Pioneer Woman Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Pioneer Woman chicken gnocchi soup turns juicy chicken thighs, pillowy dried gnocchi and fresh spinach into a creamy one-pot dinner in 45 minutes. Save this easy weeknight soup recipe for Sunday dinner, fall evenings or cozy winter nights, because it's a family-friendly Dutch oven meal that feeds a crowd.

Stir the flour into the softened vegetables and cook it for a full minute before the broth goes in. Skip that and the flour clumps in the pot, so the soup stays thin and tastes a little raw.

Dried gnocchi cook right in the broth, so they soak up chicken flavor and release starch that thickens the soup naturally. You also skip a separate pot of boiling water, which keeps the whole dinner to one Dutch oven.

Pioneer Woman Chicken Gnocchi Soup

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: SoupCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

482

kcal

Tender chicken thighs and soft gnocchi float in a velvety broth thickened with flour and half-and-half. Spinach wilts in at the very end, so it stays bright green and the gnocchi stay fluffy instead of mushy.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
  

• 1 large yellow onion
  

• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cup)
  

• 2 celery stalks, chopped
  

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  

• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  

• 6 cups chicken broth
  

• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-in. pieces
  

• 1 tsp. chopped, fresh thyme
  

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
  

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste
  

• 1 lb. dried gnocchi
  

• 1 (5-oz.) container baby spinach, roughly chopped
  

• 1 c. half-and-half
  

Directions

• Cook the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring now and then, for 10 to 12 minutes until softened, adding the garlic during the last minute.
• Add the flour: Sprinkle in 1/4 cup flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute until the vegetables are well coated. That cooks out the raw flour taste and sets up the thick base.
• Stir in the broth: Gradually stir in the 6 cups chicken broth and bring it to a simmer. Adding it slowly keeps the flour from forming lumps.
• Simmer the chicken: Add the chicken thigh pieces, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then return the pot to a simmer over medium. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
• Cook the gnocchi: Stir in the dried gnocchi and cover the pot. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn tender and fluffy.
• Finish the soup: Stir in the chopped spinach and 1 cup half-and-half. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach is tender and everything is well combined.
• Season and serve: Remove the pot from the heat, then taste the soup. Add more salt and pepper if it needs it and serve hot.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, OXO wooden spoon set, John Boos maple cutting board, 18 x 12, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

What can I swap for the chicken thighs?

Boneless turkey thighs or rotisserie chicken both work if you want a shortcut. Stir in cooked shredded meat with the gnocchi, since it only needs to heat through.

How long do leftovers keep in the fridge?

Store the soup in an airtight container and it keeps for about 3 days. The gnocchi keep soaking up broth as it sits, so add a splash of broth or water when you reheat it on the stove.

Can I make the soup base ahead of time?

Yes, make the soup through the chicken simmering step, then cool it and refrigerate it. When you're ready to eat, reheat it until hot, then add the gnocchi, spinach and half-and-half so they cook fresh.

What if I don't have a Dutch oven?

Any large heavy-bottomed soup pot with a lid does the same job. You need room for 6 cups of broth plus the gnocchi, and a lid for the covered gnocchi step.

What's the most common mistake with this soup?

Letting the gnocchi cook too long is the big one, because they turn soft and mushy past the 4 to 5 minute mark. Add them near the end and take the pot off the heat as soon as the spinach wilts.