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A young woman eats a colorful and healthy meal from a bowl, emphasizing balanced diet.

Creamy Chicken & Gnocchi Soup

Tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, and vibrant sundried tomatoes and spinach swim in a luxuriously creamy broth.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course: dinner, One Pot Meals, Soup
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Calories: 5000
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tsp kosher salt divided
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper adjust to your heat preference
For the Soup
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion finely diced (or use a shallot!)
  • 4-5 cloves garlic minced or crushed
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 8.5 oz. jar sun-dried tomatoes drained and roughly chopped (reserve 1 tbsp of the oil)
  • 4 cups 32 oz / 1 carton chicken stock low-sodium
  • 1 cup heavy cream or see Lower-Fat Swap below
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 16 oz. package gnocchi shelf-stable or refrigerated
  • 3 cups fresh spinach loosely packed
  • 2 tbsp cold butter optional, for extra richness

Method
 

Season & Cook the Chicken:
  1. Pat the chicken breasts dry. In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp of the salt, black pepper, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, basil, and cayenne. Rub this seasoning blend liberally all over the chicken.
  2. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Don't crowd the pot; cook in batches if needed.
  3. Remove chicken to a plate and let it rest.
Build the Flavor Base: 
  1. Reduce the heat to medium. To the same pot, add the 1 tbsp of reserved sun-dried tomato oil (or another tbsp of olive oil). Add the diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  2. Push the onions and garlic to the side. Add the tomato paste to the center of the pot and let it cook for 1 minute, stirring, until it darkens slightly.
  3. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir everything together, cooking for 2 more minutes.
  4. Pour in the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Finish the Soup: 
  1. While the broth simmers, cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream. Slowly stir in the grated Parmesan until it melts and the soup is creamy, about 3 minutes. Do not let it boil.
  3. Add the chopped chicken, gnocchi, and spinach. Stir to combine. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 5-7 minutes, or until the gnocchi are tender and have floated to the top.
  4. Stir in the cold butter (if using) until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining 1 tsp of salt, if needed.
  5. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan and fresh crushed black pepper.

Notes

Lower-Fat Swap: To drastically reduce the fat in this soup recipe, replace the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese with a creamy, low-fat alternative: 2 cups low-fat half-and-half and 1/2 cup nutritional yeast. The nutritional yeast provides a cheesy, savory flavor (umami) without the fat. Add it along with the half-and-half in Step 4.