If you're a fan of Olive Garden's beloved chicken gnocchi soup, you're in the right place! My Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup is inspired by this restaurant classic but it's made with fresher, more nourishing ingredients. This soup is made without any heavy cream and, instead, uses protein-packed greek yogurt to keep the soup extra rich and delicious!

With the help of an instant pot, you can make this soup, loaded with potato gnocchi, crisp bacon, shredded chicken, and fresh veggies, in under an hour. It's so tasty, easy, and satisfying!

Instant pot chicken gnocchi soup in a white bowl with a spoon.

Everyone in your family will quickly fall in love with this soup's shredded chicken, soft pillowy gnocchi, and luscious creamy broth. It's also packed with fresh vegetables like carrots, celery, onion, and baby spinach, making it the best balanced comfort food at its finest! Serve with a crusty piece of bread and you're in for a little slice of heaven! Have extra crusty bread? This equally delicious Chicken Minestrone Soup is one of my favorites and the bread will definitely be needed to soak up every last drop!

Blandness was one of the main issues I ran into while testing this chicken soup recipe. So, to make sure this soup is jam packed with flavor, I added 7 different herbs and spices. From fresh garlic and rosemary, to dried bay leaf, basil, and thyme, this soup is well-seasoned! And if that's not enough, there's also the crispy, smoky bacon to round it all out.

Next, I made sure to test the optimal timing for cooking the vegetables, tender shredded chicken, and the gnocchi - all of which cook at different rates. To ensure nothing becomes overcooked or soggy, you cook each in stages, but still use just one pot for minimal cleanup!

The instant pot might be the unsung hero of this dish. Because of the high pressure, food stays moist and tender and cooks much faster than on a stovetop. And because everything cooks right in the instant pot itself, there is no hassle of getting out and washing multiple pots and pans!

Once you experience just how easy and delicious instant pot soups are, I know you will be hooked! Check out this hearty and flavorful Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup with ground chicken meatballs, veggies, and pasta; this 35-minute Instant Pot Chicken Rice Soup that only requires 10 minutes of prep; or this ultra rich and cheesy Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup that comes together with just 9 ingredients!

Ingredients

Instructions

Bacon in a single layer in the bottom of an instant pot.

Step 1: Place bacon in a single layer at the bottom of your instant pot. Do not overlap. You might need to work in batches if all the bacon doesn’t fit. It’s okay if the ends of the bacon have to go up the sides a little bit.

Step 2: Set instant pot to the “saute” setting and cook bacon for 5 to 7 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes.

⭐️ Quick Tip! Don't wipe out the instant pot after cooking the bacon! The grease adds depth of flavor to the soup and helps cook the vegetables until they're tender.

Crumbled bacon on a paper towel lined plate.

Step 3: Remove bacon from the pot and set on a paper towel lined plate to absorb any remaining grease. Crumble bacon into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Onion, carrot, and celery added to the instant pot.

Step 4: With instant pot still on the “saute” setting, add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook in the bacon grease for 5 minutes, or until the onions start to turn translucent, scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the pot.

Step 5: Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.

Raw chicken on top of carrots, onion, and celery in an instant pot.

Step 6: Place chicken breasts on top of the onions and other vegetables. Pour in chicken broth and season with bay leaf, the whole sprig of rosemary, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Step 7: Cover instant pot with the lid. Set the valve to the “sealing position” and pressure cook on high pressure for 9 minutes.
Step 8: When the timer is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before switching the valve to “venting” and manually releasing any remaining pressure.
Step 9: Remove the lid and discard bay leaf and the stem of the rosemary sprig.

Step 10: Remove chicken and place it on a plate or cutting board. Shred chicken using two forks.

Step 11: Set instant pot back to the “saute” setting. Once soup starts to simmer, add the gnocchi and stir. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until gnocchi is tender and floats to the top.

Step 12: Turn off the pot. Stir in shredded chicken, parmesan cheese, and spinach just until it wilts.

Step 13: Stir in the greek yogurt until fully combined.
Step 14: Serve soup with crispy bacon pieces sprinkled on top and warm crusty bread for dipping.

Instant pot chicken gnocchi soup in a bowl with a hand dipping bread into it.

My Top Tips!

⭐️ If you like an even creamier soup, just add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour when you add the garlic to the veggies. This will result in a slightly thicker soup! But just make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot as you cook, so nothing burns.

⭐️ If you can’t find refrigerated gnocchi, the shelf-stable gnocchi (found with the other dried pastas) would work just as well.