Description
Creamy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup with tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, and rich creaminess. Easy, comforting, and perfect for crowds!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1½ pounds (680g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
- 3 celery stalks, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 6 cups (1.4L) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 16 ounces (450g) potato gnocchi (shelf-stable or refrigerated)
- 2 cups (480ml) half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups (60g) fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Base Place your chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart crockpot. Scatter the diced onion, sliced carrots, celery, and minced garlic on top. Sprinkle with dried thyme, rosemary, sage, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Add the bay leaf, then pour the chicken broth over everything. The liquid should just cover the ingredients—this concentration of flavors is what makes your Creamy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup so delicious.
- Step 2: Slow Cook Cover the crockpot and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily shredded with a fork. The slow cooking process allows all those wonderful flavors to develop and the chicken to become perfectly tender. Your kitchen will start to fill with an amazing aroma that signals comfort is on the way.
- Step 3: Shred the Chicken Remove the chicken breasts from the crockpot and transfer to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot and remove the bay leaf. This step ensures your Creamy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup has perfect, evenly distributed pieces of chicken throughout.
- Step 4: Add Gnocchi Stir in the potato gnocchi and cook for an additional 30 minutes on high, or until the gnocchi is tender and cooked through. Different types of gnocchi may require slightly different cooking times—refrigerated gnocchi typically cooks faster than shelf-stable varieties.
- Step 5: Create the Creamy Finish In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of the half-and-half with the cornstarch until smooth. Pour this mixture into the crockpot along with the remaining half-and-half. Stir well to incorporate. This technique ensures your soup thickens evenly without any lumps.
- Step 6: Final Touches Add the chopped spinach and stir until it wilts into the hot soup, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper as needed. The fresh spinach adds a pop of color, nutrients, and a slight texture contrast that elevates your Creamy Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup to the next level.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 370 calories per serving
- Sugar: 6 grams
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 18 grams
- Saturated Fat: 9 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 25 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Protein: 26 grams
- Cholesterol: 95 mg