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Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Crispy Bacon and Cheddar Cheese. This is one of the most flavorful, easy homemade soups to make. Everyone loves this soup recipe!
I could make homemade soups all day long. I love coming up with new flavor combinations! I love making my Creamy Gnocchi Chicken Soup and it is always a crowd favorite. Last week, I just shared a Chicken Queso Soup and it has received all positive reviews.
I had some thick bacon to use and thought…”isn’t everything better with bacon?” So I created this ridiculously delicious crispy bacon and cheddar soup with soft gnocchi. It received so many rave reviews from my taste testers that I just couldn’t wait to get the recipe out to you. I moved it up on my editorial calendar to get it to you asap…it is that good!
The weather is starting to cool off in the mornings and evenings so we are making soups several times a week to usher in Fall.
Why you will love this Creamy Bacon Cheese Soup:
- It is so creamy and just melts in your mouth! The gnocchi are so soft and pair perfectly with the crisp bacon.
- It is a flavor powerhouse! The bacon, the cheddar cheese, the cream, the vegetables, and the spices all come together to create the most flavor-packed soup in every single bite.
- This is a super popular soup because of the combination of bacon and cheese in a cream soup.
Ingredients:
- Butter or Olive Oil — this is what is used to saute the vegetables in to get them perfectly tender.
- Onion — use your favorite type of onion. I suggest using sweet onions but you can also use red onion.
- Carrots — this adds freshness to the soup. I suggest cutting the carrots into small pieces.
- Chicken Broth — gives depth to the soup.
- Bacon — I suggest using thick-cut, center cut bacon but any type of bacon works great in this soup.
- Spices: Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Thyme, Red Pepper Flakes
- Gnocchi — can be found in the pasta section or freezer section at your local grocery store. I usually pick it up at Trader Joe’s.
- Heavy Cream of Half-n-Half — for an extra thick, creamy soup, use heavy cream. If you want a creamy soup but with less fat, use half-n-half
- Cheddar Cheese — I suggest using medium cheddar cheese for the flavor. Add the cheese in increments so it doesn’t clump.
Optional Toppings: green onions/scallions, crispy bacon, grated cheddar cheese
What is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi (pronounced nyoh-kee) is a type of pasta traditionally made in Italian cuisine. It’s often referred to as a dumpling-like pasta, and it is typically made from a mixture of boiled potatoes, flour, and sometimes eggs. The dough is shaped into small pieces, usually resembling small pillows or ridged disks.
How to make Bacon Cheese Gnocchi Soup:
- Cook bacon. I list suggestions below on best ways to cook the bacon. Set aside.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions and carrots in butter or olive oil until tender. Add chicken broth and let simmer.
- Once the vegetables are soft and tender, add heavy cream of half-n-half and all of the spices. Let simmer until it starts to reduce slightly.
- Add the grated cheese in increments so that it doesn’t clump. Let the cheese completely melt. Stir in gnocchi and cook for 2 minutes. Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Add the bacon pieces. Serve with green onions, grated cheese, and bacon.
Season as you go!
I suggest seasoning in layers so each component of the soup has flavor. For example, sprinkle the onions and carrots with a touch of salt while cooking.
Substitutions and Variations:
There are many ways you can customize this soup depending on taste preference.
Swap out pancetta for the bacon in this recipe.
Use your favorite type of cheese in this soup recipe. I like to use a medium or sharp cheddar for taste and flavor but you can use monterey jack, pepper jack, parmesan cheese, or any of your favorite types of cheeses.
If you want to reduce some of the fat in this recipe, use half-n-half instead of heavy cream. You can also you use 1/2 heavy cream and 1/2 half-n-half in this recipe.
You can cook bacon in several different ways. I prefer to cook bacon in the oven. To cook bacon in the oven, heat the over to 400 degrees. Line the baking sheet with 4 sheets of foil. Lay the bacon on the sheet and cook for 20-27 minutes or until desired crispiness. I usually cook my bacon for 25-27 minutes. Place on a paper towel lined plate.
