Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
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This dump-and-go Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup couldn’t be easier. With just a few quick steps, this mouth-watering, healthy soup is perfect for any weeknight. The longest part is waiting for the pot to build pressure.
Why I Make This Soup Twice a Month
There are few Thriving Home recipes I make more than this one during the school year. Here’s why:
- Instant Pot Dump & Go Recipe: This soup couldn’t be simpler. I just chop my veggies and throw all the ingredients into my Instant Pot (minus the noodles, which boil in the soup at the end), lock and seal the lid, and press a button.
- Healthy: It’s filled with lean protein, whole wheat noodles, and veggies. You can easily make this gluten-free by using chickpea noodles instead. My family usually doesn’t know the difference if I do.
- Flavorful: Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this soup recipe. It tastes like it’s been cooking all day long. My kids love it!
- Freezer-Friendly: I freeze it in individual-sized portions for lunches in these 2-cup Pyrex containers. Use my freezing instructions below. Check out more of our delicious Instant Pot Freezer Meals.
- It can be made on the stove. Or try our stove top Quick Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.
Ingredients Notes
Here are the 5 main components you’ll need to make this healthy soup:
- Veggies – Evenly dice onion, carrots, and celery so they cook at an even rate. These soften and flavor the broth with no sautéing (thank you, pressure cooker!).
- Seasonings – Minced fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, and poultry seasoning provide that all-day, slow-cooked flavor.
- Chicken – You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts. The thighs tend to turn out more tender and moist in Instant Pot meals, so that’s my preference. We get our chicken from ButcherBox.
- Liquid – For this recipe, you’ll use chicken broth and some water. You can either make Homemade Chicken Broth (which is super easy, flavorful, freezable, and cheap) or buy store-bought. My go-to brand of chicken broth is Pacific.
- Noodles – When selecting a noodle for this soup, it’s best to go with a type that’s small, bite-sized, and can hold up well in a broth without getting too mushy. I prefer to use whole wheat egg noodles because they are high in fiber and soak up the flavors of the broth. I’ve also successfully tested this soup with gluten-free chickpea rotini pasta from Banza brand (my favorite).
- Optional: I often put 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream in at the end to make it a bit more decadent and creamy. You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of butter.
Note: A full, printable recipe is at the bottom of this post with all ingredient measurements and cooking directions.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup in Instant Pot
Like I mentioned, this soup is a cinch to make in the pressure cooker. It requires 4 main steps and most of the time is hands-off. Here’s an overview of how it goes down.
Add Soup Ingredients
Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, broth, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and chicken to the Instant Pot.
Pressure Cook
Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure. (The chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and/or registers 165°F internally.) Note that the pot will take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before the cook time will begin. Transfer the cooked chicken to a wooden cutting board.
Boil Pasta
Add the water. Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta and cook until just al dente, usually about 6 minutes (check package instructions). Press “Cancel.”
Tip: Don’t Try This With the Pasta
In one of my recipe tests for this soup, I tried adding the pasta in with all the other ingredients at the start of the recipe.
Don’t make this same mistake! I ended up with super mushy noodles. Using the Saute function to boil the pasta at the end works perfectly instead.
Finish and Serve
Shred or dice the chicken thighs and stir back into the soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. (Optional: Stir in a little heavy whipping cream for a creamier soup.) Serve warm in bowls with optional chopped parsley or grated Parmesan.
Side Dish Ideas
While this soup is a complete meal in and of itself, sometimes it’s nice to add some side dishes to go with it.
Make It a Freezer Meal
Like so many of our freezer-friendly recipes, this is a great recipe to double and freeze an (uncooked) batch for a meal later. Here’s how to make it into a freezer meal:
Freeze For Later: Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, broth, water, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and the chicken to a freezer bag. Seal and freeze in a bowl or round container with a diameter similar to the Instant Pot (so it will fit in the pot when frozen). Remove the bowl once it’s frozen.
Prepare From Frozen: Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté.” Transfer the frozen soup to the pot and cook for 5 minutes to release some liquid. Press “Cancel.” Follow Step 3, but cook for 17 to 22 minutes. Follow Step 4.
Can You Fully Cook and Freeze It?
