Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch is the ULTIMATE comfort food. This hearty soup is packed with chicken and noodles and cooked in an Instant Pot, it is belly-filling-ready in a fraction of the time.
Chicken Noodle Soup has been my favorite food since I was a little kid. I used to eat chicken noodle soup (with a side of pickles) almost exclusively, and I still love both to this day.
This version of chicken noodle soup is so easy to make and is so much faster than standing over a pot on the stove for several hours. Plus, the flavors are so much deeper because of the pressure cooking process. The thick chunks of carrots, celery, onion, and noodles absorb the rich broth to pack a huge flavor punch.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
- Butter - I prefer to use salted butter, but unsalted will also work. You can also use Olive Oil.
- Large Slices of Carrots - When cooking soup on the stove I will use small pieces, but pressure cooking will make small vegetable pieces get really mushy - thicker slices have the perfect texture. Whole Foods and most grocery stores sell a Mirepoux Blend that makes this soup even easier to make, but just be aware that the small pieces will cook really quickly and get really soft.
- Large Slices of Celery
- Sliced Onions
- Chicken Stock
- Water
- Dried Thyme
- Dried Parsley
- Dried Oregano
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Egg Noodles
🍽 Equipment Needed
- An Instant Pot - I use a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo almost exclusively and this recipe works great in it.
- A Sharp Knife and a Cutting Board
- Measuring Spoons
- A Liquid Measuring Cup
🥣 How to Make It
STEP 1: Dice up the vegetables and clean the gristle and fat off the chicken.
Dice vegetables into thick slices and remove the fat and gristle from the chicken. If the chicken has skin and bones, leave that - it will help flavor the broth.
STEP 2: Set the Instant Pot to Saute Mode.
Set the Instant Pot to Saute and let it heat up. When the Instant Pot is hot (it won't take very long to heat up) add butter (3 tbsp) and let it melt. (Pictures 2 - 3)
STEP 3: Add the vegetables.
Add carrots, celery, and onions to the melted butter and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, until onions are translucent. (Pictures 4 - 5)
STEP 4: Add the spices, chicken, water, and broth.
Add thyme (1 tsp), parsley (1½ tsp), oregano (¾ tsp), salt (1 tsp), and pepper (1 tsp), then stir. (Picture 6)
"Deglaze" the pot with a little broth (1 cup), then lay the chicken (2 lbs) on top of the vegetables. (Pictures 7 - 8) Pour in the rest of the broth (3 cups) and water (4 cups), making sure the chicken is covered. (Picture 9)
STEP 5: Close the Instant Pot and cook the soup.
Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set the vent to Sealing. (Picture 10) Press the Cancel button to cancel the Saute function, then set the Instant Pot to Manual Mode, Pressure Cook at High Pressure, or Soup for 7 minutes. (Picture 11) (If your Instant Pot has a Soup button, you can use it - but it is really no different than using the Manual/Pressure Cook buttons.)
STEP 6: Naturally release the pressure.
When the cooking cycle is complete, Naturally Release (NR) the pressure by letting the Instant Pot sit and release pressure on its own. It should take around 10 minutes. (Picture 12)
If you are in a hurry, carefully release the pressure using a controlled release. This means, release the pressure in small bursts, stopping if there appears to be any liquid coming out that is not steam. If the soup seems to be spewing out, close the vent back to sealing and let the Instant Pot sit for a few minutes to naturally release, then try to manually release the pressure again.
Step 7: Remove the chicken.
When all the pressure has been released, open the lid and remove the chicken. (Picture 13)
Place it off to the side in a small bowl and shred it. Leave it off to the side (out of the broth) while you cook the noodles.
Step 8: Cook the noodles.
Add the noodles (2 cups) to the Instant Pot and close the lid again. (Picture 14 - 15) Set the vent to Sealing, then Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can set the Instant Pot to Saute and bring the soup to a boil, cooking the noodles for 6 - 8 minutes.
