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October 16, 2017

Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Kale and Parmesan

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Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Kale and Parmesan: A cream based soup with tender, moist bites of chicken, bacon crumbles, bright green leafy kale and dumpling-like gnocchi. This soup is a 10 out of 10 at my house. If I start a soup restaurant and can serve only 3 soups this will be one of them.
Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Kale and Parmesan: A cream based soup with tender, moist bites of chicken, bacon crumbles, bright green leafy kale and dumpling-like gnocchi.
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I love the mild temperatures of September and early October. The 60s and 70s seem just about perfect to me. Now that the weather has turned this week and we’re in the 40s here I’ve been a tad depressed. That is until today. I made the best soup ever. And I thought “having bad weather is worth it if I get to make and eat this soup!” My son who can be quite dramatic about food (he loves it just about as much as I do), freaked out over this soup. “Mom, I love this soup!” As he proceeded to gulp it down and ask for two more bowls.
Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Kale and Parmesan: A cream based soup with tender, moist bites of chicken, bacon crumbles, bright green leafy kale and dumpling-like gnocchi. This soup is a 10 out of 10 at my house. If I start a soup restaurant and can serve only 3 soups this will be one of them.
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All the flavors in this soup just mesh perfectly. I totally feel that this is restaurant quality soup! Make it for dinner, make it for potluck, make it for your neighbor, make it for book club, make it for the holidays…just make it.
Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Kale and Parmesan: A cream based soup with tender, moist bites of chicken, bacon crumbles, bright green leafy kale and dumpling-like gnocchi. This soup is a 10 out of 10 at my house. If I start a soup restaurant and can serve only 3 soups this will be one of them.
Pin it for later!

This soup starts with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I decided to go with breasts because there is enough liquid surrounding the chicken to keep it moist. I also felt that there was enough indulgence in the soup with the half and half and bacon that we didn’t need to add more fat with dark meat chicken. I threw my chicken breasts in frozen and I used 1 3/4 pounds. Which was plenty. I love my kitchen scale and use it all the time. If you don’t have one they are a good little tool and are pretty inexpensive.ย 

 

Frozen chicken breasts

Next, chop up some onions, carrots and celery. I actually really liked grated carrots in this soup instead of sliced carrots.

mirepoix for gnocchi soup

Instead of sauteing on the stovetop we are going to use the microwave. We are going to add in a bit of oil and the spices and microwave it all for about 5 minutes. This gives the veggies a chance to soften up and it blooms the spices at the same time.

Microwave the mirepoix to soften it and bloom the spices

Add all of that into the slow cooker along with some chicken broth and a bay leaf and you’re set to cook on low for about 4 hours.

Slow cooker chicken soup recipe

Once the chicken is tender, you’ll add in some half and half and some bacon. I like buying these little packages of bacon because it’s just really easy and convenient. But if you want to fry up some bacon, more power to you!

real bacon bits from kroger

And don’t forget the best part…the gnocchi. I just like saying that word a lot. Gnocchi! I found mine at Smith’s/Kroger by the pasta. It was $2.50 for a pound. I think you could actually add more than a pound in this soup and it would be awesome. These cook fairly quickly in the hot soup so you’ll be ready to eat in no time!

Italian Gnocchi from kroger

Don’t forget to add in a pop of green and nutrition with the kale. Make sure to take out the stem when you chop it up. Here is a one minute video that shows how to cute up kale…so helpful!

Finally, you’ll add the finishing touch of a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I promise you’ll love this! Try it soon ๐Ÿ™‚

Crockpot recipe for chicken and gnocchi soup with parmesan and bacon and kale
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Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Kale and Parmesan


★★★★★

4.2 from 5 reviews

  • Author: 365 Days of Slow Cooking
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
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Description

A cream based soup with tender, moist bites of chicken, bacon crumbles, bright green leafy kale and dumpling-like gnocchi. This soup is a 10 out of 10 at my house. If I start a soup restaurant and can serve only 3 soups this will be one of them.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1–2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used about 1 1/2 lbs which I felt was perfect)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, grated or finely diced
  • 3 celery stalks, grated or finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 5 cups chicken broth (or you can use water and bouillon)
  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 3 oz bacon bits
  • 1–2 lbs gnocchi (I used one pound)
  • 4 kale leaves, roughly chopped (as shown in video above)
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan

Instructions

  1. Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley and olive oil. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add concoction to the slow cooker.
  3. Add in the bay leaf, pepper, salt, and chicken broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or until chicken is tender. Alternately, you can also cook on HIGH for about 2-3 hours. (I do feel that chicken turns out better in the slow cooker when cooked on low though).
  4. Remove chicken and place on a cutting board. Turn the slow cooker to high. Mix 3 Tbsp of cornstarch with an equal amount of water and stir together until smooth. Stir into the slow cooker and keep the lid off. Go back to the chicken and slice it into bite size pieces or shred it. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker.
  5. Warm the half and half (or else it will curdle) and add it into the slow cooker. I always just stick mine in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
  6. Add the bacon bits, gnocchi and kale into the slow cooker and give a little stir. Let it cook on high for 10 minutes.
  7. Ladle into serving bowls and top each serving with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

Notes

I use my 6 quart slow cooker for this recipe.

