Description
This creamy garlic chicken gnocchi soup is a comforting Italian-American dish featuring tender chicken, pillowy potato gnocchi, and fresh spinach simmered in a rich garlic cream broth with Parmesan cheese. It’s perfect for a cozy meal that warms you from the inside out.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 cups fresh spinach
Seasonings and Dairy
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Pasta
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
Instructions
- Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same pot, add diced onion, minced garlic, diced carrots, and diced celery. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until the vegetables become soft and fragrant.
- Season: Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to evenly coat the sautéed vegetables and develop the flavors.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer, allowing the flavors to meld for a few minutes.
- Add Cream and Gnocchi: Stir in the heavy cream and add the potato gnocchi. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the gnocchi float to the surface and are tender.
- Combine Chicken and Spinach: Return the cooked chicken to the pot and stir in the fresh spinach, cooking until the spinach is just wilted.
- Finish with Cheese and Garnish: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and combined. Garnish the soup with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- For extra depth of flavor, add a splash of white wine to the pot when sautéing the vegetables and allow it to reduce before adding broth.
- Leftovers tend to thicken upon standing. When reheating, stir in additional chicken broth or cream to restore desired soup consistency.
- You can swap heavy cream for half-and-half for a lighter version, though the soup will be less rich.
- Fresh spinach can be substituted with kale or Swiss chard if preferred.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 820 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg
