Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup is hearty, flavorful, and easy to make. Featuring tender chicken, gnocchi, and cozy seasonings, this creamy soup is perfect for the whole family!
Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
If you’re a fan of chicken soup, then you’re going to love this creamy chicken gnocchi soup.
It’s made in the Instant Pot and is like a hug in a bowl. Cozy, creamy, and a truly comforting meal.
You could even say this is an Olive Garden copycat recipe. But truth be told, I like this gnocchi soup recipe better. It may be an Olive Garden favorite, but around here, this version is pure comfort food. And if you’ve never made soup in the pressure cooker, I’m here to tell you that instant pot soup recipes are worth it.
And just incase you’re on the hunt for more soup recipes, you’ll love this easy cheeseburger soup, mushroom barley soup, and Instant Pot tomato basil soup.
Back to this Instant Pot gnocchi soup. It goes without saying, but this is an easy recipe, with simple ingredients and minimal prep work involved. That’s one of the reasons that I love using my electric pressure cooker. It makes meals like this perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup:
- Unsalted butter
- White onion
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Low sodium chicken broth or chicken stock
- Seasonings: Italian, dried parsley, dried thyme, bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Potato gnocchi
- Spinach
- Heavy cream or half-and-half
How to Make Instant Pot Creamy Gnocchi Soup:
-
Set Instant Pot to sauté setting. Once pot is hot, add butter and let melt. Add onion and carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until onions begin to soften. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Press the ‘cancel’ button on Instant Pot.
-
Add chicken broth, Italian seasoning, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add chicken breasts and bay leaf. Cover, place into lock position and make sure the valve is in the sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. **The IP will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure and then will cook for 10 minutes**
-
When timer goes off, turn off the Instant Pot and do a quick release. Remove bay leaf and chicken breasts. Dice or shred chicken and return to pot.
-
Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté’ setting. Add gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until gnocchi floats to the top of broth.
-
Stir in the spinach and heavy cream/half-and-half (spinach will wilt within 1-2 minutes). Serve immediately.
Soup will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
How to Reheat this Instant Pot Gnocchi Recipe:
You can either reheat the soup in the microwave or on the stove top. You may want to add a bit more milk or broth to thin out the soup if it’s too thick.
Can I Freeze This Soup?
I don’t recommend freezing this hearty soup recipe, as the gnocchi will become mushy once defrosted. However, if you must, I would place in a freezer-safe container and use within two months.
What to Serve With This Soup?
I like to serve some crusty bread, cheesy garlic bread, or a simple salad with this soup.
Tips for Making the Best Gnocchi Soup:
- If you’re short on time, you can used shredded rotisserie chicken in place of the chicken breasts. If doing this, you will need to reduce the cooking time to 7 minutes, as you will not need to cook the shredded chicken.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breasts.
- Frozen or fresh gnocchi works in this recipe, as well as cauliflower gnocchi.
- If you’re looking to make this a vegetarian soup, you can swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- If you don’t want to use heavy cream or half-and-half, milk will work. However, the texture won’t be as thick or creamy.
- Make sure you don’t overcook the gnocchi. It should be ready when it floats to the top, which will only take about 2-3 minutes.
Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? I’ve Got You Covered!
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Pizza Stuffed Peppers
- Instant Pot Steak Fajitas
- Instant Pot Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Creamy Mac and Cheese
Easy Video Tutorial for Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup:
Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small white onion, (diced)
- 1 cup carrots, (diced)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper, (to taste)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, (about 2-3 medium chicken breasts)
- 1 (16 ounce) package potato gnocchi, (fresh or frozen)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1½ cups heavy cream or half-and-half, (2% milk may be used, but won't turn out as creamy)
Equipment
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to 'sauté' setting. Once pot is hot, add butter and let melt. Add onion and carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until onions begin to soften. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Press the 'cancel' button on Instant Pot.
- Add chicken broth, Italian seasoning, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add chicken breasts and bay leaf. Cover, place into lock position and make sure the valve is in the 'sealing' position. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. **The IP will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure and then will cook for 10 minutes**
- When timer goes off, turn off the Instant Pot and do a quick release. Remove bay leaf and chicken breasts. Dice or shred chicken and return to pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté' setting. Add gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until gnocchi floats to the top of broth.
- Stir in the spinach and heavy cream/half-and-half (spinach will wilt within 1-2 minutes). Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe was tested and made in a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Be careful not to dice carrots too small, as they will cook in the instant pot and may become mushy.
- To make the soup thicker, mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Add to pot and stir to thicken before serving.
- Soup will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- See my tips and tricks for making this Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup above the recipe box.
