Instant Pot Chicken Soup Recipe
This hearty Instant Pot Chicken Soup combines tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs to create a comforting and flavorful meal. Using the Instant Pot allows for quick pressure cooking, sealing in all the rich flavors while making dinner preparation effortless. Ideal for chilly days or when you need a soothing bowl of homemade soup.
- Author: Sienna
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes (pressure cooking) plus 15 minutes natural release
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Halal
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken (2–3 pounds) or about 2-3 pounds of thighs, drumsticks, and breasts
Vegetables
- 1 large white, yellow or brown onion – diced
- 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 3 large stalks celery, diced
Liquids & Seasonings
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 4 cups (1 quart or 950 ml) chicken stock
- 4 cups (1 quart or 950 ml) water (or use more stock)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
- 1 small handful fresh parsley, chopped (can substitute or add fresh thyme, rosemary, basil, and/or dill)
- Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
- Prepare the Instant Pot and Sear Chicken: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the Instant Pot and press the ‘Sauté’ button. Once the oil is hot, optionally sear the chicken breast side down for 2-3 minutes to brown the skin. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add diced onion, minced garlic, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until vegetables start to soften.
- Add Chicken and Liquids: Place the chicken back into the pot breast side up, then pour in chicken stock, water, and add bay leaves.
- Pressure Cook: Press the ‘Keep Warm/Cancel’ button to stop sauté mode. Secure the lid, ensure the steam valve is closed, press ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ and set the timer to 20 minutes.
- Natural Release: Once cooking is complete, the Instant Pot switches to ‘Keep Warm’. Let it stay on keep warm for at least 15 minutes before carefully releasing the steam valve to open the pot.
- Remove and Shred Chicken: Open the lid and use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the chicken carefully. Let cool sufficiently to handle, then shred the meat, discarding skin, bones, and cartilage.
- Finish Soup: Return shredded chicken to the pot along with lemon juice and fresh herbs. Stir well and season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste.
- Serve and Store: Serve the soup warm. Leftover soup can be refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 3 months once fully cooled.
Notes
- The optional searing step adds extra flavor and texture to the chicken skin but can be skipped for convenience.
- Adjust the amount of lemon juice and salt at the end to your preferred taste and depending on the saltiness of your stock.
- Fresh herbs can be varied or substituted based on your preference to customize flavor.
- Be cautious when handling hot chicken and soup to prevent burns.
- The soup freezes well; store leftovers in airtight containers for convenient future meals.
Keywords: Instant Pot chicken soup, chicken soup recipe, pressure cooker soup, easy chicken soup, homemade chicken soup