Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Instant Pot)
Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
My soup obsession is alive and kickin’ and this Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup hits all my soup-filled dreams. With bites of pillowy gnocchi, fresh veggies, tender chicken and a touch of fat free half and half, this is my favorite soup of all time and is one the whole family is going to go crazy for.
For more soups, try all these high-protein soups and chilis.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Low fat, high protein, and large servings make this Olive Garden copycat recipe a win.
- This soup takes only 5 minutes to pressure cook in the instant pot!
- Customize your chicken gnocchi soup to how you want it! Your bowl…your rules.
What is gnocchi?
Gnocchi is the best. It’s absolutely my number 1 pasta of choice. Except it’s not technically pasta! Traditionally, gnocchi is made with potatoes, flour, and egg and is really more of a small potato dumpling than pasta. Gnocchi is soft, chewy, thick, and perfect for adding depth, flavor, and texture to this instant pot chicken gnocchi soup.
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How to make this gnocchi soup on the stove
STOVE TOP Instructions: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground chicken. Cook until browned, breaking it into bite-sized pieces, about 5 minutes.
Add the seasonings to the chicken, stirring to coat evenly. Mix in the garlic, onions, carrots, and celery, sautéing for about 2-3 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and the garlic becomes fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth, making sure to stir well, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the gnocchi and continue to simmer until they rise to the surface and are cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the spinach, peas, and corn. Allow them to cook for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted and the peas and corn are warmed through. Mix in the fat-free half-and-half, stirring well. Let the soup simmer for a few more minutes until everything is heated through.
How to make this creamy soup in the slow cooker
SLOW COOKER Instructions: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground chicken. Cook until browned, breaking it into bite-sized pieces. This will take about 5 minutes.
Transfer the browned chicken to the slow cooker. Add seasonings, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
About 20 minutes before serving, add the gnocchi to the slow cooker. Stir well, cook until the gnocchi flout to the top. Once cooked add in the spinach, peas, corn, and fat-free half-and-half. Stir well and cover, allowing the spinach to wilt and the peas and corn to heat through.
To make gluten and dairy-free:
Gnocchi is not typically gluten-free as it’s made with potato and wheat flour. However, there are gluten-free versions out there for you to try like cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. This instant pot gnocchi soup recipe is dairy-free if you replace the fat-free half-and-half with full-fat coconut milk and omit or substitute parmesan cheese for a dairy-free version.
Ingredients and Substitutes:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions for instant pot chicken gnocchi soup.
Variations and Substitutions
- Ground chicken can be substituted with any ground protein: beef, turkey, pork, rotisserie chicken, or shredded chicken.
- I used low sodium. Vegetable broth, beef broth, or bone broth can be substituted here.
- I used De Cecco Potato Gnocchi. Any brand or gluten-free gnocchi works as well.
- Use Greek yogurt, full-fat coconut milk, or heavy cream in place of half and half.
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup (a visual step-by-step guide):
Step 1: Sauté chicken in instant pot and season
Set your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add the olive oil, once hot, add the ground chicken (image 1).
Cook until browned, breaking into bite-size pieces. Add the seasonings to the chicken. Stir to evenly coat (image 2).
Step 2: Add the veggies
Add the garlic, onions, carrots, and celery (image 3).
Sauté for about 2 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and the garlic is fragrant (image 4).
Step 3: Add chicken broth and gnocchi
Pour in the chicken broth, stirring well to combine and scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot (image 5).
Add the gnocchi to the pot. Stir well to combine (image 6).
Step 4: Pressure cook and quick-release
Put the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to the sealing position, and cook on Manual High Pressure for 4 minutes. When the timer beeps, quick release the pressure. Once the pressure is fully released, remove the lid (image 7).
Step 5: Return the instant pot to the sauté setting.
Set the Instant Pot back to the sauté setting. Stir in the spinach, peas and corn (image 8).
Cook for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted and the peas and corn are warmed through (image 9).
Add in the fat-free half-and-half, stirring until well combined (image 10).
Allow the soup to simmer for a few more minutes until it’s heated through and the peas and corn are warm. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed and serve (image 11).
What to serve with your bowl of soup
Nothing goes better with this creamy chicken gnocchi soup than a side of crusty bread and a little side green salad. So simple, but so complete.
How to store
Store your leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Soup gets better the next day and this is no exception. Heat your chicken gnocchi soup on the stovetop or microwave. If you find the gnocchi have soaked up some of the liquid, add a little milk, fat-free half and half or broth to the pot while it heats up.
If you like this recipe be sure to check out some of our other instant pot meals!
- Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- Instant Pot Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Stroganoff
Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
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Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. lean ground chicken
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced in rounds
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 lb. potato gnocchi
- 2 cups fresh spinach packed
- 1 cup frozen peas 130g
- 1 cup frozen corn 140g
- 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half 115g
Optional Toppings
- fresh chopped parsley
- fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add the olive oil, once hot, add the ground chicken. Cook until browned, breaking into bite size pieces. This takes about 5 minutes. If using frozen ground chicken do the same this may just take longer to cook.
- Add the salt, pepper, basil, paprika and oregano to the chicken. Stir to evenly coat.
- Add the garlic, onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 2 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth, stirring well to combine and to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot. This will prevent the "burn" warning.
- Add the gnocchi to the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to sealing position, and cook on Manual High Pressure for 4 minutes.
- When the timer beeps, quick release the pressure. Once the pressure is fully released, remove the lid.
- Set the Instant Pot back to the sauté setting. Stir in the spinach, peas and corn. Cook for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted and the peas and corn are warmed through.
- Add in the fat-free half-and-half, stirring until well combined.
- Allow the soup to simmer for a few more minutes until it's heated through and the peas and corn are warm.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve the soup hot, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
- All nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
- Use any preferred ground meat for this gnocchi soup.
- Beef broth, veggie broth or bone broth may be used in place of chicken broth.
- Add any fresh or frozen vegetables you prefer.
- Alternatively to cooking the gnocchi in the instant pot you can simmer after removing the lid until cooked through.
I’ve made this a few times. It’s good and my toddler LOVES it. I always double the recipe because it goes fast. Another great recipe!
Very yummy and flavor-packed meal. I used full fat half and half and the calories were still very low. Gnocchi was cooked perfectly, my only complaint was that I was expecting a bit more creaminess, the soup came out pretty brothy, still delicious so I wasn’t upset but it wasn’t quite the texture I was expecting.
This soup is delicious! So easy and hearty. Very creamy and full of flavor. Will definitely make again!
My gnocchi became literal potato mush and I followed the exact pressure cooker directions. Any ideas why?
Not sure! Could be the gnocchi used or the instant pot heat. You can also make it without the gnocchi and add it after to avoid it happening again.
Made this in the crockpot and loved it! Family approved!
Awesome!! So glad you all loved it!