This is a creamy one-pot soup with shredded chicken, soft gnocchi, and a simple mix of onion, carrot, and celery. The chicken is cooked separately first, so it stays tender and shreds easily. From start to finish, it takes about 40 minutes.
📷 Recipe Snapshot
🍽️ Recipe: Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Vegetable Soup
⏲️ Ready In: 40 minutes
👥 Serves: 4 servings
🌏 Cuisine: Italian-American
💪 Difficulty: Easy
📌 Recipe Type: Main Course / Soup
🌟 Ingredient Highlights: chicken breast, gnocchi, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken stock, cream, spinach
❤️ Why You'll Love It: A creamy one-pot soup with tender shredded chicken, soft gnocchi, and vegetables in a herby broth, ready in about 40 minutes.
💡 Summarize and save this recipe on
This one comes together in under 45 minutes total, counting the time the chicken rests before shredding - which makes it realistic for a weeknight even with the extra step.
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If you like this one, my 30-minute creamy chicken soup with lemon and egg is a good weeknight alternative when you want something brighter instead of creamy. For another gnocchi dinner, easy pesto gnocchi with peas and basil is ready in half the time.
This soup sits comfortably next to my creamy roasted vegetable soup and creamy potato soup with garlic and yogurt if you're building out a soup rotation for the colder months. And if shredded chicken in a creamy sauce is more your thing than soup, my creamy chicken and mushroom stew uses a similar method.
💗 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- One pot, start to finish - the chicken cooks first, then comes out while you build the soup in the same pot
- Shredding the chicken separately means it stays tender instead of turning stringy
- Ready in under 45 minutes, including resting time for the chicken
- Freezes well if you leave the cream out and add it fresh when reheating
🍲 Ingredients
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Gnocchi: Use fresh, shelf-stable gnocchi (vacuum-packed, not frozen) if you can find it - it holds its shape better in broth and cooks in just 2-3 minutes. Frozen works too, but add it a minute or two earlier since it takes longer to soften.
- Double cream: Just half a cup is enough to round out the broth without making it heavy. Half-and-half or whole milk works if you want it lighter, but the broth won't be quite as rich.
- Chicken: Breast keeps things lean, but thighs work well too and are more forgiving if you cook them a minute or two longer than planned.
- Chicken stock: Use a low-sodium stock so you can control the seasoning yourself, especially since the gnocchi will absorb some salt as it cooks.
- Tomato paste: Just a tablespoon - it's there for depth, not to make the broth taste like tomato soup.
- Spinach: Added at the very end so it just wilts. Kale or Swiss chard works as a substitute, but add it a minute or two earlier since it takes longer to soften.
♻️ Substitutes & Variations
- Want it dairy-free: swap the cream for full-fat coconut milk - it'll taste different, but still creamy
- Swap the chicken for ground turkey: brown it with the vegetables in step 3 instead of cooking it separately, since turkey doesn't need the same resting time
- Make it vegetarian: skip the chicken, use vegetable stock, and stir in a can of drained white beans with the gnocchi for protein
- Want more vegetables in it: mushrooms or diced zucchini added with the onion and carrots work well without changing the timing
👩🍳 How To Make Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Vegetable Soup
Step 1: Cook the chicken, then chop the vegetables
Season the chicken and cook it in a soup pot for a few minutes per side. Remove and set aside to rest, then dice the onion, carrots, and celery while it cools.
Step 2: Sauté the vegetables
In the same pot, add the remaining oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste.
Step 3: Add the chicken stock
Pour in the chicken stock and water as needed. Stir in the cream, Italian herbs, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
Step 4: Add the shredded chicken
Stir in the shredded chicken (cooked and shredded separately beforehand) and let it warm through in the broth.
Step 5: Add the gnocchi
Add the gnocchi and spinach. Simmer for about 4 minutes, until the gnocchi is soft and the spinach has wilted.
Step 6: The final dish
Ladle into bowls and top with parsley and grated Parmesan, if using. Serve warm.
*See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
Claudia's top Tips
- Shred the chicken while it's still warm - it comes apart mucah more easily than once it's cooled
- Taste the broth before adding the gnocchi, since gnocchi soaks up salt as it cooks
- Keep a close eye once the gnocchi goes in - 4 minutes is usually enough, and it turns mushy fast if left longer
Common Mistakes
- Simmering raw chicken directly in the broth (it turns dry and stringy - cook and shred it separately instead)
- Adding gnocchi too early and letting it overcook
- Boiling hard once the cream goes in, which can cause it to split
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, if it sits in the broth. Cook the soup up through the vegetables and broth, then add the gnocchi fresh when you reheat - it only needs a few minutes to soften.
Not well on its own. Freeze the base without the cream and gnocchi, then stir both in fresh once it's reheated, since dairy-based broths tend to separate after freezing.
Usually it just needs a few more minutes uncovered before the chicken and gnocchi go in, or an extra splash of cream at the end.
Yes - skip the chicken-cooking step and stir in about 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken in step 5 instead. If you'd rather roast your own, my perfect roast chicken recipe shreds easily and works well here.
Up to 3 days in an airtight container.
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Vegetable Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup double cream (or heavy cream)
- 2 chicken breasts about 12-14 oz
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ gnocchi pack about 8 oz
- 2 handfuls fresh spinach
- Chopped parsley to garnish
- Grated Parmesan to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil. Cook it in a soup pot or deep pot over medium heat for a few minutes per side, until cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F/74°C). Remove and set aside to rest, then dice the onion, carrots, and celery while it cools.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 chicken breasts, Salt and black pepper, 2 celery stalks
- Shred the chicken with two forks once cooled enough to handle.
- In the same pot, add the remaining olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Pour in the chicken stock, plus water if needed to top up the pot. Add the cream, Italian herbs, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.4 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 4 cups chicken stock, ½ cup double cream (or heavy cream), 1 tsp dried Italian herbs, 1 tsp dried oregano
- Add the shredded chicken, gnocchi, and spinach. Simmer for about 4 minutes, until the gnocchi is soft and the spinach has wilted.½ gnocchi pack, 2 handfuls fresh spinach
- Garnish with parsley and Parmesan if using, and serve.Chopped parsley, Grated Parmesan
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