You might adore Olive Garden for the unlimited salad and breadsticks or the ultra-comforting pastas, but for me, it’s all about the luxuriously creamy chicken gnocchi soup. Just thinking about it, I can smell the herb and black pepper-flecked broth and feel the warm, satisfying comfort it brings to my belly. But there’s one thing better than the chain’s iconic soup, and that’s how surprisingly easy it is to whip up at home.
Grocery Store Shortcuts Make Quick Work of Soup
Between the creamy broth, pillowy gnocchi, tender vegetables, and juicy chicken, this copycat recipe really does taste like the one at Olive Garden. But what really seals the deal is that the whole thing will be on your table in about 20 minutes.
A few smart grocery store shortcuts are the key to making this weeknight-friendly meal so easy to pull off. That means starting with a rotisserie chicken, a bag of pre-shredded carrots, and quick-cooking, fresh (not frozen) gnocchi from the refrigerator section. If you want, you can also make the shredded chicken ahead of time during meal prep, either on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or the Instant Pot.
3 Easy Methods for Shredded Chicken
- How To Poach Chicken Breasts
- How To Make Easy Shredded Chicken in the Slow Cooker
- How To Cook Chicken Breast in the Instant Pot
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons
olive oil
- 1
large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup
shredded carrots
- 2 stalks
celery, diced
- 4 cloves
garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups
low-sodium chicken broth (32 ounces)
- 2 cups
cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 tablespoon
fresh thyme leaves
- 1 pound
refrigerated potato gnocchi (not frozen)
- 1 (5-ounce) bag
baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups
half-and-half
Instructions
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the broth, chicken, and thyme, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the gnocchi, spinach, and half-and-half, and cook until the gnocchi is cooked through and the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up for 4 days.
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