Description
Craving restaurant-quality comfort food? This copycat Olive Garden soup brings together tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, and vegetables in a creamy broth that rivals the original. Perfect for cozy nights in!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (450g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into ½-inch pieces
- 16 ounces (450g) potato gnocchi (fresh or shelf-stable)
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion (about 1 cup/150g), finely diced
- 3 medium carrots (about 1 cup/135g), peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks (about ¾ cup/100g), diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 6 cups (1.4L) chicken broth, preferably low-sodium
- 2 cups (480ml) half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups (60g) fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- ½ cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Season diced chicken with salt and pepper, then cook until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Add remaining tablespoon oil to pot. Cook onion until translucent (3 minutes), then add carrots and celery, cooking for 5 minutes more. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes to create a roux.
- Gradually pour in chicken broth while whisking. Add bay leaf and thyme. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in half-and-half. Return cooked chicken to pot. Simmer gently for 10 minutes (don’t boil).
- Add uncooked gnocchi to soup and cook until they float, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in chopped spinach until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
- Add Parmesan cheese until melted. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.