The Many Ways of Instant Pot Chicken Soup

Begin your chicken soup adventure by first creating a rich, savory base. The beauty of the Instant Pot is that you don’t have to simmer bones in water all day to make a good broth – you can do it in less than an hour. So that’s step one of this recipe – making a rich, savory chicken broth base.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken breast on bone
• 1/2 of an onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional – for a more French-style base, add a couple of chopped carrots and celery stalks

Preparation

1. Set the Instant Pot to saute on high. Add oil. Then add garlic and onions and saute until onions are translucent.
2. Set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook. Add whole chicken breasts and bay leaf and fill to top line with water. Pressure cook for 35 minutes.
3. Let pressure dissipate on its own. Once pressure has released, open lid and remove chicken and place on cutting board. Discard bay leaf. Once chicken has cooled, remove from bone and shred.
4. Add chicken back to the stock in the pot.

The next step is to flavor the savory base. I’ve included my favorite four variations below. Obviously, feel free to use them as an inspiration for your own ideas too.

Vegetable Chicken Soup

• Add a cup of corn kernels, a cup of chopped kale, a cup of chopped carrots and a cup of chopped green beans.
• Pressure cook for 20 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• If you like, thicken with yogurt or hummus. Top with almost anything – hot sauce, crispy fried onions, shredded cheese and more.

Kimchi and Cabbage Chicken Soup

• Add a cup of kimchi, a cup of chopped carrots and a cup of chopped bok choy or cabbage to the pot.
• Pressure cook for 20 minutes and let pressure release before opening.
• Whisk three whole eggs together in a bowl and whisk into the broth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds

Lemon, Rice, and Red Lentil Chicken Soup

• Add half a cup of red lentils, half a cup of rice and a cup of kale to the pot.
• Pressure cook for 20 minutes.
• After pressure has been released, add 2-4 tbsp of lemon juice as well as salt and pepper to taste.
• Eat as is or puree with a stick blender

Posole-style Chicken Soup

1. Add a 25 oz can of cooked hominy, a cup of chopped cilantro and half a jar of green salsa.
2. Pressure cook for 20 minutes.
3. Salt and pepper to taste. If you like, thicken with sour cream or yogurt. Top with chopped cilantro or green onions.