Description
This Creamy Gnocchi Chicken Soup is a comforting and hearty dish, perfect for any season. Packed with tender shredded chicken, fresh vegetables, flavorful herbs, and soft potato gnocchi, all simmered in a rich and creamy broth made with your choice of coconut milk, heavy cream, or whole milk. This soup is easy to prepare and perfect served warm with a crusty piece of bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 6 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 4-6 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Proteins & Dairy
- 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 1/2 cups canned coconut milk, heavy cream, or whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
Pantry & Spices
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 pinch chili flakes
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 4-6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 pound fresh potato gnocchi
Instructions
- Sauté vegetables: In a large soup pot set over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped yellow onion and cook for about 5 minutes until fragrant and translucent. Add the chopped carrots and celery and cook for an additional 3 minutes until slightly softened.
- Create the roux & add chicken and seasonings: Stir in the salted butter and all-purpose flour and cook the mixture for 1 minute to form a roux, which will thicken the soup. Then add the chicken breasts or thighs along with chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, fresh thyme leaves, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper. Toss everything together so the chicken is well coated with the spices.
- Simmer the soup: Pour in 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth and bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let it cook for approximately 20 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through.
- Shred chicken: Remove the chicken from the soup and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken back to the soup pot to combine with the broth and vegetables.
- Add greens, sun-dried tomatoes, cream, parmesan, and gnocchi: Stir in the baby spinach, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, your choice of coconut milk, heavy cream, or whole milk, and grated parmesan cheese. Finally, add the fresh potato gnocchi and cook for about 5 minutes until the gnocchi are tender and the soup is heated through. If the soup becomes too thick, add extra vegetable broth to reach your desired consistency.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra parmesan if desired. Serve warm, ideally with a crusty piece of bread for a complete meal. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute chicken breasts with thighs for richer flavor and juiciness.
- Choose your preferred milk based on dietary needs or taste—coconut milk for a dairy-free option, heavy cream for richness, or whole milk for a lighter version.
- Adjust the amount of vegetable broth to control the soup’s consistency.
- Fresh gnocchi cooks quickly, so keep an eye to avoid overcooking.
- For added heat, increase chili flakes to taste.
- Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
