Instant Pot Chicken Soup

Name: Instant Pot Chicken Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 large chicken breasts (defrosted); 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large yellow onion (diced); 5 cloves of garlic (minced, (5 teaspoons)); 3 large carrots (diced); 3 large stalks of celery (diced); 4 cups chicken stock; 2 cups water; 2 bay leaves; 2 tbsp lemon juice; freshly ground black pepper; salt to taste; 1 small handful of fresh parsley (chopped)

This hearty chicken soup recipe is easy to make and tastes fresh and delicious.

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There is nothing more synonymous with comfort food than a warm, hearty and delicious bowl of chicken soup. We are preparing this traditional and insanely flavorful dish in the Instant Pot, so you are ready to enjoy your soup in only 30 minutes.

You can serve this gluten free, dairy free, low carb and keto friendly chicken soup with egg noodles, crusty white bread or cheesy rolls for an amazing lunch or dinner.

Fresh ingredients and just the right amount of seasoning will make this wholesome dish a staple in your meal planning. Additionally, Instant Pot chicken soup is always a much appreciated treat for a sick friend or relative.

Table Of Contents

WHAT IS CHICKEN SOUP?
CHICKEN SOUP INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD
HOW TO COOK ON THE STOVETOP
TIPS FOR THE BEST CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE
HOW TO STORE
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SOUP
MORE SOUP RECIPES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Instant Pot Chicken Soup

Table of Contents

WHAT IS CHICKEN SOUP?

Traditional chicken soup is made by cooking parts of a chicken (depending on preference) in chicken broth together with various vegetables, such as carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Chicken soup can be prepared on the stove top, in a pressure cooker or in the Instant Pot. It is one of the most popular comfort foods as well as a nutritious meal when you are not feeling well.

❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPE

✔️ Notable: This fresh chicken soup tastes like fresh vegetables, chicken and childhood!

✔️ Main Ingredients: chicken, carrots and celery

✔️ Cooking Method: Instant Pot

✔️ Nutrients: great source of protein, 31 g per serving

✔️ Time: Ready in only 35 minutes, start to finish

✔️ Pairs well with: crusty white bread, cheesy bread

✔️ Diets: keto friendly, gluten free, dairy free

chicken soup on a spoon in an instant pot.

CHICKEN SOUP INGREDIENTS

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for Instant Pot chicken soup, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements and printable instructions, see the recipe card below.

You may have all of these hearty chicken soup ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Chicken Breast: Use fresh chicken, not frozen.
Garlic
Chopped Onion, Carrots and Celery Stalks: This mix is also known as mirepoix and gives this soup immense flavor.
Chicken Stock
Bay Leaves
Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for best flavor.
Salt and Pepper

ingredients for Instant Pot chicken soup

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love chicken soup then you’ll love our Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe.

INSTRUCTIONS

This section shows how to cook chicken soup in the Instant Pot, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, nutritional information, to print the recipe or to have the recipe scaled to double or triple, see the recipe card below.

PREPARE: First, sauté diced onion, carrots, celery and garlic for 5 minutes using the sauté setting of your Instant Pot. After turning off the Instant Pot, add chicken breasts, chicken stock, water, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.

🔴 TIP: Don’t skip the sauté step! This will leave your onions softer and your garlic more fragrant.

Chicken, vegetables, bay leaves in an Instant Pot while chicken broth is poured in.

COOK: Lock the lid, set the release valve to closed and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 10 minutes. Afterwards allow a 15 minute natural release, before carefully opening the pressure valve to release the pressure.

Shredding chicken on a wood cutting board.

FINISH: Remove the bay leaves, shred the chicken and return it to the soup. Finally, season with lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

🔴 TIP: Taste the soup while seasoning. The sodium content can be different in different chicken broth brands. You may want to add more or less salt, pepper and lemon than the recipe calls for.

Chicken soup with parsley on top in Instant Pot.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love chicken soup then you’ll love our ****White Chicken Chili Recipe****add link when we have it.

RECOMMENDED TOOLS

Instant Pot– This recipe requires an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker. This Instant Pot isn’t the fanciest you can buy but we love it and it will work for most people’s needs. If you’re looking for one with all the bells and whistles, this 10-in-1 Instant Pot is amazing.

HOW TO MAKE AHEAD

Instant Pot chicken soup can easily be made completely ahead of time. It is important though not to add the noodles, if using. The pasta will continue to soak up liquid and therefore get mushy and slimy. The soup would no longer be a joy to eat. Cook the noodles separately and only add them to the soup when you are ready to serve.

HOW TO COOK ON THE STOVETOP

Sauté the oil, onion, carrots and garlic over medium heat in a dutch oven or heavy bottom stock pot.
Add the chicken broth, water, chicken, bay leaves. Stir.
Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred then return it to the pot.
Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Remove the bay leaf.
Garnish and serve.

TIPS FOR THE BEST CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE

Follow these tips to make the best hearty chicken soup.

✔️ Use fresh chicken, not frozen. You can use frozen but it will add a lot of water to the soup and will need to cook a bit longer.

✔️ Don’t skip the sauté step! This will leave your onions softer and your garlic more fragrant.

✔️ Taste the soup while seasoning. The sodium content of different chicken broths is very different and you may want more/less salt, pepper and lemon than the recipe calls for.

HOW TO STORE

Refrigerate: Store instant pot chicken soup in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freeze: Store in an airtight, freezer safe, container. If you’re storing in a zip top plastic bag, try to get as much air out as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrosting: A great way to thaw your chicken soup is in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat in a pot on the stovetop or in the microwave.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH SOUP

We love serving a simple side of crusty white bread with Instant Pot chicken soup. You can also boil some of your favorite pasta and add it to the soup. Crispy garlic French bread, air fryer 3 cheese bombs or easy cheesy garlic rolls are other great sides to serve with this mouthwatering soup. If you want to keep the meal low carb and keto friendly, cheesy cauliflower breadsticks are an amazing side dish choice.

MORE SOUP RECIPES

Warm soup is one of our favorite comfort foods. We love our amazingly flavorful Instant Post Chicken Tortilla Soup, Andrea’s Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup, or Stef’s Rich, Homemade Tomato Bisque.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For perfect results every time, here are answers to the most common questions about cooking this easy chicken soup recipe.

Is chicken soup healthy?

Chicken soup is a healthy, low calorie and low carb meal choice. Above all, it only has 323 calories per bowl but provides 31g of protein. Additionally, chicken soup is gluten free, dairy free and keto friendly.

What is a mirepoix?

Mirepoix is a vegetable mix made from onion, carrots and celery, that is usually browned in some oil before other ingredients are added. It is used in many sauces, stews and soups to add rich flavor.

What other vegetables can I add to this soup?

In addition to carrots, celery and onion, you could also add some corn, diced potatoes, diced peppers, or parsnips. If you are a big fan of leafy greens, you could stir in some chopped fresh spinach or kale at the end of the cooking process. Then heat through until the greens wilt.