Gardner Grub - DIY Olive Garden Chicken & Gnocchi Soup

Olive Garden is our family celebration restaurant. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Graduation, Date Night, etc. We go to Olive Garden. Everyone loves it and it's relatively inexpensive. Plus, we usually get Olive Garden gift cards as presents which makes it free or cheap.


My favorite item on the menu is Chicken and Gnocchi soup. Those little dumplings are irresistible. 

{DIY Olive Garden Chicken & Gnocchi Soup}
2 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped (I prefer to use a rotisserie chicken)
1 Tbs olive oil
4 Tbs Butter
4 Tbs Flour
2 quarts half and half
1 14 oz can of MSG Free and Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely shredded (I used my peeler to make thin ribbons)
2 minced garlic cloves
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 box of potato gnocchi

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add butter and saute the onion, celery and garlic. Add the flour and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding half and half.
Cook gnocchi according to package.
Transfer roux into a large pot. Add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. Once it thickens again, add the gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning. Simmer gently until soup is heated through.

Serve with buttered bread.