Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (Printable)

Hearty soup with tender chicken, vegetables, and egg noodles ready in 30 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Soup Base

06 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

07 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
08 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1 teaspoon salt

→ Pasta

12 - 6 oz egg noodles

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Oil

14 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add olive oil, then sauté diced onion, carrots, and celery for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Place chicken breasts or thighs directly on top of the sautéed vegetables.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and add dried thyme, parsley, bay leaf, black pepper, and salt. Stir gently to combine.
05 - Secure the lid and set valve to Sealing position. Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes.
06 - Allow natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then carefully quick-release any remaining pressure.
07 - Transfer chicken to a plate and shred using two forks.
08 - Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode again. Add egg noodles and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes until tender.
09 - Return shredded chicken to the pot, stir to combine, and adjust seasoning as needed.
10 - Remove and discard bay leaf. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The Instant Pot does all the heavy lifting while you relax, creating a soup that tastes like it simmered all day in just 30 minutes.
  • Every spoonful delivers that perfect balance of tender chicken, al dente noodles, and vegetables that have absorbed all the savory broth without turning mushy.
02 -
  • Adding the noodles after pressure cooking prevents them from becoming overly soft and absorbing too much liquid (a mistake that once turned my soup into a strange chicken noodle stew).
  • The 5-minute natural release is crucial, as a full quick release can make the chicken tough and chewy, something I discovered through unfortunate experimentation.
03 -
  • For an even richer golden broth, sauté the vegetables until they develop slight caramelization at the edges before adding the liquid.
  • A splash of acid at the end (lemon juice or a dash of vinegar) brightens all the flavors and makes the soup taste professionally balanced, a trick I learned from a chef friend.
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