Easy Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This is the soup that gets requested by name in our house from the first cool evening of fall onward. Pillowy potato gnocchi, shredded chicken and spinach float in a broth that tastes like it simmered all afternoon — and the whole pot is on the table in about thirty-five minutes, which is exactly what our Easy Dinners collection promises.

The richness comes from technique, not a carton of cream. A spoonful of flour cooked with the vegetables thickens the broth so the half-and-half can stay modest, and the gnocchi release a little starch of their own as they cook, turning the soup silky in the last few minutes. It is the same one-pot logic as our Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup, with a cozier, chicken-and-herb personality.

Use a rotisserie chicken and the prep shrinks to chopping an onion and two carrots. Serve the soup with crusty bread for swiping the bowl, and expect the gnocchi to be fought over — they are everybody's favorite part, including ours.

Half-and-half goes in last, off the boil

Dairy and hard boiling do not get along: a cream soup boiled after the half-and-half goes in can turn grainy and, in the worst case, split. Add it once the gnocchi are cooked, drop the heat to the gentlest simmer, and warm the soup through without letting it bubble hard. That single habit is the difference between a silky bowl and a disappointing one, and it applies to nearly every creamy soup in this collection.

Gnocchi tell you when they are done

Potato gnocchi are one of the few ingredients that announce their own doneness — they sink when they go in and float when they are cooked through, usually in two to three minutes. Fish the first floaters out and taste one: it should be tender and pillowy all the way through with no chalky center. Leave them simmering while you chat and they go from pillowy to gummy, so serve the soup soon after they rise.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (14 g)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 150 g)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 160 g)
• 2 celery stalks, diced (about 80 g)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 9 g)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (24 g)
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (960 ml)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (1 g)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g), plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 1 (16 oz) package potato gnocchi (454 g)
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (280 g), rotisserie or leftover
• 2 cups half-and-half (480 ml)
• 3 cups baby spinach (90 g), roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (45 g), plus more to serve

Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Soften the vegetables. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of the salt and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is translucent and the carrots have softened at the edges.
2. Add garlic and flour. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes — the mixture will look pasty, which is exactly right. This cooks out the raw flour taste and is what will thicken the soup.
3. Build the broth. Pour in the chicken broth a splash at a time, stirring well after each addition so no lumps form, then add the rest along with the thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes, until the carrots are just tender.
4. Cook the gnocchi and chicken. Stir in the gnocchi and shredded chicken. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the gnocchi float to the surface and are tender through the center. If your chicken was cold from the fridge, give it one extra minute to heat through.
5. Finish with dairy and spinach. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the half-and-half, stirring gently. Warm for 2 minutes without letting the soup boil. Fold in the spinach and Parmesan and stir just until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
6. Taste and serve. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper — the Parmesan and broth vary, so the soup tells you what it needs. Ladle into warm bowls, shower with extra Parmesan, and serve with crusty bread.

Nutrition estimate

Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Storage & reheating

Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator; the gnocchi absorb broth as they sit, so the soup thickens overnight — thin it with a splash of broth or milk when reheating gently on the stove, without boiling. For freezing, leave the gnocchi out, freeze the soup base for up to 3 months, and cook fresh gnocchi in the reheated soup, since frozen-and-thawed gnocchi turn soft. Nutrition figures are estimates from standard ingredient data and vary with brands and substitutions.

Easy Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Recipe by Shahid Imran, FryDaily editor · Published 18 October 2026

Pillowy gnocchi and tender chicken in a rich, garlicky broth — one pot, 35 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings  ·  Scale: 1x2x3x

Prep15 minutes

Cook20 minutes

Total35 minutes

Servings6 servings

Calories380 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (14 g)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 150 g)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 160 g)
• 2 celery stalks, diced (about 80 g)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 9 g)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (24 g)
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (960 ml)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (1 g)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g), plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 1 (16 oz) package potato gnocchi (454 g)
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (280 g), rotisserie or leftover
• 2 cups half-and-half (480 ml)
• 3 cups baby spinach (90 g), roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (45 g), plus more to serve

Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.

Instructions

1. Soften the vegetables. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of the salt and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is translucent and the carrots have softened at the edges.
2. Add garlic and flour. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes — the mixture will look pasty, which is exactly right. This cooks out the raw flour taste and is what will thicken the soup.
3. Build the broth. Pour in the chicken broth a splash at a time, stirring well after each addition so no lumps form, then add the rest along with the thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes, until the carrots are just tender.
4. Cook the gnocchi and chicken. Stir in the gnocchi and shredded chicken. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the gnocchi float to the surface and are tender through the center. If your chicken was cold from the fridge, give it one extra minute to heat through.
5. Finish with dairy and spinach. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the half-and-half, stirring gently. Warm for 2 minutes without letting the soup boil. Fold in the spinach and Parmesan and stir just until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
6. Taste and serve. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper — the Parmesan and broth vary, so the soup tells you what it needs. Ladle into warm bowls, shower with extra Parmesan, and serve with crusty bread.

Calories: 380 kcalProtein: 24 gCarbohydrates: 38 gFat: 15 gSaturated fat: 7 gSodium: 720 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 6 g

Recipe by Shahid Imran · FryDaily. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.

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