Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup, rich and bursting with flavor, with plenty of gnocchi bites to all fight for — this is a favorite for all ages!
Did I take this soup to another room the first night I made it while my kids fought over who had the most gnocchi in their bowl?
Absolutely.
I wrapped my softest blanket around my shoulders, propped my feet up on my desk, and watched the most magical sunset with ear plugs in my ears and the song of peace and utter happiness playing in my heart.
Because if that's not how you eat your first bowl of this soup, you're truly missing out.
Creamy, thick, gravy-like soup, juicy bite-size chicken, all the veggies you could ask for, and the cutest, most irresistible bites of pillowy soft gnocchi.
The flavor veers far away from boringville with plenty of herbs, parmesan, and FIRE ROASTED tomatoes (very important).
If the sunset scene didn't inspire you, remember . . . there's gnocchi in this soup.
Screech back to the actual kitchen scene of my kids counting the gnocchi in each other's bowls, and I can tell you the cheers and empty pot were proof of a wonderful evening.
Nothing better than a cheerworthy dinner night. Â
WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT CREAMY CHICKEN GNOCCHI SOUP
- EASY AND FAST: This is the kind of soup that typically requires a long simmer on the stovetop to develop all the flavors. But the Instant Pot is hooking us up with big flavors in minutes!
- HEARTY: This is a full meal in a pot! No need to make any extra sides if you're not feelin' it.
- CROWD PLEASER: Loved by all ages. Eat with mature adults that won't steal your gnocchi when you take a bathroom break.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN GNOCCHI SOUP IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
- Sauté the veggies, then add everything else to the pot; pressure cook
- Add the thickening slurry and gnocchi; simmer until tender
- Stir in the milk and spinach; serve!
 SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- FIRE ROASTED TOMATOES: Find them next to the regular diced tomatoes. They bring big flavor to soup!
- MINI VS REGULAR GNOCCHI: The mini version is our favorite! If you can't find it, regular will work great, too.
- SPINACH OR NO SPINACH: If this fabulous green is going to be a no-go for kids at the table, you can leave it out or just stir some into your own bowl while it's still hot.
- PARMESAN RIND: If you don't have one, add grated parmesan.
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE
- STORE:Â Cool leftovers, then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- REHEAT: Soup will thicken once chilled. Add extra broth and reheat in a pan on the stovetop or the microwave.
- FREEZE: I don't suggest freezing this one. The gnocchi tends to fall apart, and the texture becomes odd.
MAKE AHEAD TIPS
- VEGETABLES: Chop the onion, carrots, and celery a few days in advance and have it ready in the fridge.
- CHICKEN: Cut chicken into bite-size pieces the day before (or ask your butcher to do it).
WHAT TO SERVE WITH
- SALAD:Â This is the perfect time to serve my Favorite Italian Salad.
- BREAD:Â These easy Twisted Pesto Breadsticks go so well with this soup!
- FRUIT: I almost always slice up an apple or orange for dinner. Gets the picky palates to the table 🙂
VARIATIONS
- NIX THE CARBS: It pains me to suggest leaving out the gnocchi, but for the record, it's delicious without it, too!
- FOR VEGETABLES:Â Broccoli or diced potatoes work great with this soup if you have some to use up.
- VEGETARIAN: For a meat-free version, leave out the chicken and use vegetable broth.
This soup . . . I can't give it enough heart emojis. It's what a hearty, healthy soup should look like.
Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!
Enjoy!
MORE INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPES
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USEDÂ
PrintCreamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup | Instant Pot Recipe
This Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a hearty, healthy dreamboat! Serve it hot with a side of crusty bread.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced small
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch chunk of parmesan rind (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (add extra to make it spicy)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth – divided
- ¼ cup cornstarch plus ¼ cup water
- 1 (16 ounce) package mini potato gnocchi
- 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
- 4 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 3 cups packed)
For serving: grated parmesan cheese, crusty bread, chopped parsley or basil
Instructions
- Add olive oil to the pressure cooker pot and turn on the sauté function. When oil is hot, add onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft.
- Add carrots, celery, garlic, parmesan (if using), Italian seasoning, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper; sauté for another minute.
- Add chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, and 3 cups of chicken broth; stir.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure cooker knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release for 5 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Remove any remaining parmesan rind.
- Mix cornstarch and water together to make a slurry. Hit sauté and bring soup to a simmer. Whisk while pouring cornstarch slurry into the pot, then add gnocchi. Simmer and stir until soup thickens and gnocchi float to the top. Remove pot from its base so the thick soup doesn’t burn to the bottom.
- Add evaporated milk and spinach into the soup; stir.
- Add an extra cup of chicken broth if a thinner soup is desired.
- Taste and season with extra salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve hot with a garnish of parmesan cheese and herbs like parsley or basil.
Notes
- If you don’t have a parmesan rind, add ½ cup shredded parmesan to the soup when you add the cornstarch slurry.
- If you have leftovers, the soup will thicken quite a bit. Add extra broth or water to thin when reheating.
- If you can't find mini gnocchi, regular size will work great.
- Leave out spinach if you like.
BHCATLADY says
The soup looks yummy. I am curious about which evaporated milk you use: Regular, Low Fat or Fat Free? Or doesn’t it matter?
Marci says
I use regular, but I think any of them would work! Let me know if you try a different one.
Sharon Brown says
Oh. My. Goodness! That is super yummy and filling!!! Usually soup needs breads and sides to make it feel like a meal to my big boys. Not this, it is delicious, nutritious, and no one left hungry.
Marci says
Sharon, Exactly! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it!
Sandy Knapp says
I found it in the refrigerated section and just finished prepping the vegetables. Will be making it for Super Bowl..get it? Souper bowl??😂😂😂
Marci says
Sandy, Haha! I love it. That is my kind of game food for sure!
Mary K Deatherage says
Giving 5 stars (without even making it yet) cuz…gnocchi! I want this soup in my belly right now! 🙂
Marci says
Mary, Haha! We would get along at dinner time just great 🙂
Nancy says
I am curious to know if it also could work kind of like a casserole if there were a bit less broth and the pieces of veggies were cut a bit bigger? I am going to send this to a friend who doesn’t like soup! No, I can’t imagine that either but they don’t eat much of it at all. We LOVE soup’
Marci says
Nancy, now that is a really interesting idea. It does thicken up quite a bit by the end so I bet you could add less broth and have a nice, casserole like consistency. Let me know if you try it. I’m so curious!
Rita says
What section of the supermarket are the potato gnocchi located in? The pasta section? I don’t think I’ve seen them there. I have seen a pasta shape called gnocchi, which look like small shells, but I don’t think they are made with potato.
Marci says
Rita, Yep, I find them in the pasta section. And I don’t think I’ve seen pasta shells that are called gnocchi (I could be wrong), so I’ll bet that was potato gnocchi you were looking at. Let me know what you find!
Sandy Knapp says
Is this gnocchi the refrigerated or dry, on the shelf type?
Marci says
Sandy, Any will work, but I always buy the shelf gnocchi. I hope you love it! We just had it last night again.