If you’d like the Instant Pot version of this recipe click here.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @365dayscrockpot on Instagram

Recipe inspired by Pinch of Yum and Mel’s Kitchen Cafe and Olive Garden

P.S. ย Do you love soup? Click here to see all my slow cooker soup recipes!

Here are some of my most popular slow cooker soup recipes (just click on the picture to get the recipe):
Crockpot recipe for Greek lemon chicken soup with couscous and feta cheeseSlow cooker lasagna soup recipe. Don't forget to top with a dollop of ricotta cheese!Love nachos? You need to try this Slow Cooker Nacho Cheese soup. It's so easy even a kid can make it. My kids, did in fact, make this soup. It's pretty much a dump everything in the crockpot and go type of recipe!

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48 Comments Filed Under: All Recipes, Chicken, Pasta, Soups, Slow Cooker Tagged With: 2-4 hours, 4-6 hours, gnocchi, 5 stars, copy cat recipe, All Posts

Recommendations

Comments

  1. Richard Moore says

    March 8, 2023 at 4:56 pm

    Made this soup today and followed recipe to the letter. This is a keeper. My adult daughter and I love it. One of the best soups we have eaten – PERIOD!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 10, 2023 at 4:59 pm

      Wow thanks so much Richard!

      Reply
  2. Stacey says

    October 27, 2021 at 11:54 am

    We just started the Keto diet a few weeks ago. This recipe is great for keto with only a slight change. We are going to add pearl onions in place of the gnocchi. It looks delicious and can’t wait to try it! Do you have any other suggestions for Keto recipes in the crockpot or Ip? Thank you so much for all your yummy ideas so far! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 2, 2021 at 1:40 pm

      Hi Stacey here are my low carb recipes: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/recipes/?fwp_method=instant-pot&fwp_dietary_restrictions=low-carb

      Reply
  3. Cynthia Idle says

    October 27, 2021 at 11:29 am

    This is one of my favorites, for sure! I love how it comes together and the flavor is superb!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 2, 2021 at 1:41 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it Cynthia!

      Reply
  4. MARTY says

    January 30, 2021 at 7:30 am

    Can I half the recipe for just the two of us?
    We have a 4 quart slow cooker

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 30, 2021 at 1:41 pm

      yes for sure!

      Reply
  5. Ashley says

    December 2, 2020 at 8:37 pm

    When you remove the crock pot lid in step 4, do you leave it off for the rest of the process or do you return the lid while the gnocchi is cooking?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 3, 2020 at 12:33 pm

      I just keep it off

      Reply
  6. Carmel says

    November 13, 2020 at 4:04 pm

    I’m not a fan of kale, so spinach it is! Sounds delicious and great for the cold weather coming soon.
    Thanks and be well!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 14, 2020 at 8:22 pm

      You too!

      Reply
  7. Christine Hayes says

    October 29, 2019 at 5:22 pm

    This looks amazing. If doing this in a slow cooker, could I use boneless skinless thighs instead of the breasts? And I would rather use spinach. How much would you use and should it be chopped first? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 29, 2019 at 7:28 pm

      Yes on the thighs and I would chop up 2 cups of packed spinach. Sounds great!

      Reply
  8. Jean says

    January 5, 2019 at 6:11 pm

    Made this soup this evening in my IP using gluten free gnocchi. It was fabulous.
    Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. Sherisse says

    December 16, 2018 at 7:11 pm

    Just made this for dinner and followed the directions and recipe exactly and it didn’t have much flavor… it was also very bitter, because of the kale we’re guessing, and we just couldn’t eat it. Very disappointed!

    ★

    Reply
  10. Jess MVK says

    October 14, 2018 at 7:03 pm

    Hi! I just found your site and am THRILLED!! Your recipes look DEEE-lish and will likely keep me quite busy trying things out for my kiddos and I.
    I have the chicken, etc. cooking, and just realized I have frozen tortellini, not gnocchi (could’ve sworn I grabbed gnocchi too, ugh)! Do you think this will work? I have the cheese version.
    If so, would you say about the same amount of time, prior to serving? I am actually cooking it now primarily for the week’s lunches (tho will likely sneak a bowl b4 bed, myself.. ). If I refrigerate once done, AND you think the tortellini will be okay, will the tortellini also be ok in the soup/refrigerated the next few days?
    Thank you SO much for this… your site/recipe had the BEST directions, simple, straightforward, and covering most all of the questions I had running thru my busy head!! I am a definite new follower!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 15, 2018 at 11:08 am

      Hi Jess, glad you found me!
      I think tortellini would be just fine. I bet it would take the same amount of time. Yes it will be okay in the fridge. It might get a little bloated but it will still taste great.

