Nothing beats a delicious bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. One of America’s best known ultimate comfort food. Unfortunately, it can be a bit time-consuming to prepare from scratch with a chicken carcass. This no-muss, no-fuss version takes less time and easier, yet still incredibly tasty thanks to the addition of cost-conscious chicken thighs and the subtle infusion of flavor from a fresh ‘bouquet garni.’ This instant pot chicken noodle soup recipe is an easy recipe to follow and makes a healthy delicious meal the whole family will enjoy.
Instant pot chicken noodle soup is an easy meal to make using these fresh ingredients at a fraction of the time compared to other methods. Make a big pot of this homemade soup and leftover soup will be great the next day! The best part of this soup is that you can freeze it in an airtight container and even after a week it will still have that great flavor.
Bouquet Garni Origin
The ‘bouquet garni’ originated in France and traditionally includes a blend of parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. However, any combination of dried or fresh herbs can be used to create one. The version shown here includes rosemary in addition to the classic trio.
What is an Instant Pot?
An Instant Pot is a kitchen appliance that functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, and steamer. It has a number of preset cooking programs, as well as the ability to be programmed manually. It’s so versatile it will quickly become one of your most useful kitchen appliances!
Ingredients
Bouquet Garni Ingredients:
- 6-8 fresh parsley stems
- 10-12 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 whole bay leaves
- Kitchen twine
Soup Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ large white onion, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, sliced
- 4 medium celery stalks, sliced
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 8 cups chicken broth**
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ 12-oz. bag homestyle egg noodles
- Optional: 1 large lime cut into thin wedges
Equipment
- Instant Pot®
- Cutting board and knife
- wooden spoon / spatula
Instructions
- Prepare the ‘bouquet garni’ by assembling the parsley, thyme, and rosemary sprigs on a clean work surface and securing with kitchen twine, as shown. Securely tuck the bay leaves inside the twine to hold. Set aside.
- Press the Saute setting on the Instant Pot® and adjust to the highest setting. Add the olive oil to the pot, along with the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and develop a bit of color, approximately 4-5 minutes. Turn the unit off.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot, along with the chicken thighs and chicken breasts. Push the chicken pieces down into the liquid with a wooden spoon or spatula until fully submerged.
- Add the ‘bouquet garni’ on top and gently push into the liquid, as well. Add the lid and lock into place. Set the pressure release valve to “Sealing” and select the “Manual” button on the high setting. Adjust cook time to 10 minutes.
- When the cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes before doing a quick release of any remaining steam. Turn the unit off.
- Carefully remove the lid and transfer the chicken meat to a large, rimmed plate. Shred the meat using two forks and set aside.
- Select the “Sauté” function on the highest setting and bring the liquid inside to a boil. Add the egg noodles and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the unit off and carefully remove the pot from the unit. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
- To serve, transfer the soup to individual soup bowls and offer fresh lime wedges on the side for squeezing, if desired. Enjoy!
Cooking Tips
- Do not overcook the noodles or they will become mushy. They will continue to soften some in the hot liquid.
- **Can use a combination of chicken broth and water, if desired. For best results, use at least 50% chicken broth. Also if you have it, use your homemade chicken stock.
Serving
A squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice right before serving is a welcome addition to most broth-based soups.
Storage Instructions
Store your leftover chicken noodle soup in an airtight container and refrigerate. This should be good for up to 4 days.
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Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Nothing beats a delicious bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. One of America's best known ultimate comfort food. Unfortunately, it can be a bit time-consuming to prepare from scratch with a chicken carcass. This no-muss, no-fuss version takes less time and easier, yet still incredibly tasty thanks to the addition of cost-conscious chicken thighs and the subtle infusion of flavor from a fresh ‘bouquet garni.’ This instant pot chicken noodle soup recipe is an easy recipe to follow and makes a healthy delicious meal the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredients
- Bouquet Garni Ingredients:
- 6-8 fresh parsley stems
- 10-12 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 whole bay leaves
- Kitchen twine
- Soup Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ large white onion, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, sliced
- 4 medium stalks celery, sliced
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 8 cups chicken broth**
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ 12-oz. bag homestyle egg noodles
- Optional: 1 large lime cut into thin wedges
- **Can use a combination of chicken broth and water, if desired. For best results, use at least 50% chicken broth.
Instructions
- Prepare the ‘bouquet garni’ by assembling the parsley, thyme, and rosemary sprigs on a clean work surface and securing with kitchen twine, as shown. Securely tuck the bay leaves inside the twine to hold. Set aside.
- Press the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot® and adjust to the highest setting. Add the olive oil to the pot, along with the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and develop a bit of color, approximately 4-5 minutes. Turn the unit off.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot, along with the chicken thighs and breasts. Push the chicken pieces down into the liquid with a wooden spoon or spatula until fully submerged.
- Add the ‘bouquet garni’ on top and gently push into the liquid, as well. Add the lid and lock into place. Set the pressure release valve to “Sealing” and select the “Manual” button on the high setting. Adjust cook time to 10 minutes.
- When the cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes before doing a quick release of any remaining steam. Turn the unit off.
- Carefully remove the lid and transfer the chicken pieces to a large, rimmed plate. Shred the meat using two forks and set aside.
- Select the “Sauté” function on the highest setting and bring the liquid inside to a boil. Add the egg noodles and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the unit off and carefully remove the pot from the unit. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
- To serve, transfer the soup to individual soup bowls and offer fresh lime wedges on the side for squeezing, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Tip: Do not overcook the noodles or they will become mushy. They will continue to soften some in the hot liquid.
Tip: A squeeze of fresh lime juice right before serving is a welcome addition to most broth-based soups.