Every family has a soup person. In mine, it is me, and it started the winter my daughter brought home her third cold in a month and I found myself making chicken noodle soup twice in one week. The stovetop version was good, but it took forever: browning, simmering, waiting for the broth to develop that deep golden flavor. By the second batch I was tired, she was still sniffly, and I thought, there has to be a faster way to get here.
There is. The Instant Pot makes chicken noodle soup with the kind of rich, slow-simmered flavor that used to take three hours, in about forty minutes start to finish. The pressure cooker does something magical to broth. It extracts every bit of flavor from the chicken and vegetables, and the result tastes like it simmered all afternoon on your grandmother’s stove. My daughter, now fully recovered and extremely opinionated about soup, declares this version better than the original. I am choosing to take that as a compliment.
This is my go-to recipe when someone in the house is under the weather, when the weather itself is miserable, or when I just want dinner to feel like a warm hug. It is simple, honest food, and the Instant Pot makes it weeknight-easy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
First, the speed. Real, deeply flavored chicken noodle soup in forty minutes, and most of that is hands-off while the pot does its thing. On a busy weeknight, that is the difference between homemade soup and a can.
Second, the broth. This is not watery, bland soup. Pressure cooking pulls remarkable depth out of simple ingredients. The broth comes out golden, savory, and full-bodied, the kind you want to drink straight from the bowl. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens everything up and makes the flavors pop.
Third, the noodles cook right in the pot. No separate pot of boiling water, no timing two things at once. You add the egg noodles after pressure cooking and let them simmer in the hot broth for a few minutes until tender. One pot, one cleanup, dinner done.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 ounces wide egg noodles (about 3 cups dry)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (optional but wonderful)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Set the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ on normal heat. Add the olive oil, then the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion softens and turns translucent. Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook for 30 seconds more, just until fragrant. Press CANCEL.
- Add the chicken and broth. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Those bits are pure flavor; do not leave them stuck down there. Add the chicken breasts, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Give everything one gentle stir.
- Pressure cook. Lock the lid and make sure the valve is set to SEALING. Select PRESSURE COOK (or MANUAL) on HIGH for 10 minutes. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes for the pot to come to pressure before the countdown starts. That is normal.
- Release the pressure. When the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to VENTING to release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you so the steam escapes safely.
- Shred the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it into bite-size pieces with two forks. It should fall apart with barely any effort. Discard the bay leaves.
- Cook the noodles. Set the Instant Pot back to SAUTÉ. Once the broth is simmering, stir in the egg noodles and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine.
- Finish and serve. Press CANCEL. Stir in the fresh parsley, dill, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper; broth saltiness varies, so this step matters. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Pro Tips
Do not pressure cook the noodles. This is the number one mistake people make with Instant Pot soup. Egg noodles turn to mush under pressure. Always add them after, simmered in SAUTÉ mode. They take six minutes. Be patient.
Deglaze properly. After sautéing, pour in a splash of the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly before adding the rest. Stuck-on bits can trigger the burn warning, and nobody wants to deal with that mid-recipe.
Thighs make richer soup. Chicken breasts are lean and classic, but thighs give you a silkier broth and meat that stays tender even if you overcook slightly. Use whichever you have; both are delicious.
The lemon is not optional in my house. It does not make the soup taste lemony. It wakes everything up, the way salt does. Start with a tablespoon and add more to taste. You will be amazed at the difference.
Fresh herbs at the end, always. Dried herbs go in before pressure cooking; fresh herbs go in after. Stirring delicate fresh parsley and dill into the finished hot soup preserves their bright flavor instead of cooking it away.
Variations
Creamy chicken noodle soup: After the noodles are cooked, stir in 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Rich, velvety, and wonderful on a cold night.
Chicken and rice soup: Swap the egg noodles for 3/4 cup of long-grain white rice, added before pressure cooking. Increase the pressure cook time to 12 minutes. The rice absorbs broth as it sits, so add an extra cup of broth if you like it soupy.
Lemon chicken orzo soup: Use 3/4 cup orzo instead of egg noodles and double the lemon juice. Stir in a handful of baby spinach at the end for color.
Spicy version: Add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes with the dried herbs and finish with a drizzle of chili crisp oil in each bowl.
Storage & Reheating
Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Here is the thing about noodle soup: the noodles keep drinking broth overnight. For the best leftovers, store the noodles separately if you think of it, or just add a splash of broth when reheating. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat until steaming; avoid boiling, which makes the noodles fall apart.
To freeze, make the soup through step 5 but leave out the noodles entirely. Freeze the broth and chicken base for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, bring to a simmer, and cook fresh noodles in it. The texture will be just like day one.
FAQs
Can I use frozen chicken in the Instant Pot?
Yes, and this is one of the Instant Pot’s superpowers. Add 3 to 4 minutes to the pressure cook time (13 to 14 minutes total) and make sure the breasts are not frozen together in one solid block. Everything else stays the same.
Why did I get a burn notice?
Almost always, it is from not deglazing after sautéing, or from thickeners like tomato paste or cream added before pressure cooking. This recipe has neither, so deglaze well and you should be fine. If it happens, release pressure, scrape the bottom clean, and restart.
Can I make this with rotisserie chicken?
You can, though the broth will not be quite as rich since the chicken does not cook in it. Pressure cook the vegetables and broth for 8 minutes, quick release, then stir in 3 to 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken with the noodles. It is a great shortcut on truly chaotic nights.
How do I keep the noodles from getting mushy in leftovers?
Cook the noodles separately and add them to individual bowls instead of the whole pot. Store the cooked noodles apart from the soup. It is one extra pot to wash, but your day-two soup will thank you.
For more pressure cooker comfort food, try my instant pot beef chili — it is the other recipe my Instant Pot was basically invented for. You will find both on my instant pot recipes page, and plenty of cozy bowls on dinner recipes. New around here? Come meet me on my about page.
RECIPE CARD DATA
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes (including pressurizing)
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 280 kcal per serving (estimated)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 ounces wide egg noodles
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
- SAUTÉ onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil 4-5 minutes; add garlic, thyme, rosemary; cook 30 seconds. Cancel.
- Add broth, scraping up browned bits. Add chicken, bay leaves, salt, pepper; stir.
- Seal lid; PRESSURE COOK on HIGH 10 minutes.
- Natural release 10 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure.
- Remove chicken; shred with forks. Discard bay leaves.
- SAUTÉ broth to a simmer; add noodles and cook 6-8 minutes until tender. Return chicken.
- Stir in parsley, dill, and lemon juice. Season to taste and serve hot.
