Name: Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Kale and Parmesan
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Ingredients: 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

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

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Instructions

Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Add the bacon bits, gnocchi and kale into the slow cooker and give a little stir. Let it cook on high for 10 minutes.
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.