Slow-Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Looking for a slow-cooker chicken gnocchi soup to warm up with on a cool night? Chicken recipes are a staple in any household and everybody loves a good chicken soup. This one’s a definite winner, as you need only 15 minutes of prep time before letting it simmer for four hours. You could prep in the afternoon and then, after the house starts to smell amazing, sit down for dinner and enjoy the soup. That’s the beauty of a slow cooker: It does the cooking for you.

By using potato gnocchi that’s already made, you’re still adding a starch but without any work on your part as you might if boiling, peeling and chopping potatoes.

Ingredients for Slow-Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Diana Rattray for Taste of Home

• Chicken: For this recipe you’ll need a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
• Onion: A yellow onion works best in this recipe because it caramelizes really nicely and is sweet instead of bitter.
• Carrot: Any color of carrot will work—orange, white, yellow or purple—as long as it’s medium in size.
• Celery: One celery rib is all you need. Celery helps form the aromatic base of the dish.
• Garlic: You use either fresh or jarred garlic. If opting for store-bought minced cloves, drain the water before adding to the recipe.
• Italian seasoning: This is often sold as a premade blend. Included in the blend are dried basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, marjoram and thyme. You can also make your own Italian seasoning using our recipe.
• Poultry seasoning: Blended into this common spice that’s designed to pair with chicken are six ingredients, all dried: sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, black pepper and nutmeg. You can also make your own poultry seasoning using our easy recipe.
• Chicken broth: Store-bought chicken broth works well in this recipe, but it’s also not hard to make your own using our recipe.
• Heavy whipping cream: This ingredient makes the soup creamy and thick. Whipping cream contains milk and milk fat.
• Cornstarch: Flourlike in its texture, this is an ideal ingredient for thickening a soup fast.
• Potato gnocchi: A 16-ounce bag of potato gnocchi is all you’ll need here. Stores usually offer it shelf-stable, although you may find it frozen.
• Spinach: Baby spinach leaves are smaller and more delicate than regular spinach.

Directions

Step 1: Start the soup in the slow cooker

Diana Rattray for Taste of Home

Place the first 10 ingredients into a 6-quart slow cooker; stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for four to five hours or on low for six to eight hours.

Step 2: Shred the chicken

Diana Rattray for Taste of Home

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer it to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the slow cooker.

Editor’s Tip: Shredding chicken shouldn’t be a chore. If you want to learn how to shred chicken more efficiently, here are three speedy ways.

Step 3: Create the broth, add the gnocchi

Diana Rattray for Taste of Home

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and cornstarch until the cornstarch has dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture and the gnocchi to the slow cooker; cook for an additional 30 to 60 minutes or until the gnocchi is cooked and the broth is thickened. Stir in the spinach.

Diana Rattray for Taste of Home

Slow-Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup Variations  

• Try it with tortellini: Spinach-and-cheese-filled tortellini skews this soup more Italian.
• Add another vegetable: Chopped tomatoes add pops of red to this soup and provide another nutritional value. In autumn, you can’t go wrong with chopped pumpkin.

How to Store Slow-Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This recipe is made for storing. You can prepare it a day ahead of time or freeze it in batches so you have easy weeknight dinners later on.

Can you freeze slow-cooker chicken gnocchi soup?

Unless you think your family will eat all of the leftovers at once, it’s best to only take out of the freezer the amount of soup that you think you will need. Freeze portions of the soup in small airtight containers or in resealable freezer bags. Another trick is to fill large muffin tins with the soup, then transfer these portions to a container or bag once they’ve hardened.

How long does slow-cooker chicken gnocchi soup last?

If you keep the soup in a covered airtight container it will last in the fridge for three to five days.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup Tips

Diana Rattray for Taste of Home

How do I make this soup creamier?

By increasing the amount of whipping cream, the consistency thickens and becomes creamier.

How can I make this vegetarian?

Remove the shredded chicken (try a plant-based version instead) and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and this is now a soup that vegetarians can enjoy.

What should I serve with this?

A delicious comfort-foods soup with crusty bread hits the spot or you can also serve the soup with our garlic bread recipe, which is buttery, rich bread when you pull it out of the oven.