Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup starts with the same combination that made Marry Me Chicken famous: browned chicken, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, cream and a little chili.
Gnocchi change the dish completely. They cook directly in the broth, release a small amount of starch and turn the sauce into a thick soup that sits somewhere between creamy chicken soup and a bowl of saucy gnocchi.
The balance matters. Too much cream hides the sun-dried tomatoes. Too much Parmesan makes the broth salty and heavy. Gnocchi left simmering for too long lose their soft texture and continue thickening the soup after it leaves the stove.
The recipe below keeps the broth loose enough for a spoon, with enough Parmesan and cream to give it the character people expect from Marry Me Chicken.
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the onion.
- Pat the chicken dry and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, turning until browned on several sides. The chicken does not need to be completely cooked at this stage. Transfer it to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Scrape any browned chicken bits from the bottom of the pot as the onion releases moisture.
- Add the garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. The tomato paste should darken slightly without sticking or burning.
- Add the broth.
- Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pot again. Return the browned chicken and any juices from the plate. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Cook the gnocchi in the soup.
- Add the gnocchi directly to the pot. Simmer according to the package timing, usually 3 to 5 minutes. Most potato gnocchi rise toward the surface once they are nearly cooked.
- Add the cream.
- Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Keep the soup below a hard boil once the cream goes in.
- Finish with Parmesan and spinach.
- Turn off the heat. Add the Parmesan a little at a time, stirring until it melts into the broth. Fold in the spinach and let the residual heat wilt it for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Check the seasoning. Taste before adding more salt. Parmesan, broth and sun-dried tomatoes already contribute plenty of salt. Add black pepper, extra chili flakes or basil before serving.
Video
The Sun-Dried Tomato Oil Belongs in the Pot
Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes bring more than the tomatoes themselves. The oil has already picked up tomato flavor and, depending on the brand, herbs and seasoning.
Using a spoonful for browning the chicken gives the soup a stronger tomato base without adding more tomato paste.
Drain the tomatoes enough that they are easy to chop, but keep the jar nearby until the chicken is browned. Regular olive oil works if your tomatoes are sold dry, although the finished broth will have less of the concentrated tomato flavor.
Why the Gnocchi Cook Directly in the Broth
There is no need to boil the gnocchi in a separate pot for this recipe.
Cooking them in the chicken broth keeps their starch in the soup. A small amount comes off the surface during cooking and naturally gives the broth more body.
The timing is important because gnocchi continue absorbing liquid after cooking. Five extra minutes at a strong simmer can turn a creamy broth into something much thicker than intended.
Add the gnocchi near the end and stop cooking once they are tender.
The Parmesan Goes In After the Heat Is Off
Parmesan behaves better here when the soup is no longer boiling.
High heat can make finely grated hard cheese clump or leave the broth with a slightly grainy texture. Turning off the burner first allows the cheese to melt into the hot liquid more gradually.
Freshly grated Parmesan also melts more cleanly than many tubs of pre-grated cheese. Packaged grated cheese can contain anti-caking ingredients that make a smooth soup harder to achieve.
Where Marry Me Chicken Came From?
The name predates the soup version by a decade.
Lindsay Funston created the original recipe for Delish in 2016 while developing a creamy skillet chicken dish with garlic, chicken broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan and red pepper flakes. According to the original Marry Me Chicken story, the name appeared during a video shoot after a member of the team tasted the finished dish and joked that she would marry the cook for the chicken.
The combination later spread into pasta, gnocchi and soup recipes. Gnocchi fit especially well because the potato dumplings absorb part of the creamy tomato broth instead of leaving the sauce sitting separately around the chicken.
Chicken Thighs or Chicken Breast?
Both work, although they behave differently in soup.
Chicken thighs stay tender through browning and simmering and tolerate a few extra minutes in the pot. Chicken breast has a leaner texture and needs closer timing.
Cut either option into pieces of similar size so the chicken cooks evenly.
Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F or 74°C before serving.
Can You Use Rotisserie Chicken?
Yes. Rotisserie chicken cuts several minutes from the recipe and works particularly well when dinner needs to reach the table quickly.
Use about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken.
Skip the first browning step. Start with the sun-dried tomato oil, butter and onion, then continue with garlic, tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the shredded chicken after the gnocchi have cooked so it only needs enough time to heat through.
Leftover cooked chicken works the same way. FoodPlanet also has a guide explaining how long cooked chicken lasts in the fridge before it should be used or discarded.
How Thick Should Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup Be?
The finished soup should coat the back of a spoon but still flow easily when ladled.
Gnocchi make the broth thicker as they cook, and the Parmesan adds more body once melted. The soup will thicken again as it cools.
If it becomes heavier than expected, stir in a small amount of chicken broth before serving.
A thin broth immediately after adding the cream does not necessarily need flour or cornstarch. Give the gnocchi time to finish cooking and add the Parmesan before deciding that the soup needs more thickening.
Can You Use Half-and-Half Instead of Heavy Cream?
Half-and-half can replace the heavy cream for a lighter broth.
Keep the heat gentle after adding it. Lower-fat dairy is less tolerant of aggressive boiling.
Whole milk will produce a much thinner result. If milk is the only option available, use slightly less broth or expect a lighter soup.
Can You Add Cream Cheese?
Some versions of Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup use cream cheese for a much thicker base.
About 3 to 4 oz can be added if you want that texture. Soften it first and whisk it into the broth before the gnocchi go in.
The recipe above leaves it out because cream, Parmesan and gnocchi already thicken the broth enough for a rich soup without pushing it toward a cheese sauce.
What to Serve With Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup?
The gnocchi already provide plenty of starch, so the soup does not need another heavy side.
- Garlic bread or toasted sourdough
- Simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette
- Roasted broccoli
- Green beans with garlic
- Arugula with lemon and Parmesan
Crusty bread is useful if you want something for the broth, but the soup is substantial enough to serve on its own.
How to Store Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup?
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use them within 3 to 4 days.
The gnocchi continue absorbing broth during storage, so the soup will be noticeably thicker the following day. Add a splash of broth when reheating and warm it over medium-low heat.
Avoid boiling the leftovers aggressively. Gentle reheating protects the cream and Parmesan from separating.
Can You Freeze It?
The complete soup is not the best candidate for freezing because both gnocchi and cream change texture after thawing.
For make-ahead cooking, prepare the chicken and tomato broth without the gnocchi, cream, Parmesan or spinach. Freeze that base separately.
After thawing, bring the broth to a simmer, add fresh gnocchi and finish with cream, Parmesan and spinach.