Chicken Gnocchi Pesto Soup

Chicken gnocchi pesto soup is a recipe that proves the value of stocking your pantry with key store-bought ingredients, like jarred sauces, pastas and spices. With these items on hand, making this hearty soup takes less time than ordering a pizza. It has a creamy texture thanks to Alfredo sauce, and gets its Italian flavor from pesto and seasonings. Fold in quick-cooking potato gnocchi for tender chew in every spoonful.

This rotisserie chicken recipe makes prepping family meals so much easier. Pick up a rotisserie chicken on the ride home from work, or store the shredded meat in the freezer. Chicken gnocchi soup is a delicious, warming dinner for cool evenings and is easy to make or reheat for lunch.

Ingredients for Chicken Gnocchi Pesto Soup

• Potato gnocchi: Look for small, dumpling-like gnocchi either stocked with dried pasta or in the freezer case. You can also make a batch of homemade potato gnocchi (you’ll need to cook them before adding them to the soup).
• Rotisserie chicken: Precooked chicken makes this soup so easy to prepare. For this recipe, chop 2 cups of meat, then refrigerate or freeze the rest for future meals.
• Jarred garlic Alfredo sauce: Chicken gnocchi pesto soup is one of our favorite recipes with Alfredo sauce. You’ll find jars of the creamy Parmesan sauce stocked with other pasta sauces.
• Fresh spinach: Not only does it add beautiful color, but quick-cooking spinach is a healthy and filling addition to this gnocchi soup.
• Pesto: You can keep things simple by using store-bought pesto. Alternatively, you can pick up fresh basil, olive oil and Parmesan and make your own classic pesto.
• Spices: Italian seasoning blend, salt and pepper round out the flavors.

Directions

Step 1: Mix and heat the soup base

Combine the chopped chicken with Alfredo sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and 2 cups of water in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring them to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally.

Step 2: Add the pasta and spinach

Stir the potato gnocchi and fresh spinach into the soup. Cook the soup until the gnocchi float, about three to eight minutes.

Editor’s Tip: The rule of thumb is that gnocchi are ready to eat when they float to the top. Once this happens, spoon one out to test it; it should be cooked and warmed throughout. This may only take a few minutes with fresh gnocchi, so watch them closely to avoid overcooking. Frozen gnocchi should go straight into the soup to cook, and may take a minute or two longer.

Step 3: Garnish bowls with pesto

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with 1 teaspoon of pesto.

Chicken Gnocchi Pesto Soup Variations

• Add mushrooms: Chop and saute mushroom varieties such as button, oyster, portobello or cremini, then stir them into the soup with the gnocchi and spinach.
• Stir in some peas: The bright flavor of fresh or frozen peas is a perfect fit in this creamy soup. Stir them in along with the spinach.
• Try it with turkey: Do you have leftover turkey from Sunday dinner or Thanksgiving dinner? Chop it up and use it in place of the chicken in this soup.

How to Store Chicken Gnocchi Pesto Soup

Let the chicken gnocchi pesto soup cool completely, then cover it tightly. The soup can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.

Can you freeze chicken gnocchi pesto soup?

Because it contains creamy Alfredo sauce, which separates and becomes watery after freezing, we don’t recommend storing chicken gnocchi pesto soup in the freezer. The good news? The sauces, spices and gnocchi can be stashed in the pantry. The cooked chicken and fresh spinach can be stored in the freezer. When you have everything on hand, the soup is ready to eat in only 25 minutes, making it a great choice even on hectic days.

How do you reheat chicken gnocchi pesto soup?

Transfer the chicken gnocchi pesto soup to a saucepan and reheat it gently over medium heat, stirring it often. You can also reheat this soup in a covered dish in the microwave. Heat it in short bursts, stirring after each one until it’s warmed through.

Chicken Gnocchi Pesto Soup Tips

What other types of chicken can you use for this soup?

Cooked rotisserie chicken is a convenient choice for chicken gnocchi pesto soup, but there are other options. You can make the soup with white or dark meat leftover from chicken dinner recipes. You can also cook chicken just for the soup; baking, slow cooking and poaching are just a few of the possible methods. If you have chopped or shredded chicken in the freezer, add it directly to the soup. It will thaw and heat through as it simmers.

What else can you serve with chicken gnocchi pesto soup?

With meat, pasta and a creamy broth, chicken gnocchi pesto soup is a filling dish for lunch at home or work, or for a casual dinner. Complete the meal with bread for dunking, like homemade Italian flatbread, buttered slices of a crusty bread loaf or simple dinner rolls. And speaking of ingredients to keep stashed in the freezer or pantry, bake savory pull-apart garlic bread in advance and freeze it. You can quickly reheat and serve the bread with this creamy gnocchi soup.