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.
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.
» You might also like Instant Pot Chicken & Dumpling Soup.
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.
I only buy pasture raised chicken and meats. I love Farm Foods Market online. They deliver hormone-free, non-GMO, antibiotic free chicken, plus all other types of meat, right to your door. You can order whatever you want, whenever you want – no membership or pre-selected box.
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.
Helpful 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.
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Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup (ala Olive Garden)
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1/2 cup (80 g) onion chopped
- 1/2 cup (64 g) carrots chopped
- 1/2 cup (51 g) celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup (31 g) flour
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) pepper
- 4 cups (946 ml) chicken broth
- 2 chicken breasts boneless skinless (about 12 oz)
- 1 pound (454 g) potato gnocchi
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) half and half
- 2 cups (60 g) 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.