Chicken & Gnocchi Soup with Bay Scallops
This dish is inspired by Olive Garden's Gnocchi Soup. I didn't follow any recipe online, this is really simple and sure to impress.
This dish is inspired by Olive Garden's Gnocchi Soup. I didn't follow any recipe online, this is really simple and sure to impress.
- Carbohydrate 40.485234262625 g
- Cholesterol 440.035303276423 mg
- Fat 89.3267054661458 g
- Fiber 0.668800009980798 g
- Protein 86.104080760328 g
- Saturated Fat 36.4525330521001 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (597g)
- Sodium 553.048418237995 mg
- Sugar 39.8164342526442 g
- Trans Fat 7.10639983607511 g
- Calories 1326 calories
Step-by-step
- Boil Chicken Breasts with chicken bouillon.
- Saute onion, celery, and garlic, in butter and olive oil over medium heat until onions are tender. Add flour, let cook for about a minute stirring. Add heavy cream.
- Add gnocchi.
- Shred the chicken with a fork and add to soup mixture. Once the mixture becomes thick add chicken broth, parsley, and basil. Add bay scallops.
- Simmer until heated throughly- about 5-10 minutes
- Garnish with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese.
Swapping heavy cream for whole milk alters the final consistency dramatically, requiring an adjustment to the flour and butter roux to prevent a watery broth. Building a proper roux requires cooking the flour for exactly sixty seconds over medium heat to eliminate the raw starch flavor before introducing dairy. Stirring constantly during this phase prevents scorching at the bottom of the pot, ensuring a smooth foundation for the heavy cream and chicken broth.
Controlling the heat during the simmering stage determines whether the delicate bay scallops remain tender or turn rubbery. Protein fibers in shellfish contract rapidly under high temperatures, meaning the soup must stay at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil once the scallops enter the liquid. Miniature bay scallops cook through in under five minutes, making them an ideal last-minute addition that absorbs surrounding aromatics without overcooking.
Gnocchi behaves differently than dried pasta because potato dumplings release starches directly into the cooking liquid as they float to the surface. Adding the potato pillows directly into the cream base thickens the overall mixture naturally without requiring cornstarch slurries or extra thickeners. Watch for the moment the dumplings rise to the top of the pot, which signals that the interior has heated completely through.
Judging doneness without a probe thermometer relies entirely on visual and textural cues rather than internal temperature readings. Shredded chicken should flake apart effortlessly under the tines of a fork, while celery pieces retain a slight al dente crunch against the soft gnocchi. Let any leftovers cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator.
