Nourishing, Comfort Food Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Sickness recently hit our house, so bring on the comfort food that delivers and also let’s be realistic, a meal that requires minimal effort, thanks to the Instant Pot.

So, cue this Instant Pot chicken noodle soup (from my Pinterest saves that I hadn’t made in years!) that proved to be the perfect dinner. This soup is nourishing, healthy – when you need it most – and easy to make in under 45 minutes (including the time it takes to come to pressure!). It’s extra delicious with your favorite crackers or toasted sourdough bread!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do and here’s to staying healthy 🙂

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (adapted from Pressure Cook Recipes)

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs (I used chicken breasts)
• 6-8 ounces uncooked wide egg noodles or pasta of choice (see note below)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, roughly diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 t kosher or sea salt
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
• Optional: 1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste

Directions:

• Heat Instant Pot by selecting the “Sauté More” function and wait until it reads “HOT”. Add 2 T olive oil and be sure to coat the whole bottom of the Instant Pot.
• Add in diced onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add in the 2 bay leaves and minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
• Pour in 1 cup chicken broth and 1 t kosher or sea salt. Deglaze by mixing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon.
• Add in chopped carrots and celery.
• If you’re pressure cooking noodles with the chicken soup, add in 6oz – 8oz wide egg noodles now. Note: I didn’t have egg noodles on-hand, so I chose to cook the pasta separately on the stove top and add in the end.
• Add in remaining 5 cups chicken broth and ensure all the noodles are fully submerged in the cooking liquid.
• Layer chicken breasts or thighs on top.
• With venting knob in venting position, close the lid, then turn venting knob to sealing position. Pressure cook chicken noodle soup at high pressure for 1 minute, then natural release for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, carefully release the remaining pressure and remove the chicken.
• Transfer chicken to a large mixing bowl or plate and shred with two forks.
• Add shredded chicken back into the Instant Pot and season the soup with a few pinches of kosher salt and ground black pepper, as needed. You can also brighten the chicken soup with roughly 1 T of freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste (optional) and enjoy!

Note: I omitted the mushrooms included in this recipe because I didn’t have them on hand, but you can add them per the recipe directions if desired.