Quick back story: I first started making this recipe a few years ago when Caleb and I lived in Australia. They don’t have Olive Garden there, and I was really craving their soup! It quickly became a favorite recipe of mine. I can’t guarantee that all the ingredients are exactly the same as what Olive Garden uses, but this soup definitely comes close in our opinion. My best friend recently asked me about it because she was interested in the recipe, so I figured it was the perfect time to document it for all of you as well!
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Helpful Notes on the Ingredients
One of the most important ingredients is chicken. What I have found is that a rotisserie chicken from the grocery is much easier to use for this soup than cooking the chicken myself. For one, it saves a lot of prep time. It also saves money; the last rotisserie chicken I picked up was about $5. It guarantees that I will get both white and dark meat in my soup. I think this is very important because the dark meat adds a richer dimension to the soup.
Fresh garlic. Some soups will call for garlic powder (nothing against that), but I love the aromatics of all the vegetables cooked with fresh garlic. I don’t use any fancy tools, just a chopping knife, running it through to mince it as finely as I can.
Gnocchi. So, what exactly is gnocchi? Gnocchi is a type of Italian pasta made from potatoes. They’re like little potato dumplings! If you’re a fan of chicken and dumplings, then you’re sure to love this chicken and gnocchi soup. The creamy, rich textures and flavors are very similar.
Helpful Notes on the Prep
This soup, while extremely tasty, is definitely a labor of love. Since this is not a crock-pot recipe where you just dump in ingredients and let it sit, you need to make sure you’re prepared to spend some time in the kitchen.
Chopping all the vegetables will take around 10 minutes. Now, I do not have a fancy little vegetable chopper and you don’t have to either, but it would save you some time. At each step of the process, while something is cooking, you’re busy preparing the next step. It isn’t difficult as I have outlined everything in detail, but you will probably have your hands busy for the entire prep and cook time. It’s worth it! Trust me. Just be ready to devote around an hour and a half from start to finish. Every time I make this soup, Caleb loves it and leftovers don’t stay around for long.
Roux
For this soup, we will also be making a roux. A roux is just equal parts fat (we use butter) and flour, thinned with a liquid. When combined correctly, you end up with a thick, creamy sauce. Roux is used in lots of soups and chowders and can be used in other recipes like homemade mac n’ cheese. When you first add the butter and flour together, use low/medium heat. Whisking the mixture will make a very thick and “gloppy” texture. Your goal is to get all the lumps of flour out before whisking in any of the milk. When adding the milk, do it slowly and only half a cup at a time. You want the roux to become very thick again before adding the next part. You will be able to feel the roux thicken as you pull your whisk through, and you will know the sauce is ready when you can pull your whisk out and large, heavy, slow drips form. When adding the roux into the rest of the soup, it should sit heavy on top until you begin to stir it all together, changing the soup from liquidy to rich and creamy.
Olive Garden Dupe Chicken & Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
The Soup Base
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 3 medium carrots (peeled)
- 3 stalks of celery
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 32 oz. carton of chicken stock
- 1 package of potato gnocchi
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- parsley (optional)
The Roux (makes the soup creamy)
- 5 tbsp flour
- 5 tbsp butter
- 2 cups of 2% milk
- salt, pepper, paprika
Instructions
- Peel carrots, wash celery, and chop all vegetables into small bits (does not have to be perfect).
- In a large 7 qt. pot, melt 4 tbps butter on medium heat. Add chopped vegetables (except the spinach) and add salt and pepper, and sautee until soft (about 10 minutes).
- Meanwhile, pull apart your rotisserie chicken and chop into bite-size pieces, using both white and dark meat. Add salt and pepper to it.
- When vegetables have softened, add 2 cups of water and the carton of chicken stock to the pot. Add in the chicken and bring up the heat to a boil.
- Once boiling, drop in the gnocchi and cover.
- Meanwhile, make the roux. In a medium saucepan, add 5 tbs butter to melt, then whisk in the flour. The consistency should become very thick and gloppy.
- A little at a time, add in the milk while continuously whisking. Add a tiny salt and pepper, and 5 shakes of paprika.
- When the roux is thickened to a sauce texture, the gnocchi should be done cooking (they float). Add the roux into the large pot and stir everything together. Your soup should start looking creamy.
- Add 1 cup of fresh baby spinach into the soup and stir. When the spinach is wilted down, the soup is done! Garnish with parsley flakes. If your soup is way too thick, you can slowly stir in more chicken stock until it is the desired consistency.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, use the hashtag #lauranearandfar on social media so I can see it!
xo, Laura