If you pressure cook the noodles, when the cooking cycle is complete, carefully release the pressure using a controlled release. (This means, release the pressure in small bursts, stopping if there appears to be any liquid coming out that is not steam. If the soup seems to be spewing out, close the vent back to sealing and let the Instant Pot sit for a few minutes to naturally release, then try to manually release again.) (Pictures 16 - 17)
When all the pressure has released, open the lid carefully.
STEP 9: Return the chicken to the Instant Pot.
Return the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot, stir, and serve. (Pictures 18 - 20)
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. It definitely makes the process faster. The only concern is using finely diced vegetables - the smaller pieces will get very soft when pressure cooked.
Absolutely. Just skip the second pressure cooking step. Additionally, you can add more vegetables - squash, potatoes, or mixed beans - just to help "fill it out" a bit more.
You can - you can just add the rice in the first cooking cycle and skip the second cycle. To follow a more specific recipe for chicken and rice soup, you can try this one from Anna at Crunchy, Creamy, Sweet.
I have made this soup using my homemade Paleo Egg Noodles as well as some Paleo Sweet Potato Noodles and both are great. To make the egg noodles, I remove the chicken after the cooking cycle is finished, then just set the Instant Pot to saute and bring it to a boil. The noodles cook in 3 - 4 minutes. (The sweet potato noodles have to be cooked separately, then rinse and add them to the soup.) I have tried using Miracle Noodles and Hearts of Palm (Palmini) Noodles, and the soup just doesn't have "enough" to mask the unique flavors of those two types of noodles. They are better suited for pasta/Asian dishes where you can cook the noodles in a sauce.
Yes, but it will require longer in the Instant Pot to cook. I would start with 10 - 12 minutes, but be aware that your vegetables will be very soft.
You absolutely can. I love to use Souper Cubes to freeze soup into 1 cup blocks - so easy to have individual servings ready to go! In a perfect world, I would not add the noodles to the soup if I was planning on freezing it. If you add the noodles and decide to freeze it, just make sure that the soup defrosts naturally - do not try to defrost the soup by heating it in a pot - this will greatly degrade the quality of the noodles.
🍳 Serving Suggestions & Uses
I like to serve chicken noodle soup immediately, with some extra kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh parsley. If I am feeling really wild, I will also melt some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. (It is SO good.)
🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating
Once cooled, this soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or it can be frozen for a few months. If you are freezing the soup, let it defrost in the refrigerator or on the counter - do not put this frozen soup directly in a hot pot because the texture of the noodles will get weird.
📋 Tips
- I like to cut the vegetables really thick when making this recipe so that they still have a little bit of crunch after pressure cooking.
- I like to use the Aldi Brand (Reggano) Egg Noodles because they are a bit thicker than the No Yolks brand and don't get mushy when they are pressure cooked.
Other Chicken Soup Recipes
- Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
- Paleo Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Instant Pot Chicken and Long Grain Rice Soup
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter salted
- 1 - 2 large onions thinly sliced
- 3 medium carrots sliced into thick slices
- 3 stalks celery sliced into thick slices
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper + more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon if using fresh
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried parsley 1 tablespoon chopped if using fresh + more for garnish/serving
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon chopped if using fresh
- 4 cups chicken stock, chicken broth, or bone broth
- 4 cups water
- 2 pounds chicken breast, thighs, or legs with skin and bones try to use at least 1 chicken breast and one "bone-in" piece
- 5 ounces egg noodles, uncooked this is about two cups - I use the Aldi brand egg noodles for this recipe - they are a bit thicker than brands like "No Yolks" and hold up well when pressure cooked.
Instructions
- Dice the carrots, celery, and onions into thick slices and remove the fat and gristle from the chicken. If the chicken has skin and bones, leave that - it will help flavor the broth.
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute Mode and let it heat up. When the Instant Pot is hot (it won't take very long to heat up) add butter and let it melt.
- Now, add the carrots, celery, and onions to the melted butter and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Add thyme, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper, then stir.
- "Deglaze" the pot with a little broth, then lay the chicken on top of the vegetables.
- Pour in the rest of the broth and water, making sure the chicken is covered.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set the vent to Sealing.
