Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This delicious slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup is food to lift the spirit, with plenty of vegetables, soft pillowy gnocchi dumplings, herbs and bacon.

Slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup

This creamy, comforting slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup is everything you want from a meal in a bowl. Nutritious, full of flavour, delicious and satisfying, it is also so easy to make. I find it impossible to resist.

See also

• slow cooker carrot and coriander soup – the easiest way to make this classic
• with meltingly soft, sweet root vegetables this slow cooker root vegetable soup will always impress
• slow cooker chicken curry is a staple for feeding a crowd

When you need a hug in a bowl, this is it. It’s creamy without too much cream. It’s balanced in flavour, and balanced in nutrition without feeling virtuous. In fact, I think this soup wonderfully tasty soup is everything you need.

If that were not enough to send you rushing to the kitchen, this recipe for chicken gnocchi soup is also delightfully fuss free.

Using potato gnocchi saves the bother of making dumplings and with the slow cooker, there’s no need to stand and watch the pot.

You don’t even need to fry the onions. Their flavour magically changes when you add the cream, so there’s no disappointing boiled onion flavour.

Why make chicken gnocchi soup

• full of flavour

• creamy and satisfying

• balanced and nourishing

• a meal in a bowl

Slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup – ingredients

• Chicken – one breast, or mini fillets

• Onion, celery and carrot – peeled and chopped, or use a ready-made mirepoix/soffritto mix. This is a rare recipe in which you don’t have to fry the onion first to get the best flavour.

• Chicken broth/stock – homemade is great but whatever you normally use is fine

• Gnocchi – light, floury potato dumplings that cook in minutes

• Bacon – two rashers of back bacon (smoked for preference)

• Spinach – tender baby spinach leaves

• Garlic – two cloves

• Cream – double (heavy) cream

• Seasoning – salt and pepper, and some dried oregano and thyme for extra flavour

• Parmesan – other grana type cheese

• Cornflour – optional, to thicken

• Fresh basil – optional, for garnish

Buying gnocchi

This recipe uses potato gnocchi, so don’t confuse them with gnocchi sardi, the Sardinian dried pasta shapes.

You can buy two forms of potato gnocchi. There are fresh varieties that need to be kept in the fridge and used quickly and ones that you can find on the ambient counter that will last for weeks or months.

Either of these will work in this recipe. I find the longer lasting variety much more useful and economical, and always keep some in the cupboard.

Leftover gnocchi can be resealed in the packet and kept in the fridge for up to three days. Alternative, you can pack them up and freeze them, in which case you can use them from frozen.

How to make chicken gnocchi soup – step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Put the prepared onion, carrot and celery in the slow cooker. Peel and finely chop the garlic, and add it along with the whole chicken breast. Pour the stock over and add the seasoning.

Stir well, put the lid on, and cook on high for about 2 and a half hours, until the chicken starts to fall apart.

Step Two – Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it using two forks to pull it apart. Then return to the pot.

Step Three – Cut the bacon into small pieces. I find the best way to do this is with sharp kitchen scissors. Fry in a glug of olive oil for a few minutes until it starts to turn golden. Then add the gnocchi and fry for few minutes more.

Step Four – Dump the gnocchi and bacon into the slow cooker, along with the spinach, reserving a few leaves to add at the end. Add the cream. Set the slow cooker to low and leave for 20 minutes.

Helen’s Fuss Free Tip

Spinach is bulky when raw but almost disappears when added to a dish. So while you may feel this looks like a lot of spinach, it really isn’t. Be generous with the spinach but add it a handful at a time, stirring it in.

If you prefer a thicker soup, you can mix 2 teaspoons of cornflour with 2 teaspoons of cold water to make a slurry. Add this to the soup and cook for a further 3 or 4 minutes. Do not add cornflour directly to the hot soup – it will clump and you will never get the lumps out.

When you have the consistency you like, check the seasoning and stir in two thirds of the grated cheese and the reserved spinach leaves. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining cheese.

Serving suggestion

Serve your chicken gnocchi soup hot and fresh from the pan, scattered with parmesan. The last of the spinach leaves give a lovely pop of green for contrast, but I also like to add a sprig of fresh basil.

Variations

• You can vary the vegetables according to what is in season. Try sprouting broccoli spears instead of spinach or fry some mushrooms with the bacon.

• You can use 150 g (2 cups) soffritto mix instead of the onion, carrot and celery.

Storage

Fridge – You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days and reheat as needed.

I do not recommend freezing this slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup. The texture of both the gnocchi and the spinach is likely to spoil.

Hints and tips

• Don’t stint on the spinach! If you do, it will seem to disappear entirely.

• Cook the bacon gently. It should be golden and cooked through without becoming too crispy.

FAQs

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