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Made with creamy white beans instead of chicken, and lots of fresh spinach, this gnocchi soup recipe is quickly becoming a favorite among my friends and family. This soup is ready in record time (15 minutes to be exact!), making it perfect for cozy weeknights. Readers have also had great luck with making this soup vegan and gluten-free, too!
save this recipe!Olive Garden was the big family outing when I was growing up. Endless breadsticks, family-style salads…I loved it.
This is my version, minus the chicken. I built it from the same creamy bean base as my Marry Me chickpeas.
This is the kind of recipe I lean on as a mom of a young baby. One pot, simple prep, and dinner that feels like a treat on a regular Tuesday.
An instant hit
- Done in about 15 minutes, start to spoon
- White beans step in for chicken and only need to warm through
- Leftovers hold up well, and one reader said it tasted even better the next day
Reader rating
“Probably the best soup I’ve ever had. And it somehow tasted even better the next day! 12/10, will make again.” —Kayla
Key Ingredients
Gnocchi soup is easy and delicious, thanks to a handful of pantry-staple ingredients! Jump to the recipe card for the full quantities.
- Mirepoix: This traditional French dish combines onions, celery, and carrots.
- Garlic: If you use pre-minced garlic, I typically add about 20% more to compensate for the flavor loss that comes with pre-minced garlic stored in the fridge.
- Flour: Gnocchi soup traditionally has a thicker broth. You can use cornstarch, cheese, or flour to thicken the broth; I prefer flour because it’s a household staple and doesn’t change the flavor profile.
- Vegetable broth: You can make your own vegetable broth or use store-bought. Either is a fine option.
- White Beans: These are my go-to beans for Italian-style soups. They are creamy and mild in flavor, yet hearty enough to take the place of chicken or other protein.
- Gnocchi: Shelf-stable potato gnocchi in either full size or mini can be used for this soup (cauliflower gnocchi would work well here too!).
- Half & Half: Heavy cream will work here, too, and some readers have had success using vegan cream and coconut cream as well.
Love gnocchi?
Try my Marry Me gnocchi next! It has a proposal-worthy creamy Tuscan sauce and is ready in under 30 minutes. Or try making your own sweet potato gnocchi.
Pair it with…
I like it the Olive Garden way, with garlic bread for dunking and something fresh on the side. My tomato burrata salad or quinoa kale salad brings a cool, juicy contrast to the creamy broth. For a cozier spread, my slow cooker whole carrots with garlic and balsamic add a sweet, tangy side that cooks itself while you make the soup.
15-Minute Creamy Gnocchi Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter or oil, 28 g
- 1 cup diced onion, white or yellow, about 1 medium onion
- ½ cup diced carrots, about 2 carrots
- ½ cup diced celery, about 2 ribs celery
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup flour, 25 g
- 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 L
- 1 15-oz can white beans, drained
- 4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 16 oz gnocchi, 453 g
- 2 cups half-and-half, 473 mL
Instructions
- Flavor Base: Heat 2 Tbsp butter or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 cup diced onion, ½ cup diced carrots, and ½ cup diced celery, cooking until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cloves garlic, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, continuing to cook for a minute. Stir in ¼ cup flour.
- Make It Soup: While stirring, add 4 cups vegetable broth and bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the soup. Stir in 1 15-oz can white beans, 4 cups fresh spinach, and 16 oz gnocchi, cooking just until gnocchi is tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups half-and-half. Serve warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist, and should be taken as an estimate. For the most accurate nutritional information, calculate it using the actual ingredients in your recipe.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Delicious! This meal was quick to prepare using a prepped mirepoix from the grocery store. I never had gnocchi before and found them quite tasty.
So exciting that you finally tried gnocchi for the first time! Happy you liked it, enjoy! 😀
This was an awesome meatless version of the original recipe! I didn’t even miss the chicken!
I’m so happy to hear you liked it, Patti! 😀
I’m very much not a soup person, but when I saw this recipe I had to make it ASAP. Let me just say, it did not disappoint. Probably the best soup I’ve ever had. And it somehow tasted even better the next day! 12/10, will make again.
YAY! So happy this recipe could convert you to be a soup person for a day 😀
Made this soup tonight for dinner! It was such a big hit with the whole family! It was creamy and delicious and I will definitely be making it again!
So happy to hear it, Sheila! Enjoy! 😀
absolutely fabulous! the base of this soup is delicious and open to many variations. i added chopped red pepper and broccoli along with the spinach to add more veg.
Such a great idea! Thanks for letting us know how it went with those additions! 😀
I LOVED this soup! It was simple, easy (which is king) and the flavors all blended so well together. Gnocchi is also one of my favorite pastas so I loved trying to making it someway new!
YAY! So happy to hear you liked it! 😀
I was able to make this gluten-free (gf gnocchi) and lactose free (coconut milk) It’s a nice blend of flavors and perfect for a cold winter day. I’ll definitely be making this again
So happy those substitutes worked well for you, Nadine! Enjoy! 😀
I love gnocchi and made this recipe hoping it would taste similar to gnocchi soup before I made the vegetarian change in my eating, and it was wonderful. I love Sara’s recipes because they are so well thought out and presented, with all the tips a person could need. Although I did enjoy the end result, for me the amount of cream seemed too much and the soup was thicker than I wanted it. I liked this enough to make it a regular, but will try using whole milk instead of cream next time, or at least go half milk, half half-n-half, but I’m still eating and enjoying this. I love the spinach in it. If I can’t use up my fresh spinach before it spoils, I just freeze it and throw it in the next soup I make.
I made half the recipe since there’s only 2 of us. I only used half a package of gnocchi. But I let it simmer too long and the gnocchi dissolved? I added the rest of the package and it was still delicious. My husband said definitely need to make it again.
Oh shoot! Gnocchi should really only cook for 3 minutes, 5 max. I bet that was the issue!
Very delicious and easy recipe!