying to experiment with evaporated milk in the crockpot. And it’s kismet for making a low-and-slow version of chicken gnocchi soup, delivering a smooth and rich texture that’s hard to resist.
In short, evaporated milk does a beautiful job of thickening soup just enough, and adding creaminess without requiring you to pour in glug after glug of delicious but artery-clogging heavy cream.
What kind of gnocchi are best?
When it comes to store-bought gnocchi, quality matters, and all are not created equal. Dense, dry gnocchi give their lighter, airy cousins a bad name. If you can find DeLallo brand, go for it – they’ve never let this Pittsburgh girl down!
Whatever the brand, you’re looking for the dried, shelf-stable gnocchi typically sold near other boxed pastas. They cook perfectly right in the crockpot with the soup. No need to boil water and cook separately.
How to make chicken gnocchi soup in the crockpot
You won’t believe something so delicious can be so simple to make.
First, add the chicken, veggies, seasoning, and broth to a large crockpot. We love this 6-quart version; it doesn’t have many bells and whistles but is a reliable and affordable workhorse.
Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high, then shred the chicken. It will be very tender and easy to pull apart with two forks. You may even be able to shred it inside the crockpot; if not, scrape the pieces back in.
Now add a cornstarch slurry, the evaporated milk, and the uncooked gnocchi.
Mix cornstarch with cold water
Helpful hint: when making the slurry, be very sure to mix the cornstarch with cold water. Using hot or even warm water can lead to clumps or just a gritty texture. Cold water works like a charm every time.
Re-cover the crockpot and cook for another 20-30 minutes, then add the spinach, let it wilt, and serve.
Get ready for some major smiles around your table, and maybe even a high-five or two! It’s that good!
If you’re really feeling it, fry up a few slices of bacon to crumble into or on top of the bowls. So much flavor.
Complete the meal
Crockpot chicken gnocchi soup is hearty feel-good fare. It goes great with:
- Garlic bread, Dutch oven bread, or one-hour breadsticks
- A simple arugula salad or spinach salad, or any greens with a fresh homemade Italian dressing
- Easy oven-roasted broccolini
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Creamy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3-4 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 1-2 stalks celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10-12 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 12 ounce cans evaporated milk
- 1 pound potato gnocchi the shelf-stable kind, mini if you can find them
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 4 slices cooked bacon optional, to serve
Instructions
- Place the raw chicken, chopped onion, carrots, celery, minced garlic, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large crockpot or slow cooker. Pour chicken stock or broth on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
- While keeping the crockpot on, shred the chicken, either directly in the pot or by removing to a cutting board. It will be ready to fall apart easily. If you took the chicken out to shred, return the pieces to the crockpot.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water to make a thick slurry. Scrape that into the crockpot, along with both cans of evaporated milk and the gnocchi. Stir well to combine, then re-cover the crockpot and cook for another 20-30 minutes. The soup should be slightly thickened; the gnocchi, tender.
- Just before serving, stir in the spinach and let it wilt for 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as desired. Serve with crumbled cooked bacon or fresh herbs for garnish. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be very sure to use cold water when making the cornstarch slurry. Adding cornstarch directly to a hot or warm liquid can lead to clumps or a gritty texture.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, try increasing the amount of cornstarch and water to 3 tablespoons each. You can also simply let the soup cook longer after adding the milk and gnocchi, with or without the crockpot lid.
- If the soup becomes too thick for your taste, simply add water or additional broth, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well.
I followed this to a tea and it just tasted odd. Noodles didn’t cook right at all. not creamy at all like the olive garden one.
Did you use pasta (“noodles”) instead of gnocchi? Those would definitely have a different cooking time and also would not give off the same amount of starch needed to thicken the soup.
I have frozen spinach would that work?
Yes but try to press as much water out of it as you possibly can!
Just so good! If you love the Olive Garden one, you’ll never go there again because this one is IDENTICAL if not better!! I’ve made it two times now and everyone loves it every time!
My grocery pick up order gave me the fat free evaporated milk! Will this still work?
I think it will still work but be prepared to let it cook a little longer after adding it, so it can thicken more! You can also always add additional cornstarch slurry, but save that for a last resort because adding a ton of the slurry can start to impact the flavor. If by any chance you have time to let me know how it turns out, please do! <3
This was DELICIOUS!!! Anyone saying it was bland and not good clearly didn’t follow the directions. I followed the directions to a T and it was PERFECT!!! The only thing I did different was use rotisserie chicken and I just added that the last hour to warm up and it was AMAZING!