      Reply
  11. Kathleen says

    February 4, 2018 at 12:57 pm

    My son’s primary food groups are chicken and bacon, but he is allergy to all dairy products. I’ve never bought gnocchi before; does it have cheese in it? I’d like to try this recipe using unsweetened almond milk instead of half and half and Tofutti (non-dairy) parmesan cheese. I really like that this is thickened with cornstarch, not flour, since my cornstarch says it contains calciumโ€”a bonus when allergic to dairy. Anyone else tried using non-dairy substitutes?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 5, 2018 at 6:15 pm

      Gnocchi is just a pasta made from potatoes. So no it doesn’t have cheese in it. Let me know how the non-dairy version turns out!

      Reply
  12. Sheila Barry says

    January 26, 2018 at 5:30 pm

    I made today. Very good I used light cream instead of half and half. But it was delish and filling.
    Can you freez it .it is quite a lot for 1 person.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 26, 2018 at 6:04 pm

      I’m sure you could freeze it!

      Reply
  13. Tiff says

    February 15, 2017 at 9:54 pm

    Do you know the nutrition info for this?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 15, 2017 at 10:51 pm

      Hi Tiff, I’m sorry I don’t. If I want to find nutrition info I often plug recipes into here: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php

      Reply
  14. Denise says

    February 1, 2017 at 10:01 pm

    Can nonfat half & half be substituted?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 3, 2017 at 8:21 pm

      Sure!

      Reply
  15. Denise says

    January 19, 2017 at 5:15 am

    Oh my goodness! This soup is Ah-mazing! When my husband called and asked what I was making for dinner, he got really quiet. See, he’s not a soup eater. Especially if he knew it was a slow cooker recipe. He thinks things taste weird. Boy did this soup prove him wrong. He kept repeating “this is fantastic”. He told me that I hit it out of the park with this one on the first try. This is a keeper and will be made often.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 19, 2017 at 2:38 pm

      Denise, what a great comment to receive! I love that your husband was happy to eat soup! Hooray!! Thanks for letting me know ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  16. Katie Smith says

    December 18, 2016 at 9:28 am

    Super excited to try this recipe tonight! I’ve been using your beef stroganoff and quinoa avocado bowls forever and am expanding my crockpot repertoire now that it’s freezing in Michigan. Thanks so much for all the great recipes and pictures! I just used one of your Amazon links to order some items and will make sure I use your referral links in the future too.
    Thanks again,
    Katie

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 20, 2016 at 1:13 pm

      Katie, thanks so much for the nice note. I hope you find lots of great recipes!!

      Reply
  17. Holly says

    December 16, 2016 at 9:08 pm

    Followed the recipe exactly, and wow! What a treat! FULL of flavor. Instant favorite. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      December 20, 2016 at 1:13 pm

      Thanks so much Holly! Glad you liked it ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  18. Kaela says

    October 20, 2016 at 9:02 am

    What can I replace the chicken with to make the dish vegetarian?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 24, 2016 at 4:43 pm

      I would just leave it out. I’m not sure what you could use in its place that’s meatless. Maybe mushrooms?

      Reply
  19. Lauren says

    October 17, 2016 at 10:22 am

    Does this freeze well?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 17, 2016 at 12:01 pm

      I’ve never tried it! But I bet it would be okay.

      Reply
  20. Corinne says

    October 7, 2016 at 7:31 pm

    Does gnocchi have to be cooked first before putting in slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 10, 2016 at 3:59 pm

      no, just let it cook in the simmering liquid in the slow cooker!

      Reply
  21. Natalie says

    September 26, 2016 at 1:57 pm

    What can I use instead of half & half? I can’t find that anywhere?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 26, 2016 at 9:21 pm

      you could use whole milk or even heavy cream! It’s not a big deal, it will still taste great.

      Reply
  22. Jen says

    September 21, 2016 at 5:34 pm

    We enjoyed this with spinach. Good flavor though next time I will add a little red pepper.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 26, 2016 at 11:46 am

      Good idea!

      Reply
    • Sue says

      January 23, 2017 at 7:44 pm

      How much fresh spinach did you use

      Reply
      • Karen says

        January 23, 2017 at 10:21 pm

        Probably 3 cups

        Reply
  23. KP says

    September 20, 2016 at 3:37 pm

    What would I do if using fresh (not frozen) chicken?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 21, 2016 at 1:25 pm

      you can take about an hour off the cooking time!

      Reply
  24. Jacqueline Lucke says

    September 18, 2016 at 9:33 am

    Looks so good, but I don’t care for Kale, what can I replace it with

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 19, 2016 at 10:37 am

      Spinach would work well!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

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