You will love this twist on our classic chicken gnocchi soup. This one uses added smoky bacon and paprika. It is ideal as a one-pot, comforting soup with chicken, gnocchi, spinach, garlic, and a creamy broth. When I want a comforting soup, and it's cold, I always go for Scotch broth, being Scottish and all.

People may think adding bacon to this dish is maybe over the top, but I love it. Crispy bacon is always a winner for me. I do want a good one-pot meal, and everybody loves a good leftover dish, don't they? When I'm following someone's recipe video, I don't follow it word for word. I think that's a good way to be: be your own cook. Just use it as a guide and keep learning as you go.

Key Takeaways

What Makes This Smoky Bacon Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup So Special

For this soup, it is definitely the eight slices of crispy fried bacon that give it all the lift, and then a little bit of smoked paprika, and you have something special. When it comes to rendering the fat from bacon, I always find people tend to cook it on too high a temperature. Just place it in the pan on a nice medium heat, and you will get fantastic bacon. You can also do it in the oven.

I do use smoked paprika in my cooking. What makes a soup truly special comes down not only to great flavor but, for me, to using a great stock and achieving great texture. I do enjoy a chunky soup, one that sticks to your ribs.

Perfect for Busy Weeknights

Rich and Creamy Base

Comfort Food at Its Best

Getting Your Ingredients Ready

Finding the Perfect Bacon

To get your ingredients ready, you will need slices of smoked bacon, which you can dice, and around 1.25 pounds of chicken, diced; this is around two large breasts. You can also use unsmoked bacon or even chicken thighs if that's what you have.

Play around with how you cut the bacon and chicken. If you like it chunky, cut the pieces larger. I love recipes like these as they help you improve your knife skills. For me, the very first swap I would make in this recipe is using chicken thighs compared to chicken breast; it will stay juicy and won't dry out.

Picking Chicken That Stays Tender

Getting Fresh Pasta and Vegetables

Understanding Your Cheese Choices

Essential Pantry Items You’ll Need

Dairy & Liquids	Seasonings & Herbs	Other Essentials
1.5 tablespoons salted butter	6-8 garlic cloves, minced	1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk	1 tablespoon fresh thyme	6 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream	1 tablespoon fresh rosemary	1/2 cup white wine
	2 tablespoons fresh parsley
	2 teaspoons salt
	1 teaspoon smoked paprika
	Fresh black pepper

Let’s Get Cooking: Step-By-Step Soup Magic

Crisping Up That Smoky Bacon

Start off this recipe by rendering your bacon right in the soup pot. Once it's rendered, you can then add some extra butter and your miracle base, using onion, celery, and savory. When making soup, I always use just the one pot.

I don't find any need for extra pans. I sometimes add garlic, sometimes don't, but the onion, carrot, savory base is non-negotiable. Soups are a great way to learn to cook by smell. I'm not really looking at the clock. The butter in this recipe helps to add richness, but sometimes I like to use all cream to make my soups; that way it's richer.

Creating the Veggie Foundation

Wine Magic and Pan Scraping

Building the Soup Base

Adding the Broth

Cooking the Chicken Perfectly

Fresh Greens and Pillowy Gnocchi

The Creamy Grand Finale

Quick Wins for Your One-Pot Masterpiece

Time-Saving Shortcuts

Here are some quick wins for making this one-pot chicken soup. You can prep your vegetables the night before, which speeds up the process. Don't forget the gnocchi cooks super quickly, so keep an eye on your pot; all it needs is a gentle simmer. I always find that if you use a raging boil, it tends to destroy the flavor of your soup.

I do believe in letting your finished dish rest slightly before you serve it. It does make a big difference to how your dish will taste. As for the gnocchi in a soup like this, I usually just use store-bought. I make homemade gnocchi on gray days, something to do in the kitchen that's more therapeutic.

Slow and Steady Simmering Secrets

Extra Creamy Tricks

Storage and Reheating Tips

Storage Method	Time	Notes
Refrigerator	3-4 days	Store in airtight container
Freezer	2-3 months	May separate when thawed

Ways to Serve This Soup That Everyone Will Enjoy

Add-Ons and Finishing Touches for Extra Flavor

When serving this up you can't go wrong with some chopped fresh parsley, a little bit of grated parmesan, and I always finish my soups with some cracked black pepper. It just makes the whole thing look a little bit more fancy. If I have to skip one, I would skip the extra cheese, but the parsley and black pepper are a must when it comes to finishing soups.

Generally, the recipe asks for a certain amount of garlic, and I always tend to add a lot of extra. I love garlic in my food. Try not to skip the garnishing step; it really does not take any extra effort, and it completes the dish in flavor and in aesthetics too. You will thank me for doing so.

What to Serve Alongside This Hearty Soup

Fun Changes Kids Will Love

Saving Leftovers and Making It Again

When making a big pulse soup, you need to know how to store your leftovers. This soup will keep well in the fridge for up to around 4 days. Bear in mind that the flavor will improve overnight. When reheating, you may need to add extra broth or milk, as the pulses will absorb some of the liquid the longer they sit in the fridge.

If you want to freeze it, this will keep for three months. My top tip would be to freeze it without the spinach, as this doesn't freeze well. You can always add in fresh when reheating. This will easily feed a family of four twice over. Always remember what you have frozen, or keep a note, and make sure everything is well labeled. I am terrible when it comes to using my freezer; food goes in, and you never see it again.

Leftovers from recipes like these are perfect for the nights that you don't want to cook; just dump and heat. Don't feel guilty if you don't garnish them or make them extra fancy.

Freezer-Friendly Tips:

Customize It Your Way: Simple Swaps and Changes

You can customize this recipe in numerous ways. I like to use thighs instead of chicken breast because they are juicier and it's harder to overcook them, plus the flavor is phenomenal. The greens are pretty flexible as well. If you don't like spinach or you have kids, I'd swap it out. You can try kale if you want something with more bite, or even arugula if you like the pepperiness.

I do enjoy a good recipe swap. This is how I learned to cook. One of the first things I learned was to swap chicken breasts for thighs. When it came to swapping proteins, I always thought it wouldn't mean much difference, but the flavor difference is huge. I noticed this a lot when I began making curries. It really does take a dish from good to excellent.

Switching Up Your Greens and Proteins

Green Options:

Protein Swaps:

Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Swaps

For Dairy-Free:

For Gluten-Free:

Adjusting the Heat and Flavors

Make-Ahead and Freezer Tips

Freezer Storage:

Make-Ahead Tips:

Warm Kitchen Moments and Making Memories

The great thing about this recipe is that it can appeal to everyone. Your kids will love the gnocchi, and the adults really enjoy the extra bacon and the wine flavor. The best part of this recipe is that the one-pot method means hardly any dishes, ideal for a weekday.

It's one of these dishes that gets everybody around the table, and best of all, there's always somebody mentioning that something smells good. Although this is a quick and weeknight meal, it will still work for Sunday dinner. Everybody enjoys it, no matter when you serve it.