It's officially FALL, and that means sweater weather, pumpkin spice lattes, all things apple, aaaaaaand slow cooker/instant pot is gonna get some heavy usage!
I freakin LOVE one-pot, hearty, home cooked meals when it gets cold - who doesn't?!
I LOVE that when I'm rushed and can't get things prepped in the slow cooker, that the IP comes in clutch to save the day and give us a tasty meal in a fraction of the time.
My family also LOVES chicken noodle soup. Yep, the Lipton's kind. And we have it in our pantry for those just-in-case-we-totally-eff-up-our-dinner-planning-for-the-week moments or can't-be-botherd-to-make-anything moments.
BUT
I also know making your own chicken noodle soup from scratch is actually really EASY and doesn't take that many ingredients to make it even better than the Lipton's kind.
So when Ty caught his man cold from me and Damian last week, I knew this was the perfect time to give this recipe a go, and nurse this man back to health. Cuz ya know, man cold's are THE WORST 🤣😪🤧
What I love about this recipe is that it's just 8 ingredients (if you don't count salt and pepper), you don't need to make a separate bone broth (although that's awesome too, and I've got an IP Bone Broth recipe HERE), and it comes together pretty quick (ie you set it and forget it and go do other things!)
It's great as the main meal when you're not feeling too hungry or when you're sick, or pair it with a healthy salad or main dish. It's definitely a crowd pleaser though - the kiddos will slurrrrrrrrrp this one right up!
Ok let's get to it - grab your Instant Pot and let's get cooking!
And be sure to comment below if you try it - I LOVE hearing about your cooking adventures :)
*PS Check the notes, I share how to make this in a slow cooker if you don't have an IP!)
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep time: 10min
Cook time: 20min + 10min pressure build time
Total time: 40min
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4-6 large carrots, peeled & sliced
4-5 spears of celery, diced
2 bay leaves
2 x 1000ml containers organic chicken broth
3 cups dry rotini pasta or egg noodles
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
*Need 6-Quart Instant Pot or pressure cooker
Instructions:
Turn the instant pot on to SAUTÉ. Cook onions in olive oil until they soften.
Add the remaining ingredients into the Instant Pot, except noodles. Select MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK and change the time to 10 minutes. The instant pot will take about 10 minutes to build pressure.
Quick release pressure (VENT). Open the lid carefully, and remove and discard bay leaves. Remove chicken breasts and place onto a cutting board or bowl to shred with two forks.
Turn your Instant Pot on SAUTÉ again. Once the broth begins to boil, add your noodles and allow to simmer 6-8 minutes or until al dente.
Stir in the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper to your taste. YUM!
*NOTES:
VEGGIES: want to use more/less carrots/celery? Go for it! I used the last few spears of celery in the fridge but would have thrown in a few more if I had them.
DON'T HAVE AN IP/PRESSURE COOKER? Use your slow cooker instead! Start off by sautéing onions and olive oil on a frying pan until translucent, then sear the chicken breasts on both sides for a few minutes, before throwing everything into the pot. Set on LOW for 7-8hr or HIGH for 4-5hr. You'll need to shred the chicken the same way as above once once your cook time is up, and throw it back into the cooker.
