Can I double chicken gnocchi soup?

Yes, the recipe card says to double or triple the recipe to feed more people. Adjust the recipe to feed additional people or a family group. Serving in a larger slow cooker may be necessary to feed more people, given the added broth, chicken, vegetables, and gnocchi. It may take additional time for food prepared in a full slow cooker to cook the chicken and other ingredients thoroughly. Refer to the recipe for tips on serving fresh spinach at the end.

How can I make it for picky eaters?

You can chop or shred cooked chicken finely, as the recipe suggests. Chopping or shredding the chicken will keep too much meat from appearing in single servings of soup. Chopping or shredding the vegetables will help blend them with other soup ingredients. Don't skip sampling and seasoning the soup, individuals have different preferences for salt and pepper.

What can I use instead of heavy cream?

Half-and-half or evaporated milk can be substituted for heavy cream, according to the recipe tip. The half-and-half or evaporated milk can be stirred in with the gnocchi toward the end of cooking, rather than at the beginning of the slow-cooking process. Liquid soups made with these substitutions will be less creamy than one made with heavy cream, according to the article. Do not simmer the soup for longer periods after adding milk, as advised in the recipe tip, doing so may cause the milk to curdle.

Can I prepare this soup ahead?

Most steps in preparing this recipe can be done ahead of time. The soup must be made shortly before serving to get the right texture for gnocchi and spinach. Add gnocchi near the end when preparing the soup to prevent overcooking. Other ingredients that can be prepared ahead should be stored without cream, gnocchi, and spinach for cooking into soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the soup after it thickens. Seasonings may change as the soup cooks.

What if my gnocchi is not tender?

Continue to cook the soup and gnocchi according to the recipe until the gnocchi are tender and the soup is thickened. Fully cooked gnocchi will float to the surface of the soup. Floating gnocchi are a way to tell when the gnocchi are fully cooked in this recipe. The main texture problem with this recipe is adding the gnocchi too early. Potato gnocchi cook very fast. Add spinach to the soup after the gnocchi are fully cooked and re-cover to wilt the spinach.

Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Creamy Nutmeg Broth

By Emma CollinsOct 8, 2026

Prep

10 min

Cook

480 min

Total

490 min

Servings

Jump to recipe

Enjoy this warm soup with bread on cold days. Slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup includes seasoned chicken and vegetables with tender potato gnocchi in a creamy nutmeg soup and added fresh spinach in each serving, like Olive Garden's soup.

Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Creamy Nutmeg Broth

Chicken breasts are cooked with onions, garlic, celery, carrots, chicken broth, basil, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, and a bay leaf. Vegetables give the recipe flavor, and nutmeg adds flavor to the cream. Store-bought packaged potato gnocchi and spinach are added to the recipe at the end to avoid overcooking.

The soup is cooked but not yet garnished if the chicken can be easily shredded or carved after long cooking. Floating gnocchi and a thicker broth indicate that the cream and gnocchi soup is ready. Mistakes to avoid include adding gnocchi to the soup too soon and overcooking the tender potato noodles.

Serve warm with a side of bread for dipping. Cornstarch mixed with cold water is optional to thicken the soup when served with gnocchi. Refrigerated soups will thicken. Gently stir before reheating leftovers.

Why this recipe works

Serves eight family members because the slow cooker includes chicken, vegetables, broth, gnocchi, cream, and spinach in one meal.
Appropriate for cold-weather dishes, especially when served with crusty bread to dip in the soup for added volume per serving.
Please offer gnocchi, a potato-based dumpling, to diners who also eat chicken and dumplings. Gnocchi added at the end of the cooking process may not be fully cooked.
Let the cook determine when to prepare the meal. Chicken should be cooked for three to four hours on high heat or six to eight hours on low heat.
Makes portion sizes adaptable for other guests by cutting or shredding cooked chicken to offer smaller portions.
Helps reduce food waste by stirring the soup while reheating to recombine the broth and thickened soup.

