This Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup is one of my family’s favorites, is very hearty and healthy and can be made in the Crock-Pot… making it a popular choice for dinner.

Finished chicken gnocchi soup on a pretty table

Soup is my favorite comfort food. Not only is soup easy to make – it makes enough to reheat for lunch for days afterward. A meal that has easy prep and feeds us for days is a win-win in our house. One of my family’s favorites right now is this Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup (a copycat Olive Garden recipe).

You don’t need to cook the chicken first for this delicious soup.

I love a recipe that just calls for dumping and flipping the knob on my Crock-Pot. Although this soup does have a bit more prep than I prefer, all you have to do with the chicken is thaw it, cut it up and throw it in. I’ll take it.

It only takes 5 hours on low.

This takes a bit less time than the traditional 6-7 hours on high for many Crock-Pot recipes. Not getting up first thing in the morning to put a meal together suits me. I usually put this together around lunch time and it is ready just in time for dinner.

The prep is easy enough, and worth every step.

The shorter cook time is in part due to the fact that you do the first few steps on the stovetop. The few minutes it takes to cook up the onion and celery and thicken the broth gets dinner on the table that much faster. You also need to cook the gnocchi on the stove before you serve but… have you ever boiled gnocchi? It literally takes less than 5 minutes (it takes longer to boil the water). It’s still way fewer dishes than making a traditional big meal, and just as satisfying.

Save yourself the big bill at Olive Garden and make this yourself.

I love restaurant staples that taste just as good out of your own kitchen. First off, smelling this soup all afternoon makes my heart happy and saves on my budget, which makes me even happier. I love eating out just as much as anyone, but there is just something about putting a homemade meal on the table on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Put on your favorite comfy pants, light a candle, turn on football and let this soup cook away for what is bound to be one of your new favorite meals.

Here are the steps.

step 1:

Heat butter and oil over medium-high stove. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook until onion is translucent.

A pan on a black stovetop with onion, garlic, and celery being cooked in oil with a brown wooden spoon for stirring

step 2:

Add flour and whisk, about one minute.

a pan over cooked celery and onions with some flour added in to thicken with bubbles as it cooks

step 3:

Stir in chicken broth and seasonings to make your soup base.

step 4:

Add shredded carrots, chicken and broth mixture to Crock-Pot and turn to low.

a black crockpot liner with chunks of raw chicken, matchsticks carrots, and chicken broth mixture ready to cook into soup

step 5:

Cooking on low 5 hours.

step 6:

After cooking time is complete, stir in spinach and half & half. Cook on low 15-30 minutes.

step 7:

Cook gnocchi on stovetop according to package directions. Stir in right before serving.

Top with shredded mozzarella cheese for some more flavor.

Looking for some more easy soups like this one?

A bowl of homemade broccoli cheddar soup on a pretty wooden table with a green paisley napkin

Homemade Cheddar-Broccoli Soup

I will never stop for take out just for craving broccoli soup again. This is just way too easy to make at home.

Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup

This healthy chicken soup topped with sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips is great enough to eat all year.

Pin this soup recipe for safekeeping….

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Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This Olive Garden replica tastes just like the restaurant version, straight from your Crock-Pot with minimal prep time.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword chicken soup, Crock-Pot, Gnocchi, Olive Garden

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5 30

Servings 10

Cost $15

Equipment

Crock-Pot

Ingredients

2.5 cups chicken breasts uncooked
4 tbsp butter, unsalted
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 quart half & half
14 oz. chicken broth
3 stalks celery sliced
1/4 cup flour
2 cloves garlic
1 cup carrots shredded
1 medium onion diced
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
24 oz gnocchi

Instructions

Heat butter and oil over medium-high stove.
Add onion, celery and garlic until onion is translucent.
Add flour and whisk, about 1 minute.
Stir in chicken broth and seasonings.
Add carrots, chicken and broth mixture to Crock-Pot.
Cook on low 5 hours.
Stir in spinach and half & half. Cook on low 15-30 minutes while cooking gnocchi in separate pot.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
Stir in gnocchi right before serving.
Top with shredded mozzarella cheese before serving for extra flavor.