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This creamy tomato gnocchi soup recipe is easy, comforting, and comes together fast with very little effort. The pillowy gnocchi make this soup filling and ultra comforting!
You may also like my Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup or Creamy Tomato Gnocchi next.
Why you’ll love it
Creamy tomato soup gets an upgrade with the addition of gnocchi, which cooks right in this soup. No messing around with multiple pots means this irresistible soup is that much easier! Italian herbs and fresh basil enhance the creamy tomato broth in this simple gnocchi soup.
I’m going to put it out there that this creamy gnocchi soup is one of the best recipes I’ve ever put on the website. I’m that excited about it! In addition to being hearty and delicious, it’s ready in about half an hour. It’s a no-fuss, satisfying soup that’s perfect for a chilly day.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – tasty aromatics. I like using sweet (Vidalia) onions.
- Tomatoes – we’re using a can of crushed tomatoes for convenience
- Broth – use either chicken or vegetable broth
- Heavy cream – it makes the broth nice and rich
- Sugar – it’s a classic chef’s trick to mellow the acidity of tomatoes and balance flavors
- Italian seasoning – my favorite all-purpose blend of dried herbs in a single jar
- Gnocchi – I use the dry gnocchi that’s found in the pasta aisle of most grocery stores. Refrigerated or frozen gnocchi will work too.
- Basil – for a pop of freshness to complement the tomatoes
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This can opener is my go-to for the tomatoes.
- I like to use this Staub Dutch oven for this soup.
- Don’t have a ladle you like yet? This OXO ladle is great.
How to make creamy tomato gnocchi soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot, sauté the onions in the butter and olive oil until golden, followed by the garlic. Add in the remaining ingredients other than the salt & pepper and basil. Bring to a boil, then gently simmer until the gnocchi are cooked. Season with salt & pepper, and top with basil.
Substitutions and variations
- Homemade gnocchi probably won’t work here. I’ve received reader feedback that it’s delicate and falls apart easily, especially in a soup.
- I don’t recommend subbing the heavy cream for half-and-half or milk. The acidity of the tomatoes will likely curdle it and change the texture, and it won’t taste as intended either.
- Feel free to toss in a handful of spinach at the end for more greens.
What to serve with tomato gnocchi soup
- Grab a slice of fresh crusty bread (French or sourdough would be great) to round out this hearty soup. Or Cheesy Garlic Bread is always a good idea!
- I like a salad with this one. Try mixed greens with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing, this Honey Mustard Dressing, or go all out with a Caesar Salad and some crumbled Oven Cooked Bacon on top.
Leftovers and storage
- Refrigerate leftover soup for for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat over a low heat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through. This soup will continue to thicken up over time as the gnocchi release starch, so if you need to thin it out, add some more broth to it.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers of this soup.
If you made this creamy tomato soup with gnocchi, please leave a star rating and review below! Questions? Ask me in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram.
Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/2 tablespoon white sugar see note
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 generous handful fresh basil torn
Instructions
- Melt the oil & butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for about 5-7 minutes, or until it's lightly browned.
- Stir in the garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, cream, sugar, Italian seasoning, and gnocchi. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring it occasionally. The broth will continue to thicken up the longer it cooks from the starch that the gnocchi releases.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed (I am generous with both) and add the fresh basil just before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Serves 4-6.
- The sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. You can leave it out if you prefer or add more as needed.
- Crushed tomatoes can vary from brand to brand, and some are a bit more chunky like the ones I used in the photos.
- If the soup gets too thick at any point, especially when reheating leftovers, you may want to add another splash of chicken broth or water.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on November 17, 2017. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
Thanks Natasha. Awesome recipe. Like most soups and stews, much better the next day.
Glad you enjoyed it!! 😀 Thanks, Tom!
We are having a soup party where everyone brings a soup and we all try it- the soup would be in a Crock pot for a few hours after cooking it and I’m wondering if the gnocchi will get mushy or fall apart?
Hi Ashley! I have enjoyed the leftovers of this soup for a couple of days after making it. I haven’t ever had it on a “keep warm” setting for a few hours, though. I think you probably will be ok, but the only way to know for sure is to do a test run before the soup party.
Really good on this late spring night! I’m often too lazy to actually measure things and approximated the amounts of ingredients for this soup — it is very forgiving for that kind of cooking.
Thanks for a great new recipe.
Yay!! So glad to hear it. I am the same way in my everyday cooking when not for the blog haha.
Delicious! Although I did ad ground chicken sausage and some spinach. OMG! My husband and I couldn’t get enough!! Definitely making it again!
Wonderful!! 🙂
Can you sub coconut milk for heavy cream?
You could try, but it will change the flavor a bit.
Are these crushed tomatoes or diced. The picture shows diced but the recipe calls for crushed. Please advise. Thx
Hi Terry! You’re right… those photos are very old and the recipe has since been updated as I prefer a slightly thicker texture with crushed tomatoes. I’d use crushed as per the recipe but diced won’t break the recipe or anything. Readers have made it with both. Hope you enjoy the soup! 🙂
Thank you! I will let you know. I am making it tomorrow!
I just made this soup. However, I added Sweet Italian sausage and spinach…extra tomatoes because of the extra ingredients… absolutely delicious.
Can I make this in a crockpot? Sounds delicious.
I haven’t tested it, but you’re welcome to experiment. I haven’t tested gnocchi in the Crockpot before, so I am hesitant to guess.
So I ended up cooking it on low for about 4 hours with everything except the gnocchis and heavy cream. We added these last minute, just long enough to heat them and then served. It would out really well! Thanks!
Fantastic!!
Best soup I’ve ever made 🥰 roasted some garden tomatoes and garlic in place of the can and even better!
That’s fantastic!!
It always puzzles me when people comment with high ratings and then proceed to tell you how they changed the recipe. IDK, I guess I’m of the mind set that if i make it the way it is written then i can chime in…but that’s just me. I’m new to you Natasha and so far have tried 3 of your recipes, just as written, and they are simply delicious and so wonderful in flavor. I’m pretty good in the kitchen, cooking and baking and with you, i have found a reliable source. Thank you for doing the upfront work for us all, look forward to making more of your recipes.
Aww thanks for your kind comment, Cat!! 🙂 I appreciate you trying the recipes as-is, and I am so happy you enjoyed them.
Does this freeze well? Would like to make in advance to bring on a trip later. Thank you!
Hi! So, this isn’t the type of recipe that I’d recommend freezing. There’s cream in the broth (cream tends not to freeze/thaw well), and the gnocchi may get kinda gloopy. I recommend perhaps making the soup before the trip and freezing any leftovers as a test. I’d just not like to advise you to freeze the whole batch and then it not turn out as you were hoping.