Crock Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I stole this recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup from crockpotladies.com who stole it from Olive Garden. This homemade soup is very similar to a famous restaurant soup. Cooked chicken is added to a slow cooker with chicken stock, celery, carrots, onions and Italian seasoning. After several hours of cooking, potato gnocchi and evaporated milk is added in with cooked spinach and garlic. An additional hour of cooking and you have a fabulous home made soup to eat.

“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.” – Ludwig van Beethoven (see more quotes in the Quotes tab)

February 4th is National Homemade Soup Day and you can celebrate by making Crock Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup or Fiesta Chowder (to see more Food Holidays see the National Food Holidays category or look at the Food Holiday Calendar).

Prepare 1-2 lbs cooked chicken as desired or purchase a rotisserie chicken. Shred the chicken and set it aside.

In a skillet over medium heat sauté 5 stalks of diced celery, until slightly browned. If you are cooking the chicken yourself, reuse the same skillet.

Remove celery from skillet, repeat with 3 whole carrots that have been peeled and sliced plus 1 medium chopped onion.

In a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker add the chicken, celery, carrots and onion.

Add 1 tbsp Italian seasoning and 4 cups chicken stock.

Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours. In a small bowl mix 2 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp water to create a slurry which will thicken the soup.

After 6 hours of cooking time has passed stir in 16 oz potato gnocchi and cornstarch/water mixture and a 14.5 oz can evaporated milk to the slow cooker.

In a small skillet add 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 cloves minced garlic and 8 oz  fresh or frozen chopped spinach and sauté until the spinach has wilted (if using fresh spinach). Stir in the spinach mixture into the soup in the slow cooker and cover and cook 1 additional hour. Ladle hot soup into bowls and serve with bread or crackers for a delicious soup for dinner or lunch.

Crock Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This homemade soup is very similar to a famous restaurant soup. Cooked chicken is added to a slow cooker with chicken stock, celery, carrots, onions and Italian seasoning. After several hours of cooking, potato gnocchi and evaporated milk is added in with cooked spinach and garlic. An additional hour of cooking and you have a fabulous home made soup to eat.
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1-2 lbs cooked chicken diced or shredded
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 5 stalks celery sliced
  • 3 whole carrots peeled and sliced
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 16 oz frozen potato gnocchi
  • 14.5 oz can evaporated milk
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
  • 8 oz spinach fresh or frozen chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker add the chicken, chicken stock, celery, carrots, onion and Italian seasoning.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours.
  3. In a small bowl mix cornstarch and 1 tbsp water to create a slurry which will thicken the soup.
  4. After 6 hours of cooking time has passed stir in the potato gnocchi and cornstarch/water mixture and the evaporated milk to the slow cooker.
  5. In a small skillet add the olive oil, garlic and spinach and sauté until the spinach has wilted (if using fresh spinach).
  6. Stir in the spinach mixture into the soup in the slow cooker and cover and cook 1 additional hour.
  7. Ladle hot soup into bowls and serve with bread or crackers for a delicious soup for dinner or lunch.

Recipe Notes

I season the chicken when I cook it or you can use a rotisserie chicken. After I remove the chicken from the cooking pan, I add the chopped vegetables and sauté them for a few minutes. This slightly browns the vegetables and allows the vegetables to pick up any pan drippings from cooking the chicken. Then I add everything to the slow cooker and follow the rest of the recipe. You can use a 10 oz box of frozen spinach; I can’t find an 8 oz box. I always have frozen spinach on hand, so it’s easier for me to use instead of fresh.