Learn how to make this easy and healthy chicken gnocchi soup in your crock pot or instant pot!
Jump to RecipeYa’ll, I love this soup. It’s so cozy—even though we currently live in a tropical climate, whenever I dig into a bowl of this chicken gnocchi soup, I feel like it’s Fall. The creamy base with chewy pillows of gnocchi combined with tender carrots and little pops of bacon… Mmmmm!
While it tastes decadent, it’s actually surprisingly healthy, too! Lots of veggies and protein and pretty low calorie, it’s a great dinner that the whole family will enjoy enough to go back for seconds!
Add to all that that you can make it in your slow cooker [crock pot] or instant pot and it’s a recipe for a winning dinner! Literally, haha!
How do you pronounce gnocchi?
You say it like this: “nyO-kee.” Gnocchi is actually the plural form—the singular is gnoccho, pronounced “nyO-kO.”
Can you freeze gnocchi soup?
Technically yes, but I wouldn’t if you don’t need to. The gnocchi will start to break down upon reheating if it’s frozen in the soup.
More Healthy Slow Cooker Soup Recipes
- Healthy Chicken and Dumplings
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Burmese Pumpkin Pork Stew
- Shredded Beef Chili
- Sweet Potato Beef Stew
My version of this gnocchi soup recipe was adapted from Pinch of Yum.
How to Make Healthy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
First, put 1 ½ pounds of boneless skinless chicken, 2 cups chopped carrots, 1 diced onion, 1 teaspoon of dried basil, 1 teaspoon of Italian, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 4 cups of chicken broth in your crock pot on high for 4—6 hours or in your instant pot on the poultry setting.
Then shred the chicken—I do this simply by smushing it with a potato masher right in the pot.
After that’s finished, make a slurry by stirring 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with some water (a tablespoon or two should do—it doesn’t have to be exact) so it looks like milk.
Stir the slurry, 2 cans of evaporated milk, and 1 pound of uncooked gnocchi into the soup. If using a slow cooker, leave on high for 1 more hour. If using an instant pot, change the setting to “saute” and allow the soup to boil for a couple of minutes while stirring, then turn off the heat.
Now cook 4 slices of bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the bacon starts to get crispy, remove it from the skillet and dice it. Drain off the excess grease from the pan– but don’t wipe it– and return the bacon to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium.
Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and about 2 or 3 cups of fresh spinach that has been lightly chopped to the bacon and cook until the spinach shrinks down and becomes bright green. This should only take a couple of minutes.
Stir everything from the skillet in to the soup, and you’re all done!
Doesn’t it smell soooo good? Mmm. Dig in!
Healthy & Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Making With Megan)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken I usually use breasts or tenderloins, but thighs would work just fine
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 Tbsp corn starch
- 1-2 Tbsp water
- 2 cans (12 oz) low-fat evaporated milk
- 1 lb uncooked gnocchi
- 4 slices bacon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 or 3 cups spinach, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Cook the chicken, carrots, onion, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and chicken broth in a crock pot on high for 4-6 hours, or in an instant pot on the poultry setting.
- Shred the chicken. I do this by smushing it with a potato masher right in the pot.
- Stir the cornstarch and water together to make a slurry. Add it to the soup along with the evaporated milk and gnocchi. If using a crock pot, cook for one more hour on high. If using an intant pot, switch to the saute setting and let it boil for a couple of minutes while stirring; then turn off the heat.
- Cook the bacon in a skilled over medium-high heat until it starts to crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet and dice it. Drain the excess grease off (but do not wipe the pan), return the diced bacon to the skillet, and reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the garlic and spinach and cook until the spinach shrinks down, about a couple minutes.
- Stir the bacon mixture into the soup, and you're all done!
