Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

2/5/2018

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you. It's definitely my favorite thing I've made in the Instant Pot yet, and that's saying a lot because you know I'm obsessed with the instant pot hard-boiled eggs! But there's just something about this chicken noodle soup. It's so delicious and flavorful, super easy to make, and it's really just a bowl of cozy comfort that will bring a smile to your face whenever you eat it.  

I know chicken noodle soup is the go-to thing when you're feeling sick, and while this can totally help cure the common cold, it's really just an ideal dinner to make on a weeknight because it's so easy, and the hands-on cooking time is only a couple minutes. Plus it makes a ton of leftovers so you can pack it for work the next day. It also freezes and reheats really well! The joy of the Instant Pot is that once everything is in there, it really does the work for you. You could definitely make this on the stove if you're still holding out on buying an Instant Pot, but it will just require a bit more attention as you're making it. Ok so here's what you need to make this bowl of goodness...

Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 large carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 organic chicken breasts
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
​1/3 box of Banza pasta (or 1-2 servings of another high-fiber pasta like lentil pasta)
1 1/2 tbsp dill, chopped 
2 tbsp Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Serves 4.

1. Set the Instant Pot on sauté mode and add olive oil into the pot. Add the chopped carrots, celery, and onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes. 
2. Add garlic and sauté for one more minute.
3. Add the chicken breasts and sear one minute on each side.
4. Pour in the chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper. 
5. Switch to manual or pressure cook mode and set the timer for 10 minutes. Close the lid and make sure the valve is turned towards "sealing".
6. Once the time is up, carefully manually release the pressure by switching the valve on the lid to "venting". Once the pressure is fully released, open the lid.
7. Remove the chicken breasts. Then switch the mode to sauté mode and stir in the uncooked pasta. Let that start to cook (keeping the lid off) while you shred the chicken.
8. Once shredded, return the chicken to the soup and stir. Once the pasta is cooked through to your liking, add the dill and lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir once more.
9. Ladle into bowls and garnish with Italian flat-leaf parsley. Enjoy!

Told you it was easy peasy! You really can't beat a good homemade chicken noodle soup... store-bought just doesn't compare! Plus it's so much healthier when you're able to pick and choose what ingredients go into it... like the Banza (made from chickpeas), a low-sodium broth, and organic chicken. By the way, if you can't find Banza pasta, try something like a lentil pasta and just check the ingredients to make sure they're simple and clean. I know Trader Joe's and Whole Foods both sell a lentil pasta that has just one ingredient - lentil flour (simple is always best when it comes to ingredient lists!).

Can't wait for you to try out this recipe. I know you'll love it as much as I do!