Instructions

Place chicken in a 6 qt. slow cooker and top with onion, garlic, celery, and carrots.

Season with basil, Italian seasoning, ground nutmeg, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

Pour chicken broth over the chicken and vegetables.

Cook on high for 3–4 hours or on low for 6–8 hours.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board and chop or shred it into bite-sized pieces.

Discard the bay leaf.

Return the chicken to the slow cooker.

For a thicker soup, mix the cornstarch with the cold water to make a slurry and add it with the gnocchi.

Pour in the heavy cream, add the gnocchi, and cook on high for 30–45 minutes, until the gnocchi is tender and the soup has thickened.

Toss in the spinach, cover, and let it sit in the residual heat until the spinach has wilted into the soup.

Adjust the seasonings to taste, dish, and serve hot.

FAQ

Stale bread is recommended as a side to this chicken and gnocchi soup. Stale bread can be used as a utensil and an addition to the soup to increase its value as a cold-weather meal. Stale bread should not be added to a slow cooker, as it will get soft from the soup. Serve the hot soup after the spinach has wilted.

1 / 5

Dinner Soups & Stews Chicken Italian Slow Cooker One Pot

Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Creamy Nutmeg Broth

Name: Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Creamy Nutmeg Broth
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 490 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1–1.5 lb.); 1/2 yellow onion (diced); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 stalk celery (diced); 1/2 cup carrots (shredded); 5 cups chicken broth; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 bay leaf; salt (to taste); pepper (to taste); 1 cup heavy cream; 1 package potato gnocchi (16 oz.); 3 oz. fresh baby spinach (tightly packed, about 3 cups); 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for a thicker soup); 2 tablespoons cold water (optional, for a thicker soup)

By Emma CollinsOct 8, 2026

Prep

10 min

Cook

480 min

Total

490 min

Servings

Jump to recipe

Why this recipe works

Serves eight family members because the slow cooker includes chicken, vegetables, broth, gnocchi, cream, and spinach in one meal.
Appropriate for cold-weather dishes, especially when served with crusty bread to dip in the soup for added volume per serving.
Please offer gnocchi, a potato-based dumpling, to diners who also eat chicken and dumplings. Gnocchi added at the end of the cooking process may not be fully cooked.
Let the cook determine when to prepare the meal. Chicken should be cooked for three to four hours on high heat or six to eight hours on low heat.
Makes portion sizes adaptable for other guests by cutting or shredding cooked chicken to offer smaller portions.
Helps reduce food waste by stirring the soup while reheating to recombine the broth and thickened soup.

Ingredients

Servings8

•4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1–1.5 lb.)
•½ yellow onion (diced)
•4 cloves garlic (minced)
•1 stalk celery (diced)
•½ cup carrots (shredded)
•5 cups chicken broth
•1 teaspoon dried basil
•1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
•¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1 bay leaf
•salt (to taste)
•pepper (to taste)
•1 cup heavy cream
•1 package potato gnocchi (16 oz.)
•3 oz. fresh baby spinach (tightly packed, about 3 cups)
•1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for a thicker soup)
•2 tablespoons cold water (optional, for a thicker soup)

Instructions

1
Place chicken in a 6 qt. slow cooker and top with onion, garlic, celery, and carrots.
2
Season with basil, Italian seasoning, ground nutmeg, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
3
Pour chicken broth over the chicken and vegetables.
4
Cook on high for 3–4 hours or on low for 6–8 hours.
5
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and chop or shred it into bite-sized pieces.
6
Discard the bay leaf.
7
Return the chicken to the slow cooker.
8
For a thicker soup, mix the cornstarch with the cold water to make a slurry and add it with the gnocchi.
9
Pour in the heavy cream, add the gnocchi, and cook on high for 30–45 minutes, until the gnocchi is tender and the soup has thickened.
10
Toss in the spinach, cover, and let it sit in the residual heat until the spinach has wilted into the soup.
11
Adjust the seasonings to taste, dish, and serve hot.