Chicken and Gnocchi Soup, Trail Version
A creamy restaurant soup rebuilt from shelf-stable parts. One pot, one boil.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 120
- protein
- 34 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 3 min
- cook
- 14 min
- total time
- 17 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Winter / snow
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Shelf-stable gnocchi | 5 oz | vacuum-packed, not frozen or refrigerated |
|---|---|---|
| Foil-pouch chicken | 1 pouch (5 oz) | drained pouch, no can to pack out |
| Chicken bouillon | 2 cubes or 2 tsp | |
| Powdered whole milk | 1/4 cup | stands in for the half-and-half |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Dried mixed vegetables | 3 tbsp | carrot, celery, and onion flakes |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Dried thyme | 1/2 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1/4 tsp | |
| Dried spinach or kale flakes | 2 tbsp |
Method
- Bring 600 ml of water to a boil. Drop in the bouillon, dried vegetables, garlic powder, thyme, and pepper. Simmer five minutes so the vegetables rehydrate before anything else goes in.
- Add the gnocchi. Simmer until they float and go soft, about four minutes. Stir now and then or they weld to the bottom.
- Stir in the spinach flakes and the drained chicken. Two more minutes on low heat.
- Pull the pot off the stove. Let it stop bubbling, then whisk in the powdered milk a spoonful at a time. Boiling milk powder makes grit.
- Pour the oil over the top and stir. Cover and wait two minutes; the gnocchi keep thickening the broth as it cools.
The restaurant version leans on fresh cream, fresh spinach, and a cutting board full of mirepoix. None of that travels. Bouillon and dried vegetable flakes rebuild the base, powdered whole milk covers the half-and-half, and vacuum-packed gnocchi are already shelf-stable off the shelf. Foil-pouch chicken replaces rotisserie and weighs a third of a can.
Order matters more than technique here. Dried vegetables need real simmering time or they stay leathery, so they go in first and alone. The milk powder goes in last, off the heat, because it curdles and clumps in a rolling boil. The gnocchi release starch as they cook, which is what gives the broth body once the pot cools.
Packing
Bouillon, dried vegetables, spinach, and spices go in one small bag. Milk powder rides in its own bag so it stays dry. Gnocchi and chicken pouch stay sealed until camp.
Variations
- Instant mashed potato flakes, a tablespoon at a time, thicken it further if the gnocchi did not.
- A pinch of red pepper flakes cuts the richness.
- Swap the chicken pouch for a second serving of gnocchi and vegetable bouillon for a meatless pot.
https://mealswithmaria.site/copycat-olive-garden-chicken-and-gnocchi-soup-recipe