So I just bought an Instant Pot DUO60, because the Prime day deal was too good to pass up. I finally managed to pop it open this week, and made a Chicken Noodle Soup loosely based on Joanna Cismaru’s recipe. I left the chicken breasts out, because, we prefer juicier dark cuts of meat to go with our stews and soups. I also modified the recipe a little for simplicity. For brevity, all fresh ingredients used are organic, non-GMO, cleaned, and rinsed thoroughly.

Instant Pot Expectations

It’s important to note that, the Instant Pot won’t get your soup done from start to finish in 7 minutes. You still need to prep your ingredients manually! Haha. It actually takes about an hour from start to finish if you factor in the prep time, time it takes for the IP to get up to pressure, and also for the time for the pressure release. What it does really well though, is reduce your active manual cooking time to about 10 mins. Which means, though the soup will be ready in an hour, you’re only spending a total of 20 mins active time prepping and cooking. Dinner will be ready in an hour though! Enjoy this! My husband has requested for this twice in a week.

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Total Time: 55 mins | Pressure Cooking Time: 7 mins | Prep Time: 10 mins | Active Cooking Time: 10 mins.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs(1 kg) of chicken thighs or drumsticks pieces with skin on
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp of Bragg Sprinkle Herb and Spice Seasoning **
• 1/4 tsp of thyme
• 1 tsp of ground black pepper
• 1 tsp of celtic sea salt
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic (optional)
• 1 cup of chopped celery
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2″ thick round pieces
• 3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2″ thick round pieces
• 1 carton(1 litre) of chicken broth or stock (approx. 4 cups) *
• 4 cups(1 litre) of filtered water
• A bunch of chopped fresh flat-leaf pasley
• 5 ounces (140 gm) Egg Noodles

Quick Explanation for Advanced Cooks

Basically, there are 3 stages of cooking.

1. Saute Setting – Saute the onions and seasoning with butter and olive oil. Then add the vegetables after the former is translucent and fragrant. Then add your liquids, chicken pieces, and close the lid.
2. Soup/Broth Setting – Set it on sealed, soup/broth setting for 7 minutes. It will take about 20-23 mins to get up to pressure, and then your soup will pressure cook for exactly 7 minutes. Let sit for Natural Release for 10 minutes, then do a Quick Release until the Floating Valve drops.
3. Saute Setting – Press the cancel button, then open your lid, and set it on the saute setting again. Take out your chicken pieces to shred to remove the bones, add your pasta noodle of choice, and cook for another 6-7 mins depending on pasta thickness. After that, press the cancel button and put back the shredded chicken pieces into the soup, add chopped parsley into it, and you have your perfect chicken noodle soup.

Method

1. Prepare all your ingredients mise en place style, and set aside.
2. Set your IP to the sauté setting. After 1 min, add butter to the pan. Once it starts melting, add your olive oil.
3. Add onions and sauté for 1 min. Add celery and sauté for 2 min.
4. Add your dried herbs, black pepper, and seasoning, and sauté for 1 min.
5. Add carrots and parsnips, and saute for 1 min.
6. Add broth, water, salt, and stir evenly. Then add your chicken pieces.
7. Press the cancel button, close the lid, and set your IP to the Soup/Broth setting and timer to 7 mins.
8. After that you will hear a beep, and the Natural Release Cycle will start. After 10 minutes, do a Quick Release by moving the steam release handle to venting. Wait for the floating valve to drop.
9. Press the cancel button, then the sauté button again.
10. Remove chicken pieces. Add your egg noodles, stir and cook for 6 minutes. While you are waiting, shred chicken with two forks, and discard the bones and skin.
11. Press the cancel button, mix in freshly chopped parsley, and adjust salt and pepper to taste (or not).

Your soup is ready!

Notes

* Chicken Broth Substitute – If you don’t use ready-made boxed broth, you can just leave it out. The soup with just 8 cups of water will taste fine, because the chicken bones will give it that bone broth flavor. I add stock because I find that it adds another umami dimension to the flavor. If you can’t get chicken stock in a carton, you can substitute with a chicken bouillon cube, chicken stock granules, or a teaspoon or two of better than bouillon.

** Herb Seasoning Substitute – If you can’t get Bragg’s sprinkle, just use a poultry-compatible multi-herb seasoning you like.

Gluten Free or Egg Free Versions – For gluten free, use gluten free egg noodles, and for eggless, use egg-free pasta.

Meal Prep Version – Boil your pasta separately. Rinse your al dente pasta with cold water, and store in a separate container. Scoop some cold pasta onto the containers of your cooled soups (I use pyrex or glass lunch boxes), and refrigerate. Microwave to reheat soup. This helps keep your noodles from sitting in hot soup and getting mush. It’s especially helpful if meal prepping for days.

Dining Happy Tip – Why Egg Noodles? The larger/wider surface area is exposed so it cools easier when you’re eating the noodles. The wider surface also wipes a smooth textural feeling and soup umami onto your tongue better than nuggety types of pasta. It’s also chunkier. Pasta with holes tend to trap the soup inside, and if your soup is hot, there’s a risk of micro bursts of hot soup that could burn your tongue. Other pastas that work well with this soup are ribbons and if you must macaroni, use small macaroni.