September 6, 2019

Instant Pot Whole Chicken Noodle Soup

Name: Instant Pot Whole Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 1 h 2 min
Ingredients: 1 pound of pasta, small shells; 7 total cups of broth or stock to cook the pasta in, plus a bit more to help ensure the final dish is a soup. I tend to use a backup or store bought stock to cook the pasta in with some of the golden broth made from the cooking process of the whole chicken in the Instant Pot and then save the rest of the golden broth for the soup liquid.; Finely chop the broccoli florets; 1-2 teaspoons oil (or butter); FOR THE SOUP:; Salt and pepper to taste; Broccoli, including stocks, reserve the florets for the final step; 2 cups of sliced carrots; 1 large onion, chopped; 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 handful of fresh thyme; 3 cups water; 1 whole chicken (approx. 4 lbs); FOR THE WHOLE CHICKEN:

School is back in from summer and the angels are singing. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great summer with my kids but it’s nice to be back into a routine. Now, I’m full-on into packing lunches and making easy meals, like this Instant Pot Whole Chicken Noodle Soup. There’s something about hot homemade soup when the fall weather creeps in that is a must.

Instant Pot Whole Chicken Noodle Soup // thislilpiglet.net

If you’re a fan of the slow cooker, like most of us with a busy weekday schedule, then you will love this Instant Pot Whole Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. It’s a quicker way to cook a whole chicken, make fresh stock and cook up plenty of homemade soup for the week.

There’s one way to make soup great and that’s by starting with a good soup broth. Cooking a whole chicken in an Instant Pot releases plenty of flavour packed juices perfect for the soup base. There usually isn’t enough broth just from one whole chicken so have some store-bought chicken broth on hand to top it up.

Next comes a small variety of fresh herbs and vegetables. You can use dried herbs but fresh is always better when it comes to cooking soups. Do your shopping on a Saturday and prepare this soup on a Sunday so it’s ready to go for the rest of the week.

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with Vegetables // thislilpiglet.net

I like to top a bowl of this soup with freshly grated parmesan and cracked black pepper for an extra tasty bowl of warmth on a crisp fall day.

‘Tis the season for our kids bringing home their first of many colds. There’s nothing better than a nutrient-packed Instant Pot Whole Chicken Noodle Soup to help take the chill off, making those under the weather feel a little bit cozier.

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup // thislilpiglet.net

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Yield: 6-8

Instant Pot Whole Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Active Time 22 minutes

Additional Time 25 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (approx. 4 lbs)
3 cups water
FOR THE WHOLE CHICKEN:
1 handful of fresh thyme
1 large onion, chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of sliced carrots
Broccoli, including stocks, reserve the florets for the final step
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 teaspoons oil (or butter)
FOR THE SOUP:
1 pound of pasta, small shells
7 total cups of broth or stock to cook the pasta in, plus a bit more to help ensure the final dish is a soup. I tend to use a backup or store bought stock to cook the pasta in with some of the golden broth made from the cooking process of the whole chicken in the Instant Pot and then save the rest of the golden broth for the soup liquid.
Finely chop the broccoli florets

Instructions

To make the chicken:

Start by selecting the saute setting on the Instant Pot (IP) and heating the oil or butter and then sweating and browning the onions and garlic.
Add in the water and thyme, stir well to make sure all of the browned bits are scraped off the bottom as they will add wonderful flavor to the meal.
Place the trivet (that came with your IP) in the bottom of the inner pot and then set the chicken on top-make sure to remove all packaging and anything inside the chicken.
Add a bit more fresh thyme, salt, pepper and the carrots and broccoli stocks.
Twist on the locking lid and then cancel the saute setting. Select manual mode and for about 5.5 minutes per pound. So this 4 pound chicken I set the cook time for 22 minutes.
At the end of the cook time the IP will beep a few times, let it natural pressure release for 25 minutes. This will help finish cooking the chicken and lock in the moisture.
When that time has finished, carefully remove the lid and remove the chicken, placing it in a large bowl or dish that will collect the broth dripping off.
Use a fork to remove most of the carrots, large pieces of thyme and any fat bits that might be in the broth.
Transfer the liquid broth and onions to a blender and set to high, blend until the liquid is completely smooth. This is your golden broth, loaded with fantastic flavor that is rich and smooth in taste. This is also the broth that ends up with most of the collagen from the first cooking process, wonderful for your skin and gut health.

To make the pasta:

You do not need to wash the inner pot, but you will want to remove the seal from the lid and completely dry both parts, skipping this step could end up causing the pot to not properly seal and end up costing you a ton of time starting over just to reset the seal in the lid.
Pour the pasta into the pot and then add 7 cups of liquid, again, this could be a mix of store bought and water with a little of the golden broth, your choice, just plan to save some of the golden broth for the liquid in the soup.
Stir well and then twist on the totally dry lid and seal.
Set the pot for HALF of the time listed on the pasta package. This exact pasta called for 6-7 minutes. I set the pot for 3 minutes. When the cook time has ended, let the pot natural pressure release for 1-2 minutes at the most, then carefully place a clean, damp cloth over the steam valve and release the rest of the pressure. *you want to make sure you give it a minute to let all of the starches inside the IP settle down annnd cover the valve so when the steam comes out you don’t run the risk of super hot starchy liquid spraying everywhere.
Give the pasta a stir, add in the golden broth, cooked carrots and finely chopped broccoli. The broth will still be hot and that combined with the super hot pasta will cook the broccoli in just a couple minutes if small enough.

This is quite tasty both right away and sits well, even in the liquid for the next day. Other shapes of pasta might have different results.