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Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup. The perfect warm bowl of soup we’re all craving right now. It’s made with Italian spices, chicken, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and pillowy potato gnocchi, then finished with fresh parmesan and served with crusty bread. Comforting, cozy, and so delicious—this is one of those all-in-one dinners everyone at the table will love.
I got home from New York Friday night, and let me tell you, it feels like fall here in the mountains. The leaves have turned the prettiest shades of yellow and orange, the air is chilly, and the peaks are dusted in snow. It’s so cozy, and I’m embracing it fully. My mind has been spinning with fall recipes—everything from pumpkin cookies to hearty chili to slow-roasted meats. Fall cooking (and baking!) really is my favorite.
I actually made this soup a couple of weeks ago, but this feels like the perfect week to finally share it.
If you’re not familiar with Marry Me Chicken, it’s a dish made with chicken simmered in a creamy Italian sauce with sun-dried tomatoes. Everyone’s version online is a little different, but the flavors are always cozy and so good. I make it a lot on busy nights, and for months now I’ve been wanting to turn it into a soup.
And of course, I had to add gnocchi—because it’s been way too long since I cooked with it. My mom and I were so excited about this one. It’s soup season, and this recipe is the perfect way to celebrate it!
The Details to Making the Perfect Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
- shallots
- garlic
- Italian seasoning
- smoked paprika
- chili flakes
- tomato paste
- chicken
- broth
- salt and black pepper
- cream cheese
- heavy cream or whole milk
- spinach
- potato gnocchi
- parmesan cheese
- fresh basil or parsley
Special Tools
I like to use a Dutch oven. Mine is cast iron, but any soup pot works well here! Nothing fancy about this recipe.
Steps
Step 1: Drain the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
Take the jar of sun-dried tomatoes and drain a few tablespoons of the oil into your Dutch oven. I love using the oil from the jar—it’s seasoned and works perfectly for Italian recipes.
Step 2: Get cooking
To the oil, add the shallots, garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, and chili flakes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it thickens slightly.
Now add the chicken and toss it with all those spices. At this point, your kitchen will smell amazing!
Step 3: Add the broth and cook the chicken
Pour in the broth and let the chicken cook for about 20 minutes. Once tender, shred the chicken directly into the soup.
Step 4: Finish the soup
Mix in the cream cheese and milk until creamy. Add the spinach (or kale), the sun-dried tomatoes, and the gnocchi. Cook until the soup is hot and steamy and the gnocchi float to the top. Stir in some parmesan too!
Serving
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh basil and extra parmesan. I love serving this with a crusty piece of bread on the side—it’s perfect for dipping. Add a simple side salad for color and you’ve got the easiest cozy dinner.
For leftovers, remove the gnocchi from the broth before refrigerating so they don’t soak up all the liquid. Just add them back in when reheating.
That’s it! A simple, warming soup that’s perfect for these busy fall days.
Looking for other easy fall night dinners?? Here are my favorites:
Cozy Wild Rice and Orzo Chicken Soup
Creamy French Onion and Mushroom Soup
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
One Pot Chicken and Sage Dumplings
Lastly, if you make this Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 492 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- chili flakes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs
- salt and black pepper
- 4-6 cups broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 pound fresh potato gnocchi
- fresh basil or parsley, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Drain 3 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar into a large Dutch oven. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.2. Set the pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Mix in the tomato paste. Season with chili flakes. Cook until the tomato paste thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and toss with the spices. 3. Add 4 cups of broth. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Shred using 2 forks. 4. Whip the cream cheese up in a bowl, then add it to the soup with the milk. Stir in the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and gnocchi. Cook until warmed throughout, about 5 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add additional broth.5. Serve the soup topped with parmesan and basil. Enjoy warm, preferably with a crusty piece of bread.
This post was originally published on September 24, 2025
I made this last night and it was so tasty. This will be a regular dinner through the winter.
Thanks so much, Jeremy! So glad to hear you enjoyed this soup, thanks for making it! Have a great week!