You can also cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat.
I suggest making an easy soft homemade French Bread or Miracle One Hour White Bread. You can also make homemade dinner rolls.
If time is on your side, you can make my overnight no-knead bread recipe.
Popular Soup Recipes:
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Bacon Cheddar Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 8-10 slices Bacon
- 1 Tablespoon Butter or Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion (diced)
- 2 large Carrots (peeled and sliced into small pieces)
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder (or 4 cloves minced garlic)
- 1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
- 16 ounces Gnocchi
- 2 cups Heavy Cream or Half-n-Half
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Cook bacon. I list suggestions below on best ways to cook the bacon. Set aside. Once cooled, cut into small pieces.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the butter. Add onions and carrots in butter or olive oil and cook until until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add chicken broth and let simmer.
- Once the vegetables are soft and tender, reduce heat to medium-low and add heavy cream of half-n-half and all of the spices. Let simmer until it starts to reduce slightly. DO NOT let it boil or it may clump when the cheese is added.
- Add the grated cheese in increments so that it doesn't clump. Let the cheese completely melt. Stir in gnocchi and cook for 2 minutes. Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Add the bacon pieces. Serve with green onions, grated cheese, and bacon.
Notes
You can also cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The base of this soup is amazing… seriously amazing flavor!!! I want to make it again and add all kinds of combinations. My husband wanted to drink it too. Tomorrow I may try it with tortellini and sausage and add some spinach.
I’m going to make this for a festival at church tonight. I plan to cook all of the ingredients except the gnocchi and cheese, then add those to my crock pot later this afternoon. Has anyone commented on using a crock pot?
Hi Wanda! I think that is a great idea. Gnocchi cooks so fast so it will be perfect to add last. Just add the cheese in increments so it is doesn’t clump. 🙂 I hope you love it!
This soup is sooooo good and it turned out perfect!
Hello! Just made the soup and was wondering if it’s okay to freeze it? Thank you, love your recipes 🥰
I make a Copycat Panera Bread Chicken and Wild Rice Soup that calls for Heavy Cream. I make it up to the point of adding the cream then I measure out 2 cups into each of 2 Quart size Freezer Ziplock Bags, remove as much of the air as possible and seal. Label the bags and make a note to ADD the Cream after reheated, it works great. With this recipe I’d note to add both the cream and the cheddar cheese AFTER reheating.
NOW you can add the 2/3 cups of cream and cheese to the remaining soup in your pan for tonights dinner. BTW it’s easier to get all of the soup out of the baggie if you remove it PRIOR to letting it thaw very much, just enough to break into chunks and dump into the pan. This also works for recipes that call for broth and it uses less freezer space.
The most flavorful soup! Seriously sooooo good
Made this for the first time tonite. It will be made MANY more times! Excellent and filling! The only change I made was cutting back on the crushed red pepper as some of my family wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much. I’ll be sharing this one for sure.
This is actually the most incredible soup recipe!! So easy to make. Will definitely be a staple in my house!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Gabby! I appreciate you making it.
Making this today. Wondering if this has to be served right away or could be warmed up again. I’d like to deliver it to a friend who has a sick kiddo.
Hi Heather! What a sweet friend you are. It reheats beautifully. We keep this in our refrigerator often so we can reheat it for quick lunches and it reheats great. I usually put it at 50% power in the microwave or place in a pot on the stove to reheat. I hope that helps! Oh and it will thicken a bit as it chills so if you know you are making it ahead of time, you can add a little more chicken broth.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m sure that we’ll love it! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much, Susan! I hope you love this Bacon Cheddar Gnocchi Soup recipe.
This soup looks so good right now. I’m at work and I’m so hungry too. It is almost my lunch time but I won’t get anything nearly as good as this where I work. Maybe this week for dinner, easy to put together and looks so good…
Hi Donna! Oh it is so hard when you are scrolling through while you are hungry at work! You just want to snap your fingers and have it on your desk asap. 🙂 Thank you so much!