Description
Comfort food heaven with a little Italian flair: Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup!
Think of this recipe as a home-style creamy chicken noodle soup—just with pillowy gnocchi dumplings instead of noodles. Tender chicken, fresh herbs, and a rich, parmesan-infused broth make this one-pot meal hearty yet easy enough for a weeknight.
Ready in 60 minutes or less, with only 20 minutes of simmering!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- 3 medium carrots, peeled as desired and diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 medium yellow potato, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ¾ ounce fresh “poultry herbs” (approx. 2 sprigs rosemary, 10-12 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs sage), tied together with kitchen twine or removed from the stem and finely chopped
- optional: 1 parmesan rind (see Recipe Notes)
- 16 ounces gnocchi
- ½ cup half and half or heavy cream
Instructions
- Brown the chicken: Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (at least 5-quart capacity with a tight-fitting lid) over medium heat. Season the chicken with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt. Add the chicken to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Soften the aromatics and bloom the spices: If needed, add an extra drizzle of olive oil to the pot, then add the carrot, celery, onion, and potato. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables have softened slightly. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Build the soup: Dust the flour over the softened veggies, stirring to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until deeply browned. While scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, slowly pour in the chicken stock. Add the bay leaves, parmesan rind (if using) and herbs to the pot, then nestle the browned chicken into the veggies.
- Simmer: Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer, partially cover the pot (leave the lid slightly ajar to allow some steam to escape), and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Finish the soup: Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board. Stir the gnocchi into the soup and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces with two forks. Once the gnocchi is cooked, stir the shredded chicken back into the pot along with the heavy cream, cooking until warmed through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the chicken and gnocchi soup into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh herbs and a swoosh of olive oil if desired, and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Parmesan rind: A parmesan rind is the tough outer edge of a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and it’s my absolute favorite soup season secret. Toss a parmesan rind into any cozy soup you make this cold season; as it simmers, it will infuse a rich, parmesan-y flavor into the broth. It’s an easy way to add an extra depth of flavor to soups, stews, and sauces, especially when the recipe comes together quickly (like this Chicken and Dumplings recipe). Parmesan rinds are usually sold at cheese shops or grocery stores with a more curated cheese selection (I buy mine at Whole Foods). Store them in your freezer all soup season long.
- 15-Minute Meal Prep: The majority of the active time involved in this recipe is chopping veggies. Chop all the veggies in advance to get a head start on your chicken and dumplings – it’ll take about 15 minutes, tops. Keep everything in individual airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. At dinnertime all you have to do is get cooking – so easy!:
- Peel and dice 3 medium carrots.
- Finely dice 1 celery rib.
- Finely dice 1 yellow onion.
- Dice 1 yellow potato, storing covered in water to prevent browning.
Storage and Reheating:
- Creamy chicken and gnocchi soup will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a little extra chicken stock or broth if the soup needs to loosen up a little. I don’t suggest freezing this recipe, as the texture of the gnocchi changes with a thaw.