Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

This super easy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup uses rotisserie chicken to help speed up the cooking process and gives flavor and depth to the broth. This healthy, comforting, and delicious bowl of soup can be made in less than 10 minutes. It's a soup your family will crave on sick days, colder weather days, or just because days!  

This is the quickest and easiest chicken noodle soup recipe and comes with a flavorful broth, tender chunks of rotisserie chicken, and egg noodles mixed with loads of fresh vegetables to nourish you back to health. 

This easy homemade chicken noodle soup is one of my favorite comfort foods, especially during the winter days or days when my loved ones are sick. I can totally make chicken noodle soup on the stove; but as a single mom, I love the flexibility the Instant Pot gives me when my daughter is sick. I just throw all the ingredients into the pot, press the timer, and walk away. It gives me time to tend to her instead of hovering over the stove. 

I have converted my all-time favorite stovetop chicken noodle soup into this instant pot version to create a delicious soup in a fraction of the time. This recipe is a one pot meal made entirely in the instant pot, right from sauteing the vegetables, simmering the soup, and cooking the noodles. 

Since the actual cooking time for this recipe is only 4 minutes in an Instant Pot, it doesn’t give it enough time for the flavors to develop. This is why I use Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base for making the broth extra deep and rich. Boxed chicken stock usually goes bad after one week of opening if it doesn’t get used up. Better Than Bouillon is a concentrated paste of cooked meat or vegetables that you can dilute with water. You can use whatever quantity you like and the entire jar will last in the fridge for months.

If you're looking for more chicken soup recipes, try this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup. It is loaded with shredded chicken, tomatoes, black beans, and corn in a bold, rich broth and topped with crunch tortilla strips.

IS CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP GOOD FOR YOU WHEN YOU ARE SICK?

YES! Studies have shown that chicken noodle soup has a mild anti-inflammatory effect which can help ease the symptoms of a cold. The chicken broth provides hydration and helps in clearing the nasal cavity. The protein in chicken works as the building block of bones, muscles, skin, and blood, and the noodles provide the carbs that help in feeling full and satisfied.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED? 

⬇️ Please scroll down to the recipe card to see the full ingredient amounts and instructions ⬇️

• Olive Oil: used to saute the vegetables and prevent it from sticking to the pot
• Onion: chopped; caramelized onions add sweetness and give the soup “umami” flavors
• Carrots: Cut at least ¼ inch thick so that it doesn’t get overcooked
• Celery: Cut at least ¼ inch thick so that it doesn’t get overcooked
• Chicken Broth: I recommend using Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base for extra flavor but do not use boiling water as per the directions, or it’ll throw off the cooking time
• Thyme: You can use fresh or dried
• Rosemary: You can use fresh or dried
• Wide egg noodles: or use pasta of your choice (cook time may vary)
• Shredded cooked rotisserie chicken: OR uncooked chicken breasts cut in quarters
• Salt and Pepper: to taste; best to season after everything is done cooking
• Lemon: optional

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP IN THE INSTANT POT

Step 1: Turn the Instant Pot on the “Sauté” setting, and wait until it displays “Hot”. Add olive oil and onions, and sauté it for 2-3 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add more oil if needed so that the onion doesn’t stick to the pot.

Step 2: Add carrots and celery, and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pot by adding in chicken broth and stir until the contents in the pot are well mixed. Be sure to scrape any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. (NOTE: If you are using Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base, the directions say to add the paste to boiling water to dilute it. DO NOT BOIL THE WATER! This will overcook the noodles and throw off the cooking time. I just diluted it with room temperature water. It’s alright if it doesn’t dissolve all the way; it'll dissolve after everything is cooked) 

Step 3: Add wide egg noodles, thyme, and rosemary. If you are using uncooked chicken breasts, coat it with a pinch of salt and pepper and add it to the pot at this time.

Step 4: Close the lid and turn the knob to “sealing”. Press “pressure cook” (newer models) or “manual” (older models) and set it on High Pressure for 4 minutes. When it is done cooking, QUICK RELEASE the pressure by turning the knob to “venting”.

Step 5: If you are using rotisserie chicken, shred it and add it in at this time. If you are using chicken breasts, take it out of the pot, shred it, and mix it back in.

Step 6: Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice (optional) to taste. Serve warm.

NOTE: With 4 minutes of cooking, the egg noodles will be al dente. The contents in the pot will be hot and the noodles will still continue to cook as it cools down.

VARIATIONS:

• How to make chicken noodle soup with uncooked chicken? Cut each uncooked chicken breast in quarters to ensure it gets thoroughly cooked. Coat the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place it in with the rest of the contents and cook on High Pressure
• How to make the soup more creamy?  Add 1 cup of half and half to the cooked soup and stir. Do not pressure cook half and half
• Is there a vegetarian variant of chicken noodle soup? Use vegetable stock or broth and add mushrooms instead of chicken. Pressure cook for 4 minutes.

HOW TO STORE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP?

A properly stored chicken noodle soup (cooked) can last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. If you need to store it further than that, I would recommend freezing it, in airtight containers or freezer bags. 

HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP? If you know in advance that you may have to freeze your chicken noodles, it's a better idea to prepare the soup without the noodles and freeze it in manageable portions. This is because the noodles won't hold up well when defrosted and reheated.  Cook the noodles every time you reheat the frozen soup.

HOW DO YOU REHEAT CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP? Reheat it on the stove or on the microwave.

RECIPE

Have you tried this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating and comment below to let me know what you think!