One of the best things about the Instant Pot is its ability to produce richly flavored soups that taste like they’ve spent hours simmering on the stove in just a fraction of the time.
This chicken soup recipe is no exception. It’s very easy to prepare, takes a little less than an hour from start to finish, and only requires about 15 minutes of hands-on time.
What Goes Into Italian-Style Chicken Soup
- Aromatics for flavor: The first step to making this soup is to sauté a combination of onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. This combination gives you a base layer of flavor to build on with the other ingredients.
- The chicken: We like to use skinless, bone-in chicken thighs to make this soup. The bones are important for developing flavor and removing the skin cuts down on fat. When you make chicken soup on top of the stove you have an opportunity to skim off fat as the soup simmers, but since this won’t be possible with the Instant Pot, eliminating the extra fat from the skin is key.
- The vegetables: Diced tomatoes and healthy greens like escarole or spinach are added halfway through the pasta cooking time, lending both extra flavor and nutritional value to the soup. We favor escarole because it’s a classic Italian ingredient and it holds up a bit better in the soup than more delicate greens like spinach.
- The pasta: Ditalini is the perfect cut of pasta for this soup. It’s a small cut and cooks in the broth while you shred the chicken. You could also use elbows or mini shells.
How To Make This Recipe
This is an overview of how this dish is made. You’ll find detailed measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version of the recipe below.
- Sauté the aromatics: Begin by cooking the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until golden using the sauté function on the Instant Pot. Once those aromatic vegetables are ready, layer the chicken thighs on top and add a few cups of low-sodium chicken broth.
- Cook the chicken: Seal the pot, set to cook on high pressure, and you’re on your way to some delicious soup. It takes about 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and another 18 to cook the chicken. This recipe uses quick pressure release, so as soon as the 18 minutes are up, remove the chicken and shred it into tender, bite-sized pieces.
- Cook the pasta and vegetables: While you shred the chicken, set the Instant Pot back to the “sauté” function and bring the broth to a simmer. Add the pasta, cook for a few minutes, then add the escarole and tomatoes and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente.
- Put it all together: To finish the soup, return the shredded chicken to the pot, stir, then ladle the soup into bowls. Top with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, and you’re ready to serve.
For another great Instant Pot soup recipe, try our Pressure Cooker Cabbage Soup.
More Italian Soup Recipes
Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup
Delicious, nutritious, and ready in less than an hour, our Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup is hearty comfort food at its best.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs, about 2-1/2 lbs, skin removed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1 cup diced tomatoes, drained
- 8 cups roughly chopped escarole, see notes for substitutions
- Chopped parsley
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs, season on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Press the "sauté" button on the Instant Pot, heat for about 1-1/2 minutes, then add the olive oil and the onions.
- Sauté the onions until lightly browned around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.
- Add the carrots and celery, season lightly with salt and pepper and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Cancel the "sauté" function on the Instant Pot and arrange the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables, keeping them in as much of a single layer as possible.
- Pour 3 cups of the chicken broth over the chicken and lock the cover onto the Instant Pot.
- Use the "manual" function to set the Instant Pot to cook for 18 minutes at high pressure.
- Once the time is up, release the pressure manually by turning the steam valve to the venting position, being careful to keep your hands and face away from the top of the Instant Pot as you do.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board or large platter and add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth to the Instant Pot.
- Switch the Instant Pot from the "keep warm" function to "sauté," bring the broth to a boil and add the pasta. Cook for 5 minutes, stir in the diced tomatoes and escarole and continue cooking until the greens are wilted and the pasta is tender, 4 to 5 minutes longer.
- While the pasta cooks, remove the bones from the chicken thighs, shred the meat and as soon as the pasta is done, add it back to the soup.
- To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls, garnish with chopped parsley and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
Substitution: If you don’t care for escarole, you can substitute spinach, baby kale or Swiss chard (leaves only).
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup
Amount per Serving
Calories
537
% Daily Value*
Fat
31
g
48
%
Saturated Fat
8
g
50
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
22
g
Cholesterol
223
mg
74
%
Sodium
542
mg
24
%
Carbohydrates
20
g
7
%
Fiber
8
g
33
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
49
g
98
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.
Amy says
Hi! What size pot was this recipe made in? Would I cut it in half for a 3 qt pot?
Lynne Webb says
Hi Amy,
This recipe was originally written for a 6-quart Instant Pot. I actually just purchased a 3-quart Instant Pot myself and plan to retest the recipe with slightly smaller quantities. I haven’t had the chance to do it yet, but I planned to cut the ingredient quantities back by about 1/3, which would give you 4 servings. The cooking method used for this recipe really doesn’t put the pot at risk of overflowing (or exploding) as long as you don’t add broth past the maximum fill line when you cook the chicken thighs. I hope this helps for now.
WILLIAM J DEVLIN says
Great recipe absolutely loved it! I also added 2 extra cups of broth. I also made it with chicken legs the first time then I tried chicken thighs the second time. If you like it stringy go with the thighs if you like more solid pieces of chicken go with legs. Personally using legs was so much better. That’s all I will be using. Enjoy.
Maxine Cook says
I made this tonight, very easy & good.
Lynne Webb says
Glad you liked it Maxine. Thank you!
Kaci says
Made this tonight! Used it as a suggestive recipe, and threw in the things I had on hand and it was perfect for this chilly weather!!! I didn’t have celery, so I used sliced Brussels sprouts, and I added a bit of oregano and thyme for a solid Italian feel. I also didn’t have any greens to mix in at the end, so I settled for some finely shredded basil! Awesome, homey soup recipe!
Denise says
This was an amazing soup! I added more broth 8c total and kept the liquid in the tomatoes . My husband loved it!! Thank you for the great recipe’
Jennifer says
Can you make this in the slow cooker? If so, when would you put the noodles in?
Lynne Webb says
Hi Jennifer,
I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t make this soup in the slow cooker, but I do think you’d need to cook the noodles separately in boiling water and add them in when you are ready to serve.
Eleanor says
Loved this recipe. I made it for dinner one night, then had leftovers for lunch. I had to use spinach because the store didn’t have escarole, but next time I make it I hope they’ll have some.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Eleanor,
I’m glad to hear you like this soup and plan to make it again. Thanks for letting us know.
sara says
I was surprised that such a simple recipe could pack such a delicious punch! My friends said it was their favorite meal I’ve ever made. The red pepper flakes added an extra kick of flavor. Thank you!
Rayana Adra says
This might be my favorite instant pot recipe. We added some crushed red pepper flakes and a few extra carrots and celery. So good!!