There are times that I just need something hearty and soupy. No matter whether I’ve just come home from a trip, caught a cold, or had a long and exhausting day, I crave a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup to fill my stomach and warm my heart. Normally I’d make this dish on the stovetop. But not this time. A couple days ago, my husband and I were both feeling under the weather after a long trip. We wanted a nice bowl of soup, but neither of us felt like cooking. That’s why I decided to take a shortcut using my Instant Pot to make a lazy version of chicken noodle soup. The soup was ready in no time and I was surprised, myself, at how great the soup was. The chicken came out so tender and delicious, and the broth was bursting with flavor. The result was so good that I decided that I would use the Instant Pot to make all chicken noodle soup from then on.
Why this recipe
1. Dump and forget
Most Instant Pot chicken noodle soup recipes require you to saute the herbs. Not necessary if you use this recipe. The pressure cooker raises the boiling point of the water in the pot. The extra-high heat not only speeds up the cooking process, but also promotes caramelization and browning in a different way. The flavor of the aromatics will be fully released in the liquid without sauteing in oil.
2. Finish everything in one pot
Simply pressure cook the chicken breast with the broth, then throw in the noodles and the vegetables. Asian cooking always recommends boiling the noodles in another pot to keep the soup clear. But I’ve found that my soup looks great, even when I boil the noodles in the soup. Plus, the noodles will soak up more flavor from the broth and taste even better.
3. Make more flavorful soup
Different from your traditional chicken noodle soup, the Asian version uses a few bold ingredients to make the soup burst with flavor. You’ll be surprised at the impact of a few pieces of ginger and garlic with some drops of soy sauce.
4. You can cook with frozen chicken
Simply double the cooking time if you use frozen chicken (breast or thigh). I’ve done this in the past when I was really craving a bowl of soup but forgot to thaw the chicken in advance. It’s such a life-saver! A quick tip if you have trouble removing the frozen chicken from the package: simply rinse the package with warm tap water for 1 to 2 minutes and the chicken will come out easily.
More hearty soup and congee recipes
Instant Pot Chicken Congee with Spinach Kimchi Stew with Tofu and Meatballs Easy Vegetarian Pumpkin Soup Easy Soy Sauce Noodles Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup
That’s it! Try out this simplified Instant Pot chicken noodle soup recipe and be surprised at how great the results are!
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