Yes! You can also fully cook the soup but be sure to undercook the noodles slightly. Then, freeze the soup in SouperCubes or 2-cup Pyrex containers. When you’re ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge or using the defrost setting on the microwave. Rewarm in the microwave or on the stove.
More FAQs
Go with a pasta type that’s small, bite-sized, and can hold up well in a broth without getting too mushy. Some pasta options that work well for chicken noodle soup include egg noodles, orzo, ditalini, rotini, and small shell pasta. Or make your own homemade whole wheat egg noodles!
Yes, this recipe can be made in a stock pot on the stovetop but will require sautéing the veggies first. Use our Quick Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe.
It takes approximately 10-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to build pressure and then 12-14 minutes of total cook time. That cook time is divided into two parts. First, the chicken, veggies, seasonings, and broth cook at high pressure for 6 minutes. Then, boil the pasta using the Saute setting for another 6-8 minutes.
To prevent pasta from becoming mushy, either cook it separately and add it to the soup at the end or boil it using the Saute setting just until al dente at the end of the recipe.
Absolutely! There are two methods for freezing this soup. Find them in the recipe card below.
More Instant Pot Chicken Soups to Try
If you like this easy, freezable Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, explore our best Instant Pot Recipes.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
This dump-and-go Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup couldn’t be easier. With just a few quick steps, this mouth-watering, healthy soup is perfect for any weeknight. The longest part is waiting for the pot to build pressure.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups diced carrots
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups diced celery
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon pre-minced garlic)
- 2 quarts (8 cups) low-sodium chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed in hand
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
- 5–6 ounces (about 4 cups) whole wheat egg noodles (Note: Noodles will expand a lot!)
- Optional: 2-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Optional toppings for serving: chopped fresh Parsley, grated Parmesan cheese
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Add Soup Ingredients: Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, broth, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and the chicken to the Instant Pot.
- Pressure Cook: Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes*, then quick release the remaining pressure. (The chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and/or registers 165°F internally.) Transfer the chicken to a wooden cutting board.
- Boil Pasta: Add the water. Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta and cook until just al dente, usually about 6 minutes (check package instructions). Press “Cancel.”
- Finish and Serve: Shred or dice the chicken thighs and stir back into the soup. (Optional: Stir in heavy whipping cream at the end.) Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. The soup will thicken up as it sits and cools. Serve warm in bowls with optional chopped parsley or grated Parmesan.
*In my tests, this took 10-15 minutes to come to pressure in my 6 quart Instant Pot.
Freeze For Later:
Method 1 (Uncooked): Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, broth, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and the chicken to a freezer bag. Seal and freeze in a bowl or round container with a diameter similar to the Instant Pot (so it will fit in the pot when frozen). Remove the bowl once it’s frozen.
Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Cook the soup but undercook the noodles by a few minutes. Let soup cool completely. Freeze in a freezer safe, air-tight containers or freezer bag.
Prepare From Frozen:
Method 1 (Uncooked): Transfer the frozen soup to the pot. Add 2 cups of water. Follow Step 3, but cook for 17 to 22 minutes (until chicken is 165°F internally). Follow Step 4.
Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Rewarm over low heat in the Instant Pot, stove top, or in the microwave.
Notes/Tips
- As the soup sits, it will get much thicker!
- Don’t add any additional liquid or ingredients to a 6 quart cooker. This is as much as it will hold and still come to pressure.
- Do not try to add the pasta in at the beginning with the other ingredients. In my tests, it got completely mushy! It’s best to boil it at the end.
- Cut the vegetables approximately the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Gluten-Free Version: Replace pasta with gluten-free pasta (I love Banza brand). Or stir in 2-3 cups pre-cooked rice or quinoa instead of using pasta.
- Stove-Top Version: Try our Quick Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe.
- Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. Read my honest review of ButcherBox.
Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour!
- Shopping & equipment lists
- Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
- Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
LOVE a this recipe! It’s so easy to dump and cook in the insta pot.
The flavor is amazing, like it’s been cooking all day. It’s my husbands favorite and I love taking it to family and friends who need a little care.
Hi Denise. So sweet of you to make this for others as well as your own family. Glad it’s a favorite and easy to make too!
I can’t get over how amazing this soup is. Not only is it easy and healthy but it’s full of flavor and a hit will all ages. MAKE. THIS. SOUP.
Yay glad it was a hit with your family. For sure a recipe to make on repeat!