In a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, add olive oil to heat. Stir in chopped yellow onion, then add chopped frozen celery and frozen peas and carrots into the pot, and sauté until they begin to soften (around 3-4 minutes).
Add thyme, bay leaves, parsley, salt and pepper in with vegetable mixture, stirring to coat. Continue to stir for additional 2-3 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté an additional 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add chicken to pot and pour in chicken broth. Stir well.
Bring soup mixture to boil; reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
While soup is simmering, add drained and rinsed cannellini beans into a high speed blender with 1 cup of water. Blend until well pureed.
In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add cannellini bean puree into soup mixture, stirring to combine well.
Stir potato gnocchi into pot, and continue cooking. Soup is ready when gnocchi float to the top.
Serve hot, and enjoy!