Easy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Chicken soup is near and dear to me! It literally just warms my heart talking about it because I grew up eating comforting homemade chicken soup made by my mom. Then later learning from her how to make the most flavorful broth by using chicken with skin and bones as well as how to infuse the soup with herby goodness. In fact, you may have already noticed that I’ve shared quite a few chicken soup recipes over the years. Again, I love them. And while this Instant Pot chicken noodle soup recipe has the same fundamentals as most of my other recipes like my Homemade Chicken Soup and my Chicken Barley Soup, it’s a tad bit different. For one, it calls for more fresh herbs like thyme and oregano to add flavor. But the most obvious difference of course is making it in the Instant Pot, which is not only a huge time saver but a pressure packed flavor infuser. So if you want to make the most flavorful chicken noodle soup you’ve ever had in half the time, then this recipe is for you! From start to finish it takes just 30 minutes and the results are amazing. The IP infuses the chicken with tons of flavor and cooks it until it nearly falls off the bone. And by pressure cooking everything together, the broth tastes like it took hours to make.
Butter – Always use unsalted butter to limit the amount of added salt. You can also use olive oil if you prefer. Mirepoix – It’s a French culinary term that refers to a mixture of celery, carrots, and onions. I always use brown or yellow onions. Seasoning – Salt and black pepper are used to season the soup and bring out all the natural flavors. Herbs – Thyme, parsley, and oregano are used to add depth to the broth. You can use fresh or dried herbs. But I highly recommend fresh for the best results. Chicken or Vegetable Broth – Use no sodium added chicken/vegetable broth or chicken/vegetable stock to control the saltiness of the final dish. Water can also be used if you prefer. Chicken – You will need a couple of pounds of chicken with skin and bones. At least one breast should be included in the mixture. Yet, you can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs if you like. However, the broth won’t be quite as flavorful without the skin and bones. Chicken Bouillon – I love adding this for extra flavor but you can also use vegeta instead. Water – Needed to help the Instant Pot do its magic. Egg Noodles – Any type of store-bought egg noodles can be used.
This tasty soup is ridiculously easy to make. With just about 5 minutes of prep time and 25 minutes of cooking time, the IP turns simple ingredients into bowls of deliciousness in no time! To begin, you need to sauté your veggies in the Instant Pot. But before you do, take a look at your manufacturer’s guide for detailed instructions on how to use your particular model. Next, turn your IP on to the sauté setting. Add the butter and cook until the butter has melted. Then once the butter is melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Once the veggies are soft, sprinkle them with salt, black pepper and chicken bouillon to season. Then mix in the thyme, parsley, and oregano. Now, add the chicken broth to the pot along with the chicken pieces and 4 cups of water. Do not add the noodles! This will be done in a later step. Next, it’s time to cook the chicken and create a super flavorful broth! To do this, close the lid on your Instant Pot and set the valve to the sealing positing. Then set the IP to the Soup setting and set the timer to 7 minutes. It will take the Instant Pot a few minutes to come to pressure before you see the timer counting. This is totally normal, so don’t worry. If your IP doesn’t have the soup setting, simply use the Manual setting on high pressure for 7 minutes. When the Instant Pot is done pressure cooking, allow the natural release cycle to complete. It will take about 10 minutes for all the steam to release itself. However, if you are in a rush you can also use the quick release function as instructed in your manufacturer’s guide. Then carefully remove the lid of the Instant Pot once all the steam has been released. Now, remove the chicken from the Instant Pot with a slotted spoon or tongs. You also want to fish around a tad to make sure you get any lingering pieces of skin or bones in the broth. Next, shred the meat with 2 forks or chop it up into bite-size pieces, removing the skin and bones first. Then set the chicken aside for now. While doing this step, be careful not to burn yourself. Once all the chicken has been removed from the pot, the noodles can be cooked. Just add them to the IP and turn it back on to the sauté setting. Then let the noodles simmer uncovered for about 6 minutes or until cooked. Keep an eye on them as you don’t want them to overcook and get mushy. When the noodles are ready, turn off the IP by pressing the cancel button. Then add the chicken back into the pot. Now, give the Instant Pot chicken noodle soup a taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Then garnish with a little more freshly chopped parsley if you like and enjoy!
