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Creamy, comforting chicken gnocchi soup is one of those fall recipes that everyone will think took hours to cook—call it chicken and dumplings on the fly. The not-so-secret ingredient? Dried gnocchi! These pillowy potato dumplings are worth stocking in your pantry: They cook in five minutes and are a fun alternative to pasta. Plus, chicken thighs are another superstar ingredient here, staying tender and adding rich, chicken-y flavor as the soup simmers. You can also substitute 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken to save time; stir it in with the gnocchi in step three.  

How do you thicken chicken soup?

The easiest way to thicken a broth-y chicken soup is actually at the beginning: Stir some flour into the sautéed veggies, slowly add the broth, then simmer over fairly low heat. Adding the flour first lets it dissolve evenly in the broth (no lumps!) and cooks out the raw flour flavor. 

How do you know when gnocchi is done?

Gnocchi usually float to the top when cooked through but it's a good idea to use your senses, too: The dumplings should look light and puffy and be completely tender when pierced with a fork. Cooking gnocchi takes about half the time as pasta or four to five minutes. 

Where can gnocchi be found at the store?

Gnocchi can be found in the dried pasta aisle and in the freezer section. For this recipe, we recommend using the shelf-stable, dried gnocchi. Refrigerated or frozen gnocchi can have a little bit more moisture and won't thicken the soup in quite the same way. 

large carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cup)

boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

kosher salt, plus more to taste

black pepper, plus more to taste

5-oz. container baby spinach, roughly chopped

Save time and substitute 1 1/2 cups of pre-shredded carrots.