This Creamy Gnocchi Soup is loaded with bacon, veggies, and fresh herbs in a flavorful broth for a nourishing and easy dinner any night of the week. It’s one of my go-to soups when I need a comforting and simple meal that comes together quickly in just 1 pot. It’s cozy, flavorful, and great for enjoying on a chilly evening!
“This recipe was an excellent way to use store bought gnocchi. The flavors are amazing. The only change I made was I used spinach instead of kale (I am not a fan of kale) and it turned out so good. Definitely a keeper, I have already made a few times.” – Joseph, So Much Food reader
Table of Contents
This Is One of the Easiest Soup Recipes I’ve Ever Made
This gnocchi cream soup checks all the flavor and texture boxes and comes together quickly and easily. It’s now in a regular rotation in our house!
The bacon, veggies, kale, and potato gnocchi make it ultra hearty and satisfying — perfect for serving with crusty bread. A little bit of cream added at the end makes the soup velvety smooth without tasting too heavy.
The flavors are inspired by Tuscan staples like kale, rich tomato paste, fennel, and lots of fresh basil. If you love a soup with Italian flare, this bacon gnocchi soup is for you!
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Gnocchi. This recipe calls for potato gnocchi, which is something you can make or buy! While I love making homemade potato gnocchi, it can be a labor intensive process. That’s why I often use store-bought potato gnocchi for ease. I prefer the brand DeLallo or I get my gnocchi from Trader Joe’s.
- Bacon. If you want to make this soup vegetarian, you can omit the bacon.
- Veggies. I use onion, carrots, and fennel here but you could also add veggies like celery, peppers, etc.
- Kale. I prefer black kale, also labeled as dinosaur or lacinato kale. But any kale will work here, including baby kale. If kale’s not your thing, swap in baby spinach.
- Chicken stock. Homemade is always best, but if you’re using store-bought opt for bone broth from the refrigerated section.
- Spices. I use red pepper flakes, oregano, and basil to really drive the Italian flavors home.
- Heavy cream. Adding a bit of cream at the end really gives the soup a velvety texture. There’s just 1/2 cup in the entire recipe, so the soup tastes rich without being super heavy.
- Fresh basil. Stirring in a bunch of fresh basil at the end really gives the soup a fresh flavor that keeps it from being too rich.
Tools Needed
How to Make the Creamiest Gnocchi Soup
- Render the bacon. The trick is cooking the bacon for a solid 6 to 8 minutes so it renders as much of its fat as possible and becomes super crispy. Once it’s crisped up, remove it with a slotted spoon and pour off the remaining grease until just 1 tablespoon remains in the pot.
- Sauté the veggies. You want the onions, carrot, and fennel to soften and turn lightly golden brown before stirring in the spices.
- Cook the tomato paste. Tomato paste is packed with natural sugars, which we want to caramelize before pouring in the chicken stock. Stir the veggies around to coat them in the tomato paste, then let it cook for a few minutes until deepened in color.
- Simmer for 15 minutes. This soup only needs to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken and develop the flavors.
- Add the gnocchi and bacon. Gnocchi cooks very quickly (about 5 minutes) and floats to the top of the pot when it’s done.
- Finish the soup. Pour in the heavy cream, chopped kale, and basil leaves last. This preserves the colors and textures of the soup and prevents it from splitting.
Recipe Variations
Make it vegetarian. This soup is easy to make vegetarian! Simply omit the bacon and swap the chicken stock for vegetable broth. You could also add some sautéed mushrooms and baked Italian tofu to add umami and protein.
Add chicken or sausage. While this soup is already hearty with the veggies, you can always bulk it up further by adding shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked and crumbled Italian sausage.
Make it gluten-free. Since this soup doesn’t contain any flour for thickening the broth, it’s really easy to make gluten-free! Just swap in your favorite gluten-free gnocchi and this soup is ready to enjoy!
What to Serve on the Side
Since this is a rich and creamy soup, I love pairing it with a leafy side salad to balance out the meal. Of course, a hunk of bread for mopping the bowl is great too!
If you give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Creamy Soup Recipes to Try
- Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup
- Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup
- Loaded Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
This post contains affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.
Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 slices bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 fennel bulb, cored and diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 6 cups chicken stock (homemade is best)
- 16 oz store bought potato gnocchi (I like the DeLallo brand)
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, leaves stripped from the stems and roughly chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- finely grated parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Render the bacon. Heat the olive oil in a 4-5 qt dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bacon and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until the bacon is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a small bowl. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.
- Saute the veggies. Lower the heat slightly and add the butter. Once it’s melted and foamy, add the onions, carrot, and fennel to the pot and saute for 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the dried oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the tomato paste has darkened in color.
- Simmer the soup. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer for 10-15 minutes, just until the liquid has reduced slightly. Stir in the gnocchi and bacon and cover. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the gnocchi is tender.
- Finish the soup. Pour in the heavy cream and add the chopped kale and basil leaves. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes, until the kale is tender. Stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with parmesan, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Â
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- To store: Any leftover soup can be stored airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep in mind that as the soup sits in the fridge, it will thicken because of the gnocchi. I don't recommend freezing this particular soup as the gnocchi gets waterlogged and the cream will break when defrosted.To reheat: Add the soup to a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add broth and cream as needed to thin the soup out. Simmer until the soup is warmed through.
Rate & Review This Recipe
This was a perfect recipe find for a cold winters day. It did not disappoint. Family approved and will become an addition to the recipe book.
I loved this!!! I had to make some substitutions based on what I had on hand. Used baby spinach rather than kale and used some celery as I didn’t have fennel. I also put about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan in it at the end with the cream. 🙂 SO SO good!!! This came together so fast so it was easy to do after work!! Served with crusty sour dough bread!!
This recipe was an excellent way to use store bought gnocchi. The flavors are amazing. The only change I made was I used spinach instead of kale (I am not a fan of kale) and it turned out so good. Definitely a keeper, I have already made a few times.