Can I Make This Recipe Without An Instant Pot?
Yes! You can use a Dutch oven or large pot instead! Just follow the recipe as stated in the instructions, yet on the stovetop. Then when it comes time to pressure cook, simply bring the soup to a boil. Then turn the heat down to low, cover the Dutch oven with a lid, and simmer the soup for about 30 to 40 minutes. You may need to remove some of the scum on top of the soup when it starts to boil. This is totally normal. Then once the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the pot and shred it. Now, add the noodles to cook and follow the rest of the recipe. For complete instructions check out my Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.
What Else Can I Add To The Soup?
This Instant Pot chicken noodle soup recipe is wonderful as it is, but very versatile too. So feel free to customize it any way you like. You could stir in some fresh baby spinach or frozen peas at the end. Saute some mushrooms along with the mirepoix for another layer of flavor. Add some lemon juice at the end to make lemon chicken soup. Sprinkle it with parmesan cheese before serving or my favorite, some chili garlic sauce. The options are endless. Just keep the ratios of the ingredients about the same as well as the cooking process and you can pretty much do whatever you want.
Storage
Instant Pot chicken noodle soup leftovers will keep in the fridge for about 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months when stored in an airtight container. To reheat, just put it in the microwave for a few minutes or in a saucepan over medium heat. If frozen, it’s best to let the soup thaw out in the fridge overnight prior to reheating. However, if you know that you are going to be freezing the soup, it’s best not to add the noodles until you go to reheat. Just freeze the base of the soup with the chicken and veggies. Then thaw it out and finish the recipe. You can also remove half of the soup to freeze, then just add half of the noodles to cook. That way you have half ready to eat and half left to store in the freezer.
Other Delicious Soup Recipes To Try
Creamy Loaded Potato SoupChicken and DumplingsPhilly Cheesesteak SoupEgg Roll SoupCabbage Soup
title: “Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-03” author: “Antonio Ortega”
Be sure to serve this soup with my buttermilk biscuits, and try my chicken and rice soup next!
I swear, if I sneeze one more time this Fall, I think my head is going to fall off. Allergies man, I can’t take it anymore. What I love most about making this recipe in the Instant Pot is that pressure cooking the bone-in chicken in the liquid gives the broth so much flavor in such a short amount of time.
Chicken Options for This Soup:
Bone-in chicken breasts (with the skin left on), adds a ton of flavor to the chicken broth, so I highly recommend that if you can. You can use 2 lbs. of chicken thighs instead and pressure cook them for 10 minutes. Boneless/Skinless chicken breast can be used, but I definitely prefer the 2 alternatives above for the most flavorful broth. 3 cups of leftover/rotisserie chicken can also be used.
What Size Instant Pot Did I Use?
I used my 6-quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for this recipe, which is what I recommend for most families, and is what most Instant Pot recipes are based on. It can cook enough food for a family of four and won’t take as long to come to pressure as an 8 quart will.
Doubling This Recipe
This recipe can be doubled in an 8 quart Instant Pot, but is beyond the capacity of a 6 quart. ( The capacity of a 6 quart is 4 quarts or 16 cups.)
Freezing Leftovers
Yes, I love freezing leftover chicken soup. However the egg noodles don’t hold up as well when frozen and they absorb a lot of broth during storage, so I recommend boiling the noodles separately and adding them directly to serving bowls.
Using Homemade Chicken Stock
Whenever you make homemade soup, I highly suggest using homemade chicken stock. I promise, your cooking will taste ten times better. Remember that you can always freeze leftover chicken carcass/meat and make chicken stock on a day when you have time! No defrosting necessary!
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