This easy recipe for Italian chicken soup features all the rich flavors of a slow-simmered soup, but with the help of the Instant Pot, takes less than an hour to make.
Table of Contents
Our Italian chicken soup recipe is very easy to prepare, only requires about 15 minutes of hands-on time, and is done in less than an hour in the Instant Pot, or about an hour and twenty minutes on the stove.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
One of our favorite things about the Instant Pot is its ability to make richly flavored soups that taste like they’ve spent hours simmering on the stove in a short period of time. This Italian chicken soup, along with our pressure cooker cabbage soup are both good examples.
We originally wrote this recipe specifically for the Instant Pot, but we’ve made it on the stovetop too, and included those instructions in the recipe notes if you need them. While the stovetop version is delicious and doesn’t take all that much longer (about 20 minutes more), we still prefer the Instant Pot version for its more robust chicken flavor.
Key Ingredients
This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.
- AROMATIC VEGETABLES: A classic combination of aromatics (onion, carrots, celery, and garlic) sautéed in olive oil is used as the flavorful base for this soup.
- CHICKEN THIGHS: We prefer 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 can skim off excess fat as the soup simmers, but since this isn’t possible with the Instant Pot, eliminating the extra fat from the skin is key. Note: We have made this soup with boneless chicken thighs as well. It turns out fine, and you don’t need to adjust the recipe, however, it doesn’t have quite as much rich chicken flavor.
- CHICKEN BROTH: We find low-sodium chicken broth to be the best choice for making this soup as it gives you better control of the seasoning.
- DICED TOMATOES: We call for a cup of canned, diced tomatoes (drained). If you like a little more tomato flavor, you can use more, or opt not to drain them.
- FRESH GREENS: Fresh greens like escarole, kale (tough stems removed), or spinach are added halfway through the pasta cooking time to add even more flavor to the soup. We favor escarole because it cooks quicker than kale and it holds up a bit better in the soup than more delicate greens like spinach.
- PASTA: Ditalini is our pasta of choice for Italian chicken soup but elbows and mini shells are also good options. We’ve tried orzo and pastina too, but we find those really small cuts give off too much starch and thicken the soup more than we like. If you wanted to use one of those, we’d suggest cooking the pasta separately and adding it to individual, plated servings.
- GRATED PARMESAN: A topping of grated Parmesan cheese adds both body and flavor to the soup. You can put the cheese out on the table with the grater and let people add it to taste if you like.
- FRESH PARSLEY: A sprinkling of fresh parsley adds fresh, herby flavor and a pop of color that’s visually appealing too.
How To Make Italian Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot
This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.
- 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, add the chicken thighs and a few cups of low-sodium chicken broth.
- COOK THE CHICKEN: Seal the pot and set it to cook on high pressure. It takes about 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and another 18 minutes 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.
Stovetop Instructions
Adapting this recipe for the stovetop is easy, so if you don’t have an Instant Pot or don’t want to use it follow these instructions:
- SAUTÉ THE AROMATICS: Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until golden in a large soup pot. Once they’ve softened, layer the chicken thighs on top and add several cups of the low-sodium chicken broth.
- COOK THE CHICKEN: Cover the pot, bring the chicken to a slow simmer over medium-low heat, and cook for 50 minutes, or until the thighs are fork-tender and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it cool before shredding it into bite-sized pieces.
- COOK THE PASTA AND VEGETABLES: While you shred the chicken, add the remaining broth to the pot and bring it to a rapid 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.
More Hearty Italian Soups
If you’d like to try some other satisfying dinner soups with an Italian flair, here are a few suggestions:
- Minestrone Soup With Sausage: Minestrone is a great choice for Sunday supper with the family. Serve it with garlic bread and a salad.
- Italian Wedding Soup: The delightful little meatballs in this soup are a labor of love, but well worth the effort because the dish is always a hit.
- Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans): This rustic Italian soup/stew is a comforting meal that’s easy to make and economical too.
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Italian Chicken Soup (Instant Pot Recipe)
This easy recipe for Italian chicken soup features all the rich flavors of a slow-simmered soup, but with the help of the Instant Pot, takes less than an hour to make.
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, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 8 cups roughly chopped escarole, see notes for substitutions
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Grated Parmesan cheese
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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 to cool.
- Switch the Instant Pot from the "keep warm" function to "sauté," add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth, bring it to a boil, then 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
ABOUT THE ESCAROLE: If you don’t care for escarole, you can substitute spinach, baby kale or Swiss chard (leaves only).
STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS
Adapting this recipe for the stovetop is easy, so if you don’t have an Instant Pot or don’t want to use it follow these instructions:
- SAUTÉ THE AROMATICS: Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until golden in a large soup pot. Once they’ve softened, layer the chicken thighs on top and add several cups of the low-sodium chicken broth.
- COOK THE CHICKEN: Cover the pot, bring the chicken to a slow simmer over medium-low heat, and cook for 50 minutes, or until the thighs are fork-tender and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it cool before shredding it into bite-sized pieces.
- COOK THE PASTA AND VEGETABLES: While you shred the chicken, add the remaining broth to the pot and bring it to a rapid 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 587kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 56g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 205mg, Sodium: 876mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 8g, Calcium: 263mg, Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
We have made 3 other chicken noodle soups and this is our new favorite.
Thank you, Neil. So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! What size pot was this recipe made in? Would I cut it in half for a 3 qt pot?
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.
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.
I made this tonight, very easy & good.
Glad you liked it Maxine. Thank you!
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!
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’
Can you make this in the slow cooker? If so, when would you put the noodles in?
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.
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.
Hi Eleanor,
I’m glad to hear you like this soup and plan to make it again. Thanks for letting us know.
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!
This might be my favorite instant pot recipe. We added some crushed red pepper flakes and a few extra carrots and celery. So good!!