- Press the Cancel button to cancel the Saute function, then set the Instant Pot to Manual Mode, Pressure Cook at High Pressure, or Soup for 7 minutes. (If your Instant Pot has a Soup button, you can use it - but it is really no different than using the Manual/Pressure Cook buttons.)
- When the cooking cycle is complete, Naturally Release (NR) the pressure by letting the Instant Pot sit and release pressure on its own. It should take around 10 minutes. (If you are in a hurry, carefully release the pressure using a controlled release. This means, release the pressure in small bursts, stopping if there appears to be any liquid coming out that is not steam. If the soup seems to be spewing out, close the vent back to sealing and let the Instant Pot sit for a few minutes to naturally release, then try to manually release again.)
- When all the pressure has been released, open the lid and remove the chicken. Place it off to the side in a small bowl and shred it. Leave it off to the side (out of the broth) while you cook the noodles.
- Add the noodles to the Instant Pot and close the lid again.
- Set the vent to Sealing, then Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can set the Instant Pot to Saute and bring the soup to a boil, cooking the noodles for 6 - 8 minutes.
- If you pressure cook the noodles, when the cooking cycle is complete, carefully release the pressure using a controlled release. (This means, release the pressure in small bursts, stopping if there appears to be any liquid coming out that is not steam. If the soup seems to be spewing out, close the vent back to sealing and let the Instant Pot sit for a few minutes to naturally release, then try to manually release again.)
- When all the pressure has been released, open the lid carefully.
- Return the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot, stir, and serve.
Notes
I like to serve chicken noodle soup immediately, with some extra kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh parsley. If I am feeling really wild, I will also melt some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. (It is SO good.) Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating Once cooled, this soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or it can be frozen for a few months. If you are freezing the soup, let it defrost in the refrigerator or on the counter - do not put this frozen soup directly in a hot pot because the texture of the noodles will get weird. Tips
- I like to cut the vegetables really thick when making this recipe so that they still have a little bit of crunch after pressure cooking.
- I like to use the Aldi Brand (Reggano) Egg Noodles because they are a bit thicker than the No Yolks brand and don't get mushy when they are pressure cooked.
FAQs Can you make chicken noodle soup with frozen vegetables?
Absolutely. It definitely makes the process faster. The only concern is using finely diced vegetables - the smaller pieces will get very soft when pressure cooked. Can you leave out the noodles and just make this chicken and vegetable soup?
Absolutely. Just skip the second pressure cooking step. Additionally, you can add more vegetables - squash, potatoes, or mixed beans - just to help "fill it out" a bit more. Can you make this soup with rice?
You can - you can just add the rice in the first cooking cycle and skip the second cycle. To follow a more specific recipe for chicken and rice soup, you can try this one from Anna at Crunchy, Creamy, Sweet. Can you make this soup with other noodles?
I have made this soup using my homemade Paleo Egg Noodles as well as some Paleo Sweet Potato Noodles and both are great. To make the egg noodles, I remove the chicken after the cooking cycle is finished, then just set the Instant Pot to saute and bring it to a boil. The noodles cook in 3 - 4 minutes. (The sweet potato noodles have to be cooked separately, then rinse and add them to the soup.) I have tried using Miracle Noodles and Hearts of Palm (Palmini) Noodles, and the soup just doesn't have "enough" to mask the unique flavors of those two types of noodles. They are better suited for pasta/Asian dishes where you can cook the noodles in a sauce. Can you make chicken noodle soup with frozen chicken?
Yes, but it will require longer in the Instant Pot to cook. I would start with 10 - 12 minutes, but be aware that your vegetables will be very soft. Can you freeze chicken noodle soup?
You absolutely can. I love to use Souper Cubes to freeze soup into 1 cup blocks - so easy to have individual servings ready to go! In a perfect world, I would not add the noodles to the soup if I was planning on freezing it. If you add the noodles and decide to freeze it, just make sure that the soup defrosts naturally - do not try to defrost the soup by heating it in a pot - this will greatly degrade the quality of the noodles.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
Please let me know what you think about the recipe :)