This creamy chicken bacon gnocchi soup is comfort in a bowl! Everyday ingredients come together quickly for this simple and delectable meal.
I think you'll enjoy my Creamy Tuscan Chicken Gnocchi Soup next.
This chicken gnocchi soup was inspired by my Chicken Bacon Gnocchi. Those flavors are well-loved, and so doing something similar in soup form was a no-brainer for me. Is there any better way to warm up than with pillowy gnocchi in a steaming bowl of soup?!
This creamy gnocchi soup is straightforward to make and a tasty way to use up leftover cooked chicken (or rotisserie chicken) if you have some. You start by cooking the bacon, and then you sauté the onion and garlic in some of the remaining bacon fat. This builds a lot of delicious flavor. Then the chicken broth, cream, Italian seasoning, and gnocchi are added in and simmered for about 15 minutes. The chicken is stirred in towards the end (at the same time as the spinach) since it's already cooked (this avoids it getting too dry). And that's it! The soup thickens up the more you cook it, so it's easy to customize just how thick you want it.
Recipe notes & tips:
- The gnocchi cooks right in the soup, and the starch released is integral to thickening the broth up, so there is no need to pre-cook it.
- As with any recipe, substitutions are at your own risk. I don't recommend subbing the cream with something like milk or half-and-half because there's a chance the soup will curdle due to the high heat it's cooked over. With that said, feel free to experiment because you never know what will work until you try!
- If you don't have any pre-cooked chicken, I would cut up a couple of chicken breasts (or a few chicken thighs - they will stay more tender) and then add it to the pot at step 4.
- If the leftovers are too thick, try adding a splash of chicken broth when re-heating.
- This isn't the type of soup that freezes beautifully, but it will still taste fine if you need to do so. It may separate a bit, so I recommend warming it on a low heat and possibly adding a touch more cream or chicken broth if needed.
- You could sub the spinach with kale if you wish (or leave it out altogether). The spinach adds a touch of color, more texture, and makes it a tad healthier, so that's why I like to add it in.
You may want to try my Creamy Balsamic Spinach Bacon Mushroom Chicken if you love the flavor combo in this soup!
What to serve with chicken gnocchi soup?
Try some garlic bread or a side salad.
More delicious gnocchi recipes to try:
- Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Creamy Pesto Gnocchi
- Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
- Sausage, Kale, and Gnocchi Soup
I hope you will love this hug in a bowl!
Questions about this chicken bacon gnocchi soup recipe? Let me know in the comments below. Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you've made one of my recipes.
Chicken Bacon Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 dash Italian seasoning
- 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
- 2 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into small pieces (I use my kitchen shears to make this job easy) and add it to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy (about 10 minutes).
- Meanwhile, prep the other ingredients.
- Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the onion to the pot and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth, cream, Italian seasoning, gnocchi, and most of the cooked bacon to the pot (I reserve some bacon for garnishing). Give it a good stir and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat so it's gently simmering and cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Cook for 15 minutes (I stir it every so often just to ensure the gnocchi isn't sticking to the bottom).
- Once the soup is as thick as you want it to be (it continues to thicken up the longer it's cooked), add in the cooked chicken and the spinach. Let it warm through for a few minutes. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- Serves 4-6 depending on how much people eat.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if sensitive to salt.
- The gnocchi cooks right in the soup... no need to pre-cook it. The starch releases and that's what thickens up the broth.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Susan says
This is absolutely delicious! Thank you!!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Susan!!
Nikki says
Spectacular!!!! I did add a little more broth & heavy cream at the end, but I couldn’t stop eating it!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it!! 🙂
Rachel says
One of my favorite soups! Comes together easy and is full of flavor!
Natasha says
I'm so glad to hear it!! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Andy says
Very tasty! Next time I will probably do more broth and heavy cream so we can have more ‘soup’ but my oh my it was delicious! And easy!
Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Andy!
Whitney says
This was fantastic!! I did nothing different except accidentally add more bacon! My whole family loved it and my 8yo said, “I don’t want anymore, but I neeeeed more” and put away almost 3 small bowls! Thank you for sharing!
Natasha says
Thank you so much!! Haha I love that!
Lynda says
Oh my goodness!!! This is delicious! Thank you!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're very welcome!! Thank you so much for your review, Lynda.
Bea says
What if I only have precooked gnocchi? Do I wait to add it?
Natasha says
Yes
Louise says
As a family of 6 it’s hard to find a dinner everyone likes. This is one of those rare recipes. Not only is it delicious but it’s super quick and easy to make. A winner in my book!
Natasha says
Well that's awesome!! 😀 I'm so glad everyone likes it!! Thanks for your review, Louise!
Alisha Tuschewski says
At first glance this recipe looks a lot more time/effort than I will willing to put out for a regular day of the week soup, I found however that it's so much easier than it at first appears and it is well worth the time and effort that is required. A big thing is planning in advance because some of the ingredients aren't standards that I always have around. As was said before, don't try exchanging the heavy cream with milk or whatever. The cream essential. I did double the garlic and added a bit more onion than was called for. For those so inclined, using fresh herbs would be a nice addition. However the dried worked great as is. I found that I'm not so crazy about Gnocchi in such large chunks and I would recommend cutting each piece into quarters. This soup would even work as a stand alone when having dinner guests. Due to the bacon and heavy cream it is far more substantial than "soup". Oh, I also just used 4 cups of chicken bullion because I didn't have the broth and with the spinach I didn't bother cutting it or even measuring it and eyeballing it worked out perfectly in this tasty soup that I will now become a regular go-to when I'm wanting a next level soup.
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!! Thanks for your thorough review.
Jenna says
Hello
Can’t wait to make this Recipe.
