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Are you a fan of Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi Soup, but not all the fat and calories?
I think you’ll love my copycat version made lighter.
Just as rich, creamy and flavorful as the original. Only BETTER with less fat and calories and fewer Weight Watchers Points!
Tender bites of chicken, Italian potato dumplings and vegetables suspended in a thick, creamy flavorful broth, this soup is hearty enough to be meal-worthy.
Did I mention how much EVERYONE loves it?
Recipe Notes
I made this lightened up version of Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup by cobbling together several different copycat recipes from the internet.
The trickiest part was finding the gnocchi. I was able to locate vacuum-sealed packages in the pasta aisle of the second grocery store I visited. But you might also find them in the freezer section.
To round out your meal, serve with crusty bread or warm bread sticks and tossed salad just like Olive Garden. I definitely plan on serving up this soup again soon.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup?
According to my calculations, each generous 1-1/2 cup serving has about 225 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
6 SmartPoints (Green plan)
5 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
4 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 PointsPlus (Old plan)
If you like this lightened up recipe for copycat chicken gnocchi soup, be sure to check out some of my other Weight Watchers friendly soup recipes including Ham & Potato Soup Made Lighter, Chicken Pot Pie Soup, Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Made Lighter and Creamy Potato Mushroom Soup
If you’ve made this Healthy Chicken Gnocchi Soup, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe Made Lighter
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 cups chicken broth (I used jarred Better Than Bouillon to make mine)
- 4 cups water
- 1 package (16 to 18 ounces) potato gnocchi (I used DeCecco brand)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I used rotisserie chicken)
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large soup pot set over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and celery. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir 1 minute more.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and chicken broth. Add to the pot, along with the water.
- Allow the mixture to come to a boil and then add the gnocchi.
- Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the half-and-half, chicken and spinach and simmer 10 minutes more, until thickened.
- Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 6 SmartPoints (Green plan) 5 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 4 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 5 PointsPlus (Old plan) I made this lightened up version of Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup by cobbling together several different copycat recipes from the internet. The trickiest part was finding the gnocchi. I was able to locate vacuum-sealed packages in the pasta aisle of the second grocery store I visited. But you might also find them in the freezer section. To round out your meal serve with crusty bread or warm bread sticks and tossed salad just like Olive Garden. I definitely plan on serving up this soup again.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Here’s another variation of Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup to consider:
Can you tell me how to add flavor to mine? I’m not sure what went wrong but it tastes more like watered down chicken broth and I don’t want to throw it out! Any suggestions?
Hi Lacey,
I would suggest the addition of chicken bouillon. I like a product called, “better than bouillon.” It comes in a jar. You’ll find it in the soup aisle with the other broths/bouillons. Hope this helps.
Made it today. Delish!!!! I’m no chef (enjoy baking more), but recipe was foolproof!!!! Thanks for making it WW-friendly! ??
You can find gnocchi at the $ tree, same package you pay more for at grocery store. I’ve used it several times. I would like to try this recipe out the next time I made gnocchi soup. Actually, my soup recipe is quite low in points. Weight Watchers took my recipe and changed it up a little by adding some spiciness to it.
Any ideas for making this soup gluten-free? A replacement for the potato gnocchi which has flour in it. Help!
Hi Jeannie, I’d suggest substituting your favorite gluten free pasta for the gnocchi. Hope this helps. – Martha
I just made this today and I must say 2 Tbsp of cornstarch is NOT enough to thicken 9 cups of liquid (4 cups water,4 cups broth,1cup fatfree half and half)
Great flavor but it was as runny as skim milk
The recipe /picture has a “clam chowder” consistency. Using cornstarch for years and 1 tbsp for about 2 cups of liquid, thickens it like this. So I ended up having to use 4 1/2 tbsp of starch for the 9 cups of fluid in this recipe.
Just wondering if everyone’s recipe came out thick with just 2tbsp???
Hi Gennel, Thanks for sharing your experience. I sometimes take my photos the day after making a recipe, when the light is better. Often soups do thicken up after they have been refrigerated, which may have been the case here. When I had the soup at olive Garden I don’t remember it being as thick as “clam chowder” but the great thing about cooking is that most any recipe can be adjusted to suit individual tastes! Glad you were able to adjust this to your desired thickness 🙂
Do I need to cook the gnocchi before adding it?
Hi Tasha, no, add it and it will cook in the soup! Hope this helps!! Enjoy!
Do you think this would work in the crockpot?
Hi Nicole, I haven’t tried it but I think it could work but it would have to be done in stages to prevent the gnocchi and spinach from getting overdone. I’d just toss the vegetables (except spinach) and broth in the slow cooker and let it go on low until tender which will take 4 to 6 hours. Then about an hour before I wanted to eat it I would add the gnocchi and cornstarch mixture. And then about 30 minutes before I’d add the spinach and chicken. Hope this helps.
My favorite meal at Olive Garden. My husband and I agree this is wonderful and will be added to our meal plans! Thank you!
Thanks Bridgette!
I love it. This is a fantastic . We both had 2 bowl of soup. I am going to give one for our niece. She start freshmen in college this will keep her warm.
Thanks, Angie!
I made this for my family tonight. It was a HIT! I was worried about the spinach with my picky ones. But it was perfect. I had to omit the celery because I thought I had some but when I got home from work someone had eaten for their afternoon snack….not such a bad thing I guess. I made a batch and a half which was more than enough for four of us when we added a side salad. We will have some leftovers this week which is good for a busy family. Oh, and a major bonus, outside of the vegetable chopping, this was REALLY easy to make! 🙂
Hi Jenn, Glad it worked for you 🙂
There are just two of us. Will this soup freeze well?
Hi Laura,
I’m not sure, as I haven’t tried to freeze it. I think it should work fine. Another alternative might be
to make a half batch. Hope this helps 🙂