This Pheasant Gnocchi Soup is my twist on the Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Pheasant Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup Recipe

This simple Pheasant Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup Recipe is my twist on a Chicken Gnocchi Soup we once had at OIive Garden. It's a perfect way to warm up on a weeknight during this soup season! It's filled with lots of potato gnocchi, tender pieces of pheasant breast, fresh colorful veggies (like spinach and carrot) and it's all bathing in a rich and creamy broth. You can't go wrong with this cozy, super easy, and satisfying pheasant soup.

THE PHEASANT HUNT

I left the highway and turned onto the gravel road that led into the Little Missouri National Grasslands of western North Dakota. With over 1,000,000 acres this slice of heaven is the largest grassland in the United States. It’s a mix of long and short grass reminiscent of what you’d see in an episode of Little House on the Prairie, dotted with the rugged terrain of the Badlands that drew Theodore Roosevelt here back in 1883.

After a few miles of four-wheeling along the rugged path that hadn’t been touched by a plow blade, I paused to relish in the landscape teeming with mule deer on the horizon. But as the snow got deeper, so did my concern of being swallowed up by the sea of white that lay before me.

I decided not to push my luck and gently pulled over into the only approach I had seen since leaving the pavement. As soon as I stepped out of my pickup, I looked westward to see the dark clouds quickly eating the wide-open blue sky. The biting cold of January was brutal, but the thought of not having to worry about rattlesnakes on this trip was a warm relief.

My black lab, Grace, died a few years ago, so I began the long and difficult pursuit of upland birds without a flushing dog. With every step, the deep white drifts came up above my gaiters, and it took all the willpower I could summon within to keep my composure and press on across the barren land.

Without warning, two roosters exploded from their hideout among a lonely tuft of tall grass and became airborne. Inside the thick winter gloves, my fingers clenched the shotgun as I swung the muzzle in the direction of the birds. My eyes looked down the barrel and rested on the head of the far-right rooster. I pulled the trigger to release a shower of BBs along with my desire for victory. I was flabbergasted when both birds plummeted to the snowy earth and lay still. I quickly looked around to see that the only witnesses to my amazing feat were the stunning sun dogs sparkling in the now crystal clear, wintry sky.

I swept up the ringnecks and tucked them both into my orange vest and turned back for the long hike back to the truck. The bitter wind and my burning calves convinced me to call it a day. I had enough meat for supper, and a true tall tale as deep as the snowpack of North Dakota.

WHAT DOES PHEASANT TASTE LIKE?

Ring Necked Pheasants are lean birds that tends to dry out quickly, so they deserve extra care and attention during cooking. The flavor of pheasant is comparable to chicken with varying amounts of "gaminess" depending on how long the bird is aged.

I like to tease my hunting buddies and insist I only shoot pheasants in the head because it's preferable when hanging these "ditch parrots" to improve their flavor and tenderness. If you aren't a crack shot like myself and the BBs goes through the stomach or intestines, it can contaminate the meat, and the pheasant ends up unsuitable for hanging.

Refrigeration is important in controlling food safety risks associated with meat so it's very important to keep your birds at or just below 40 degrees F. Even if I am able to hang a pheasant to age and tenderize for a few days at my personal favorite temperature of 40 degrees F, I still like to go over the pheasant breasts with a Jaccard meat tenderizer. Anyone who knows me has heard my praises for this great kitchen gadget I use to tenderize everything from big game to waterfowl to upland birds.

OLIVE GARDEN CHICKEN GNOCCHI SOUP

A quick search of Pinterest reveals thousands of Olive Garden copycat recipes — from their Italian salad dressing to their toasted ravioli. The Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup is one of the most popular. Why are so many people recreating these dishes at home? First of all, it’s more budget-friendly to eat at home. Second, you can make as much as you want for leftovers. Third, you don’t have to take your children out to eat. Let’s face it, taking your young kids out to eat is a big gamble. And sometimes you’re just not in the mood to test your luck.

If you are looking for another great soup, check out my Homemade Zuppa Toscana with Italian Venison Sausage or my Grouse and Wild Rice Soup recipe.

If you would like to come to North Dakota and experience an amazing upland bird hunt for grouse and pheasants, check out the North Dakota Tourism website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.

WILD GAME FOR WEEKNIGHT DINNERS

After a long day of work, it's not always easy to face your kitchen and whip up dinner. But I hope this pheasant gnocchi soup recipe and my other pheasant recipes will give you inspiration and motivation you need to get excited about cooking every night.

If you make this pheasant recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfish

Did you enjoy this Pheasant Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!

4.88 from 25 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken gnocchi soup, gnocchi, gnocchi soup, olive garden gnocchi soup, pheasant, pheasant breast, pheasant recipe, pheasant recipes, pheasant soup

Prep Time: 8

Cook Time: 22

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Author: Jeff Benda

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless pheasant breast, cut into small pieces
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon celery salt
5 cups chicken broth
¼ cup cornstarch dissolved in ½ cup water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1 lb. package store-bought potato gnocci
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped

Instructions

Season the pheasant breast with salt and pepper and set aside.
Over medium-high heat, add olive oil, onion, celery, and carrot to a 6-quart pot. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring often.
Add pheasant, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, and celery salt and sauté another 3 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes.
Add the cornstarch mixture and simmer 2 minutes.
Add heavy whipping cream, and gnocchi. Stir and cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes until the soup has thickened and the gnocchi has softened.
Add the spinach and stir to combine until wilted.
If the soup is a little too thick at this point, add an additional ½ cup of water and season again with salt and pepper as needed. Be sure to taste and adjust with salt/pepper before serving. It may need more depending on the saltiness of your broth.