Can you use frozen potato gnocchi?
Natasha says
Yes... it'll thaw quite fast right in the soup. Enjoy!
Beth says
I have a food allergy to potato. Can another pasta be used?
Natasha says
Sure! I haven't tested it, but I think that should work fine. Cooking time may need to be adjusted... just be sure to stir often so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
Phil Bremer says
Gnocchi is an Italian dumpling that's made with potatoes and wheat flour. Make dumplings (biscuit dough) and don't use potatoes. Then there's sweet potato gnocchi, that might be something to use.
Keeley says
Love it <3 <3 <3
Natasha says
Thank you!! 🙂
Kimi says
This soup was delicious! My family loved it.
I was wondering if I could make this in a slow cooker? I’d like to make this for a holiday staff lunch.
Thank you!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂 So, I would probably just cook it as indicated and then transfer it to the Crockpot and keep it on the "keep warm" setting. You'd have to do the searing steps beforehand anyway (and most slow cookers don't have that feature), and I'm iffy on how long to slow cook the gnocchi to get the right texture, so I think for best results it's best to make as written.
Kimi says
Perfect. Thanks!
karen F hastings says
what is gnocchi and where do i find it ?
Natasha says
Hi! It's essentially a potato-based dumpling, typically found in the pasta aisle in your grocery store.
Jan Manchuso says
Decrease amount of gnocchi and bacon fat. Substitute some butter for bacon fat.
Alyssa says
This soup is amazing!! I used shallots instead of a normal onion and it turned out great!!!
Natasha says
That's wonderful to hear!! Thanks for letting me know, Alyssa! 🙂
Briana says
Does anyone have reheating instructions or tips? I want to make this the night before and warm it in a slow cooker the next day while I'm at work.
Natasha says
Hi Briana! I am a bit concerned that the gnocchi may soak up the broth quite a bit/the soup may get a bit gloopy if it's warming up all day. It won't take *that* long to re-warm it the next day, though, if you just do it on the stove.
Briana says
Thanks!
Robin says
This turned out great! My daughter is a fan of this kind of soups and so Her and I made it together. She puts the onion in the processor because I hate the texture. Then we browned the mush. It changed the balance enough that it didn’t thicken as much as she wanted, so she added 1/8 cup of flour. She even sprinkled some grated parmesan cheese on hers. Definitely recommend this👍👍. Thank you for sharing
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I'm so glad that it worked out, Robin!
JuliR says
This is fantastically good and pretty easy to make. Hit the spot on a cold rainy weekend, and look forward to making again. I had some baby portbellas that I added, and it was a solid addition to the recipe!
Natasha says
Thank you!! I'm so happy that you enjoyed it. Love the mushroom addition!
Roni says
This is the perfect meal: flavour-packed, hearty, quick, easy. I used evaporated skim milk instead of cream and it still thickened brilliantly. The only other additions I made were chili flakes and a diced red pepper. TOTALLY satisfying on every level. Thanks for sharing a new favourite!
Natasha says
Thank you so much!!
Stephanie says
I made this tonight and it was even better than I thought it would be! This is the 3rd recipe I have made from Salt and Lavender and they have all been awesome. I will definitely be making this again!
Natasha says
I'm thrilled to hear that, Stephanie! So glad you're enjoying the recipes. 🙂
b says
Delicious! We loved this recipe soooo much.
Only made half for the two of us and was perfect.
This is definitely going into our rotation.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful soup
recipe.
Natasha says
Excellent!! You're very welcome 🙂
Crystal D. says
My family really enjoyed this recipe! It's not hard to pull together and tastes fantastic! My 13 yr old has requested it for her birthday dinner. Thank you for the recipe
Natasha says
Excellent!! I love that she wants it for her birthday. 🙂
Jennifer says
Wow! This soup was amazing! I changed nothing at all (aside from the fact I doubled the recipe for leftovers!) and our whole family loved it! Thank you! We are adding it to our rotation of soups!!
Natasha says
Thank you so much!! I'm so happy you all enjoyed it! 😀
Emily says
Just finished eating this with my husband. We both really loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing it! I doubled the amount of onion and garlic, because my husband and I can't get enough. It's minus 18c here in northern Sweden and this really hit the spot. Thank you again!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! I'm so happy it worked out for you. It's a bit warmer here in Canada right now, but still chilly... stay warm! 🙂
Megan says
Yum! The perfect comfort food for a snowy day! I followed the recipe as is and let the soup simmer longer to really thicken up, it was great! Will definitely be making again, maybe with even more bacon...
Natasha says
So happy you enjoyed it, Megan! And you can't go wrong with more bacon. 😉
Derek says
Wow! This was a great meal... we just added some bread on the side to complement the hearty soup. Followed your recipe as is, and it turned out awesome! Thanks for the idea, I will be reading more to what’s next on the menu.
Natasha says
That's great!! So happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
Adriana says
Is there a video for this receipe? Thanks a lot!
Natasha says
Not for this one - sorry! But I try to write the instructions very clearly. 🙂
Stephanie Rock says
I made this for election night and it truly is amazing comfort food! I followed the recipe exactly, but I admit I threw in some shredded carrots as a last minute add, which worked out nicely. Great recipe!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Stephanie!!
Kaitlyn says
This looks so good! Could I make this in the crockpot as well, or should I just go ahead and make it on the stove?
Natasha says
Thank you! I think it would probably be easiest on the stove. If you did it in the Crockpot, you'd have to dirty up a pan to fry the bacon (unless you have a fancy slow cooker w. a sauté function), and I am not sure exactly when to add the gnocchi timing-wise (but I should really test some Crockpot gnocchi soups one of these days!).