Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup
With the all comforting goodness of classic chicken noodle soup, this recipe for Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup uses some added ingredients to make a healthy and satisfying one-dish dinner with a delicious Italian flair.
How To Make Chicken Soup In The Instant Pot
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 hands-on time.
The soup begins with an aromatic base of sautéed onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Skinless, bone-in chicken thighs are layered on top, a few cups of low-sodium chicken broth are added, then the pot is sealed and you're on your way to some fabulous 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, then you're ready to remove the chicken and shred it into tender, bite-sized pieces.
Ditalini is the perfect cut of pasta for this soup and it cooks in the broth while you shred the chicken.
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.
To finish the soup, add the shredded chicken back to the pot and 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.
Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup
Richly flavored and ready in just under an hour, this Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup is a satisfying, nutritious one-dish meal that's easy to prepare.
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.
Notes
Substitution: If you don't care for escarole, you can substitute spinach, baby kale or Swiss chard (leaves only).
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 537Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 223mgSodium: 542mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 8gSugar: 4gProtein: 49g
