Soups & stews / Chicken, noodle & dumpling soups
Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
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Cream, chicken, soft gnocchi and a squeeze of lemon, all in one pot. Add the gnocchi last. We learned that the year the soup turned to porridge, and we ate it anyway, because everyone was home.
The short version
Soften onion, carrot and celery in butter, stir in flour, add broth and chicken, and simmer until the chicken hits 165°F. Shred it, cook the gnocchi 3 to 5 minutes, then stir in cream, spinach, Parmesan and lemon. One pot, about 45 minutes. Add the gnocchi late or it turns to mush.
What makes ours better
small changes, very loud compliments
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Thicken with flour, not a slurry. Cooking a few tablespoons of flour with the vegetables gives a silky body from the first minute, so you never end up stirring cornstarch into a finished soup and hoping.
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Poach the chicken right in the broth. The chicken seasons the broth as it cooks, and thighs or breasts both stay juicy because you pull them the moment they hit temperature.
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Gnocchi last, cream off the boil. Shelf-stable gnocchi needs only a few minutes, and cream stirred in at a gentle simmer stays smooth instead of splitting.
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Finish with lemon and a pinch of nutmeg. Cream soups taste flat without a little acid, and nutmeg is the quiet note that makes cream and spinach taste right together.
What you need
check the pantry before you promise anyone
- Carrots2 medium
- Celery2 rib
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts1¼ pounds
- Dried thyme1 teaspoon
- Shelf-stable potato gnocchi16 ounces
- Heavy cream1 cup
- Baby spinach5 ounces
- Finely grated Parmesan½ cup
read it twice. buy it once.
Steps
apron on. phone down. mostly.
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Soften the vegetables
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with the salt. Cook, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds, until you can smell it.
About 8 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Stir in the flour
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute. It will look pasty and smell faintly toasty, and no dry flour should remain.
Keep stirring. Flour left to sit on the bottom of the pot scorches.
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Add broth and chicken
Pour in the broth a little at a time, stirring to dissolve the flour paste. Add the chicken, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently until the chicken reads 165°F in the thickest part, 15 to 20 minutes.
Thicker breasts take the longer end of that range. Check early and pull anything that is done.
About 18 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Shred the chicken
Lift the chicken to a cutting board and discard the bay leaf. Shred it with two forks into bite-size pieces. Keep the soup at a low simmer.
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Cook the gnocchi
Add the gnocchi straight from the package to the simmering broth. Cook until they float and are tender in the center, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir gently so they don't stick to the bottom.
Long cooking turns gnocchi soft and gummy, and they keep absorbing broth in the pot, so don't start them early.
About 4 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Finish with cream and spinach
Turn the heat to low. Stir in the cream, shredded chicken, spinach and Parmesan. Heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach wilts and the soup is steaming but not boiling. Add the lemon juice, nutmeg and pepper, then taste and add salt if it needs it.
About 3 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
the stuff I’d tell you over the phone
- Use fresh or shelf-stable gnocchi. Frozen gnocchi works too; add it straight from the freezer and give it 1 to 2 extra minutes.
- For a thinner soup, stir in a splash of broth. For a thicker one, simmer 3 or 4 minutes before adding the cream, or smash a few gnocchi against the side of the pot.
- Rotisserie chicken is a shortcut. Skip poaching, simmer the broth and vegetables 10 minutes, then add 3 cups shredded meat with the cream.
- Swap the spinach for chopped kale. Add it with the broth so it has time to soften.
- Storage. Refrigerate up to 3 days. The gnocchi keeps drinking broth, so thin leftovers with a splash of broth or water when reheating gently on the stove. Freezing is not recommended because the cream and gnocchi turn grainy.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Can I use frozen or homemade gnocchi?
Frozen works; cook it straight from the freezer and add a minute or two. Homemade is more delicate, so cook it separately in salted water and add it to each bowl.
How do I thicken chicken gnocchi soup?
This one thickens from the flour cooked with the vegetables. If you want it thicker still, simmer it uncovered for a few minutes before the cream goes in, or smash a few gnocchi on the side of the pot.
Why did my soup curdle or look grainy?
The cream got too hot. Turn the heat to low before adding it and don't let the soup boil afterward. Adding the lemon juice off the heat also helps.
Can I use half-and-half or milk instead of cream?
Half-and-half works well and gives a lighter soup. Whole milk is thinner and more likely to split, so add it last and keep the soup below a simmer.
Can I make it ahead?
Make the soup through poaching and shredding the chicken, then chill. When you are ready to serve, reheat, cook the gnocchi, and add the cream and spinach so the texture stays right.
From the table
Made it? I want the full report: first bite, best compliment, and who tried to take the leftovers home.
Made it?
tell me the truth, then tell me who had thirds
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Published October 29, 2026.