This Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup will remind you of the creamy, delicious Olive Garden version, with pieces of tender fluffy gnocchi, veggies, and chicken in a creamy broth.
» You might also like Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup and Instant Pot Chicken & Dumpling Soup.
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If you always order the chicken gnocchi soup at Olive Garden, you’ll love that you can easily make it at home in your Instant Pot. Soups are so easy to make in the IP, and they don’t take long at all to develop great flavor. You might also try this zuppa toscana soup that is another of our favorite Olive Garden soups.
We love to make soups and stews in the Instant Pot, especially this White Chicken Chili. So we had to try to make a copycat of the Olive Garden soup we love. If you haven’t had gnocchi before, you’re going to love this. They’re like little fluffy bites of potato, but better.
Ingredients You Need
- Olive oil – You can use olive oil or any kind of cooking oil you like. I like olive oil because it adds a nice flavor and it’s good for you.
- Onion – Use white or yellow onions. I often prefer to use sweet onions because I like their flavor and low bitterness.
- Carrots and Celery – These are the perfect vegetables to use to add great aromatics and flavor to your soup.
- Garlic – Always use fresh garlic that hasn’t been kept in the refrigerator for too long. This has the best flavor and no bitterness that comes from older garlic.
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour.
- Salt and pepper – This is what really brings the flavor out in this dish, so be sure to add the salt and pepper. You might also taste the dish once it’s done cooking and add more to suit your taste.
- Chicken broth – Use a low-sodium broth to not add extra salt to the dish. You can also use water mixed with bouillon cubes.
- Chicken breasts – I use boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to cut down on the cooking time.
- Potato gnocchi – Use whatever brand of potato gnocchi you like, or make your own with this recipe.
- Half and half – This will give the sauce a nice creamy texture and a bit of added fat. Use heavy cream for a creamier outcome.
- Baby spinach – I like to use tender baby spinach so it’s not so tough with big stems.
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Equipment Needed
Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Plus to make all of my recipes. If you’re using an 8-quart pot, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, as it requires more than the 6 quart to build steam.
Soup ladle – It helps to have a soup ladle to scoop out steamy bowls of this soup from the Instant Pot.
How to Make Instant Pot Gnocchi Soup
Turn on sauté mode on your Instant Pot and pour in the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté them for about 3 minutes. You don’t want to cook them so much that they disintegrate into the soup. Turn off sauté mode, and then add the garlic and cook it for 30 seconds.
Add the flour, salt, and pepper to the pot and whisk it into the oil. Let the flour cook for about 30 seconds.
Pour in the chicken broth and whisk the mixture to incorporate the flour mixture and make a thicker broth.
Place the chicken breasts inside the liquid. Close and lock the lid in place. Press the pressure cook or manual button and set it to cook for 8 minutes on high pressure. When it’s done, do a quick release of the pressure.
Watch for hot liquid that may spew out of the pressure release valve when you do a quick release of the pressure. If you see hot liquid coming out put a kitchen towel over the top to contain the liquid.
Remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a cutting board to shred. Once shredded, return it to the pot.
Turn on sauté mode again. When hot, add the gnocchi to the pot and cook until the gnocchi floats to the top, which takes about 3 minutes. Pour in the half and half and add the spinach. When the spinach is wilted, turn off the pot.
That’s your soup! You don’t want to allow the soup to cook any longer, because the gnocchi will start to disintegrate the longer it’s cooking in the boiling soup. So be sure to remove the pot from the machine so it stops cooking.
Notes & Tips
- If the soup is too thin for your liking, you can add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it into the soup while it’s still on sauté mode. It will thicken up.
- If your chicken breasts are really thick, you might cut them into smaller pieces so they cook faster. Really thick chicken will need longer to cook. It will also be harder to shred, so save yourself some time by cutting it into a few pieces.
- I’ve used many different kinds of gnocchi in this recipe, even making my own. You can use whatever brand you like. A shelf-stable gnocchi is easy to keep around in the kitchen to make this soup whenever you want.
- Watch for hot liquid that may spew out of the pressure release valve when you do a quick release of the pressure. If you see hot liquid coming out put a kitchen towel over the top to contain the liquid.
Why Use An Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot is one of the most useful kitchen appliances you can buy, because it drastically cuts down on the cooking time for developing flavors in soups and stews, getting tough cuts of meat tender, and even baking a cheesecake. And there are many accessories that will help you get more out of your Instant Pot.
If you don’t have one yet, check out our guide on which one to buy. Also see our guide to How to Use an Instant Pot for more information.
- Don’t Have an Instant Pot Yet? This guide can help you choose the right one.
- See reviews and prices for Instant Pots on Amazon.
- Learn some great Instant Pot Tips & Tricks.
- Click to find more recipes to make in your Instant Pot.
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Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup (ala Olive Garden)
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots chopped
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 chicken breasts boneless skinless (about 12 oz)
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Turn on sauté mode on your Instant Pot and pour in the oil. When hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Turn off sauté mode.
- Add the flour, salt, and pepper to the pot and whisk it into the oil. Let cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken broth and whisk to incorporate into the flour mixture.
- Place the chicken breasts inside the liquid. Close and lock the lid in place. Press the pressure cook or manual button and set to cook for 8 minutes on high pressure. When done, do a quick release of the pressure.
- Remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a cutting board to shred. Once shredded, return it to the pot.
- Turn on sauté mode again. When hot, add the gnocchi to the pot and cook until the gnocchi floats to the top, about 3 minutes. Pour in the half and half and spinach. When the spinach is wilted, turn off the pot.
Notes
- If the soup is too thin for your liking, you can add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it into the soup while it’s still on sauté mode. It will thicken up.
- If your chicken breasts are really thick, you might cut them into smaller pieces so they cook faster. Really thick chicken will need longer to cook.
- Watch for hot liquid that may spew out of the pressure release valve when you do a quick release of the pressure. If you see hot liquid coming out put a kitchen towel over the top to contain the liquid.
Nutrition
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Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.
This chicken gnocchi soup tastes just like the Olive Garden version. So creamy and delicious! I will definitely make this recipe again. Thanks.