This Tuscan Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is rich and hearty without any heavy cream!  Made with the convenience of the slow cooker, and packed with white beans and vegetables, this soup is cozy, yet healthy and the perfect dinner any day of the week!

Hi there, friends!

Happy last Thursday of February!

I feel like I say this all the time, but obviously I like to repeat myself… can you BELIEVE how quickly time flies by?

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I mean, we are only a little over 3 weeks away from the first day of spring!!  Please tell me I’m not the only one flabbergasted over the fact that time is so fleeting?!

Anyways, with that said, we must eat ALL the soups till we can’t eat no mo’.

Because before we know it, it will be summer and outside will be hotter than a firecracker on the fourth of July.

Tuscan Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Silky smooth based soup loaded with tender chunks of chicken breast, pillow-y soft gnocchi, and fresh spinach; studded with crunchy carrots, mellow onions, diced tomatoes, buttery white beans and herbaceous Italian seasonings.

This soup is creamy-dreamy, hearty and comforting, yet light and fresh.

And aside from being SOUP-ERB in the taste department, it’s also an absolute BREEZE to throw together thanks to your trusty slow cooker (or crock pot).

Basically, this Tuscan wonder is a weeknight dinner winner!  (<– It’s also a weekend winner if you are looking to spend time with your loved ones and NOT with your kitchen.)

What is gnocchi?

Gnocchi are soft dough dumplings made from potatoes, flour and egg yolks.  The dough is (most often) rolled out, then cut into small pieces and pressed with a fork to make tiny ridges.

I used mini gnocchi in this slow cooker creamy chicken gnocchi soup recipe, because they are more bite size and suited for soup.  You should be able to find mini potato gnocchi in the pasta isle of most major grocery stores.  However, if you cannot, feel free to substitute regular sized gnocchi!

How to pronounce gnocchi?

You pronounce gnocchi as N(Y)OK-ee or NOH-Kee.   While the origin for the word is unknown, it is speculated to have come from the Italian word nocca, meaning knuckle.

Where is gnocchi found in the grocery store?

You can find gnocchi in most major, or specialty grocery stores.  Gnocchi is usually located in the pasta aisle, near the spaghetti and noodles, but can also be found fresh in the refrigerated section, or frozen in the freezer food section near the frozen ravioli.

You can use any type of gnocchi in this chicken gnocchi soup, but I typically use dried or fresh.  If you are using frozen gnocchi, make sure you do not thaw them first.

How to make the best Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Notes, Tips & Tricks):

1. You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for chicken breasts if desired.  Just make sure you cut the chicken into bite sized cubes, regardless of what cut of chicken you use.
2. You can either use chicken broth or chicken stock in this recipe.  I used chicken broth since the recipe also calls for evaporated milk, and I felt the milk gave the soup plenty of rich mouthfeel.
3. While the recipe calls for evaporated milk to save a few calories, you can absolutely substitute half-and-half or heavy cream if you are looking for an even richer soup.
4. If spinach isn’t your thing, kale is a delicious substitution.
5. While this soup reheats well, the gnocchi will soak up a good amount of the liquid during storage.  Therefore you may need to add more evaporated milk (or half-and-half or heavy cream depending on what you used in the soup) when reheating.  The amount of liquid you add will depend entirely on how much soup you are reheating and how “soupy” of a consistency you are looking for.

Hearty, yet made without any heavy cream and with the convenience of the crockpot, this Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a weeknight dinner winner!

Until next week friends, cheers – to skinnier soup for the soul!

XOXO

Cheyanne

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Easy Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe 👇

5 from 7 votes

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Tuscan Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs 10 mins

Total Time

2 hrs 25 mins

 

This Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is rich and hearty without any heavy cream! Made with the convenience of the slow cooker, and packed with white beans and vegetables, this soup is cozy, yet healthy and the perfect dinner any day of the week!

Course: entree, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken, chicken pasta, creamy, Crock pot, crockpot, gnocchi, Healthy, Slow Cooker, Tuscan, vegetables, white beans

Servings: 8

Calories: 290 kcal

Author: Cheyanne Bany

Ingredients

• 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – cut into 1 ½’’ cubes*
• 1 small Yellow Onion – diced
• 2 Carrots - peeled & diced (about 1 1/3 cup)
• 5 cloves Garlic – minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Diced Tomatoes
• 4 Cups Chicken Broth (can substitute Stock)*
• 2 tsp Dried Basil
• 1 TBS Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt
• ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
• ¼ Cup Cornstarch – dissolved in 2 TBS of Water
• 2 (12 ounce) cans Evaporated Milk
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can White Beans – drained and rinsed
• 1 (16 ounce) package Mini Potato Gnocchi
• 2 Cups Fresh Baby Spinach - stemmed (about 4 ounces)
• ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese – freshly grated, or more to taste

For serving: Crusty Bread, Fresh Parsley or Basil

Instructions

1. Place the ingredients chicken through ground black pepper in a slow cooker or crockpot*. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 ½ - 2 ½ hours or LOW for 3 ½ - 4 ½ hours. (The chicken will continue to cooking in the next steps.)

2. Add the cornstarch mixed with water to the slow cooker along with the evaporated milk and white beans. Stir well to combine.
3. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes, or until the soup is slightly. Add in the gnocchi and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the spinach, cover the slow cooker and cook until spinach is wilted, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Taste and adjust the soup for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately topped with fresh parmesan and optional garnishes if using. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

1. You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for chicken breasts if desired.  Just make sure you cut the chicken into bite sized cubes, regardless of what cut of chicken you use.
2. You can either use chicken broth or chicken stock in this recipe.  I used chicken broth since the recipe also calls for evaporated milk, and I felt the milk gave the soup plenty of rich mouthfeel.
3. While the recipe calls for evaporated milk to save a few calories, you can absolutely substitute half-and-half or heavy cream if you are looking for an even richer soup.
4. If spinach isn’t your thing, kale is a delicious substitution.   
5. Step one clarification - “Place the chicken through ground black pepper” means place all the ingredients in the ingredient list from chicken through black pepper into the slow cooker. In other words, place the chicken, onion, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, broth and seasonings into the slow cooker.
6. While this soup reheats well, the gnocchi will soak up a good amount of the liquid during storage.  Therefore you may need to add more evaporated milk (or half-and-half or heavy cream depending on what you used in the soup) when reheating.  The amount of liquid you add will depend entirely on how much soup you are reheating and how “soupy” of a consistency you are looking for.

Nutrition Facts

Tuscan Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 290 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8g 12%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Cholesterol 58mg 19%

Sodium 1243mg 52%

Potassium 641mg 18%

Total Carbohydrates 32g 11%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 8g

Protein 21g 42%

Vitamin A 69.4%

Vitamin C 17.6%

Calcium 27.4%

Iron 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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