I followed the recipe and thought it was great, but a bit runny so I added a pint of heavy whipping cream (I still did both the evaporated milk and corn starch slurry) and let it cook a bit longer. It turned out perfect! The recipe has great flavor and I will definitely be making it again! Thanks for the recipe!
This recipe is amazing and is a family favorite of my family! I’ve made this numerous times, and mine has never been bland or chalky! Read the directions, people!!
I had high hopes, but it was very bland 🙁 I had to season it so much to taste somewhat decent. I should’ve noticed something was up when the Pinterest comments were turned off..
Hi Melody- I’m sorry this was bland for you. Are your spices by any chance outdated? I know some people have trouble with the soup thickening, but if your spices/herbs are reasonably fresh it definitely shouldn’t be bland. Also I have not turned off any Pinterest comments and would never do that on this or any recipe.
I followed the directions for this recipe exactly, plus added 10 minutes of cooking time in an attempt to get the soup creamier, and it was still so thin and bland. The only thing I could have done differently was increase the cornstarch, but the 2 tbsps were already noticeable in the slight chalkiness of the broth. I really wanted to like this soup, but it was disappointing overall.
Hi, I made this tonight and we really enjoyed it. How long do you think it will keep in the fridge? 😊
So happy you enjoyed it! It will definitely keep for at least 3-4 days in the fridge, but I admit I would personally even stretch it to 5-6 because I hate to waste if I can help it. 🙂
The idea was good, but it tasted chalky to us. I think it was the evaporated milk and was a bit too runny for us. The other ingredients are great but would definitely try and different methods for the creaminess. Sorry 😕
Sorry it was not to your liking!
I think you just needed to let it cook a bit longer, I had that same taste so let it cook another 10 minutes and it was perfect
Would this keep well if I made it for a church potluck where it would sit on warm during the service?
I think that would work well!
Absolutely delicious and great comfort food as it starts getting chillier outside! I’ve made it every year since you posted this and just had to find the recipe again so I can go grocery shopping. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! So happy to hear this is a hit for you! Stay cozy!
Can I use frozen gnocchi?? My store is out of the boxes. Thanks!
I would cook them separately according to their package directions and then add directly to the soup – also be prepared to cook the soup longer or add extra cornstarch to help it thicken without the gnocchi cooking inside!
When you put the gnocchi in the crockpot, should the temp be HI or LOW for that last bit of cooking time?
I would recommend high!
If I wanted to use diced potatoes instead of gnocchi when would I add them? Thanks!
I’m afraid I haven’t tested that so am not sure!
I would add them at the beginning, I make a soup very similar to this with potatoes and always add them at the beginning
Can you use shredded carrots instead of chopped?
Yes, that should work! It’s possible they’d get mushy if left to cook all day, so if it’s not too inconvenient, consider adding them nearer the end of the cooking time.
Could I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk? I really did not care for the taste the can milk had in it. Lol Thanks!
Sorry you did not care for the evaporated milk! I haven’t personally tried it with regular milk – I suspect the cooking time might be longer, and you may want to use less, but in general it should work.
Do the chicken breasts need to be thawed or can they be frozen upon putting in the crockpot?
They can be frozen when you put them but be sure they come all the way to 165 degrees inside!
Can you freeze this recipe? If so, how would you recommend reheating it?
I would not recommend freezing this; the gnocchi are likely to become too mushy in the process of freezing and defrosting. Sorry!
Amazing! I used bone broth, canned coconut milk, lots of salt and pepper and a little extra Italian seasoning. I only drink almond milk but still eat tons dairy, the coconut milk is pretty strong but still delicious I had three helpings, couldn’t wait to eat leftovers. If I used evaporated milk it would have been a total winner. Still prefer the non dairy route. READ the NOTED section re:cornstarch slurry 💯.
Hi, would I be able to use the same recipe, but use penne noodles? Thanks!
Hi, I do not think penne would thicken the soup the same way, so I would just make a few modifications – make the soup as directed, be sure to turn the crockpot to high as it thickens and add an extra batch of the cornstarch slurry to help it thicken if needed, and cook and stir in the penne separately. That’s what I would try. I hope it works out and would love to know if you try it!
It says 11lbs of Gnocchi and I just want to confirm that before I buy them.
You should use ONE pound of gnocchi — it’s written as one 1 lb. package, which I can see how that could be worded better. 🙂 Thanks for asking!