Can I skip the chicken in this? I’m a vegetarian…
Hi Lisa,
Sure, that would be okay for you to do! I might add some extra veggies like mushrooms in place of the chicken. I hope you love this soup!
Outstanding! I did add a few (probably two) cups of broth! To make this ahead, I took it all the way through cooking the chicken/shredding, let it cool down to warm
then added the heavy cream and cream cheese. All went on hold until ready to serve then added parm spinach and so on. Topped it with shredded parm. Also made kale salad with hot dressing with this! Amazing amazing AMAZING!!!!
Yay!! Thanks so much, Betsy! So glad to hear this soup turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it!
This was a great cozy Sunday evening dinner to make real quick with ingredients i already had on hand! Used up some leftover spinach and kale. I didn’t find the 3 tbs of oil to be too much, it emulsified well in the final broth! Glad it ended up in my inbox this week 🙂
Hey Jen,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I’m so glad it was a winner!
We loved this one!! I added some celery and carrots with the shallot for some extra veggies, used whole milk instead of heavy cream, and then used half bone broth and half chicken broth for some extra protein. Perfect spice/flavor profile and super easy! We will definitely make again.
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad to hear this soup turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a try!
Hi! Shopping to make this for tonight. Do you have a preference between stock and broth? Chicken- I assume?
Thank you!!
Betsy
Hi Betsy,
It’s totally up to you, both work great here! I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out!
Thank you!!
My family loved it! Easily rose up to a family favorite. My husband even asked to make it again a couple of days later. Perfect for cozy season in Germany! Thanks so much (again) for a wonderful recipe 🙂
Hey Mara,
I’m grateful you tried the recipe and took the time to comment. Delighted it turned out! Happy Sunday!
I have to say that this is a delicious soup BUT 2 tbsp of Italian seasoning is way too much. Next time I will cut this in half. It really over powered the soup and everyone commented on it. Can’t wait to try in again though.
Hey Suzanne,
Thanks so much for trying this soup and sharing your feedback! You can definitely reduce the Italian seasonings to your liking next time. Have a great Friday!
Way too oily
Thank you for this recipe, it made my day! In Finland the weather became quickly windy, rainy and cold; so I was looking for spicy and ‘full on blast’ pleasure food. Bingo! Gnocchi & the sauce with the spinach& kale- comfort food with no compromise. I will be coming for more and again thank you for sharing!
Wow, Finland! Thanks so much for making this soup, Dagmara! I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Friday!
I made this for my husband and myself 3 nights ago and it turned out WONDERFULLY!!! We both absolutely loved it!! My only alteration was, I used just regular milk, instead of cream/whole milk, just to cut down the calories a bit (we try to stay away from heavy creams/milks). And I don’t like spicy, so I delete the spicy ingredients, but that’s all! This is a DEFINITE winner of a recipe, SUPER easy to make, and PERFECT on chilly autumn days (which we have an abundance of here now in Norway!!). Left overs were just as fantastic the next day!!! This recipe has been bookmarked, and is officially in the regular recipe rotation!!! Thanks, Tieghan, for another winner! 🙂
Hey Allie,
Happy Fall Friday! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it and your comment!
My husband and I loved this!! Easy, cozy fall soup was just what I needed after work on a rainy day. Has the great “marry me” flavors but in soup form!
Hey Hannah,
Amazing, thanks for trying this recipe and letting me know it went well! Happy Fall!
This looks amazing! Are we adding in the smoked paprika with the rest of the spices?
Hi Christina,
Yes, that is correct! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try!
Bummer another recipe with sun dried tomato
Hi Marjorie,
Here is another recipe you might enjoy that does not have sun-dried tomatoes:
https://fett-weg.today/chicken-gnocchi-soup/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Have a great day!
Would frozen spinach work in place of fresh?
Hi Bobbie,
I would thaw and drain any extra liquid from the frozen spinach, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! I hope you love this recipe!
Can this be made in the crockpot ? Thanks
Hi Marla,
Yes! That would work nicely here. I would add the cream cheese during the last 30 minutes of cooking and then add the gnocchi. Let me know how it turns out!