Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
This Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup is a classic comfort food. You’ll get the same great flavor as a traditional homemade chicken noodle soup, but this pressure cooker version will be ready in under 30 minutes!
I love making soups in the pressure cooker; they’re so quick and easy, but they still taste like you’ve let them simmer for hours on the stovetop.
When it’s cold outside or when someone you love is feeling ill, there’s nothing quite like a homemade chicken noodle soup.
Making Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup in an Instant Pot or Other Brand
This Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
I love cooking chicken noodle soup from scratch in the pressure cooker! It’s so much more fresh and flavorful than anything you would get from a can.
What Kind of Chicken to Use in Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
This chicken soup pressure cooker recipe is really flexible, and it’s easy to customize the chicken you use to what you have on hand.
You can use any of the following with NO change to the recipe’s cook time:
- raw chicken breasts
- raw chicken thighs
- cooked chicken breasts
- cooked chicken thighs
- rotisserie chicken
Just make sure the chicken is shredded or diced into bite-sized pieces before adding to the soup.
You can also use frozen chicken, with no change to the cook time, if the meat has been diced and frozen flat before adding to the recipe.
(Learn how to prep and freeze meat ahead of time in my Pressure Cooking Tips & Tricks post.)
How to Make the Broth for Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
If you have time, nothing beats Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Homemade Chicken Stock.
However, if you’re short on time, you can use store-bought, canned chicken broth. This quick substitute is still MUCH better than any canned chicken soup you can buy, and it will be ready to eat in less than 30 minutes!
Make sure to saute the celery, carrots, onions, and garlic before adding the chicken broth. Use a spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to ensure that all the flavor is incorporated into the broth.
What Noodles to Use?
You really can use any noodles you like! However, most chicken noodle soups are made with egg noodles.
If you want to go all-out, you can make absolutely everything from scratch with homemade egg noodles.
I usually stick with store-bought egg noodles. However, when someone’s sick, I use whatever I have on hand, including ditalini, shells, or orzo.
Why Cook the Noodles Separate?
I prefer to cook the noodles separately because they get mushy when they sit in the broth too long or when you reheat them.
Generally, I don’t add them to the soup before I serve it. I let each person fill their bowl with as many noodles as they like, then ladle the broth and vegetables over the top to suit their taste.
Plus, the soup reheats much better if the noodles are frozen separately. Noodles require less time to reheat, and heating them separately keeps the noodles from absorbing all the broth.
Adjust the Seasonings
For me, the spring of fresh thyme is the secret to a great homemade chicken noodle soup recipe. I wouldn’t omit it, though you can use dried thyme in a pinch!
If you have a favorite homemade chicken noodle soup recipe, you can use my Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup recipe as a template to adapt yours!
How to Make a Thick or Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
If you want a creamy chicken noodle soup, add 1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy cream. Stir to combine, and add more as desired.
For a thick chicken soup that sticks to your spoon, make a cornstarch slurry using 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water. Select Saute and add to the cooking pot and stir until soup thickens, about 1 minute.
Keep in mind that it will continue to thicken as it cools; however, if you want it thicker, add more cornstarch slurry until it reaches desired consistency.
When my kids are sick, I don’t thicken it. But if I’m serving it for dinner in a bread bowl, I prefer it thickened with cornstarch.
How to Make a Double Batch
This Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup is easily halved or doubled.
To make a double batch, I like to reserve 2 cups chicken broth or more to ensure the ingredients are below the max fill line. Cook at High Pressure as directed, then add the remaining broth after pressure cooking.
(It cooks faster with less broth in the both, and you don’t have to worry about the max fill line.)
Love this recipe? Help me get the word out by leaving a review!
Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
This Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is the classic comfort food you crave when you're sick or when it's really cold outside. But it's ready in under 30 minutes thanks to your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 6 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 clove garlic*
- 1 sprig fresh thyme*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 cups diced chicken (cooked or uncooked)
- Egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
Instructions
- Select Sauté and add the butter to the pressure cooking pot. When the butter is melted, add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and scrape the pan well to remove any browning. Then add the chicken, salt, pepper, parsley, and thyme.
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 4 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Remove and discard the sprig of thyme.
- To serve, ladle the soup spooned over prepared noodles.
Notes
*If you're using chicken stock, you can choose omit the garlic and thyme here. (Just depends on how strong you like those flavors.)
TIP: I like to make up a big pot of soup and freeze it in individual servings in freezer zipper bags for lunches. Many soups freeze well, but soups with noodles, potatoes, or rice freeze better if you freeze the noodles, potatoes or rice in a separate single serving bags and reheat them separately.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 1055mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 12g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
Other Pressure Cooker Chicken Soup Recipes You’ll Enjoy
- Pressure Cooker Asopado
- Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Pressure Cooker Easy Spicy Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Creamy Enchilada Soup
- Instant Pot Ramen
Get More Pressure Cooking Today RecipesHere at Pressure Cooking Today, we believe in making real food with fresh and familiar ingredients. 🥘 Browse my collection of the best pressure cooker recipes here on my website (some of my most popular recipes include Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli and Instant Pot ). 💬 Follow Pressure Cooking Today on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates. Or join my Electric Pressure Cooker Facebook Group to connect with other pressure cooking fans. ✉️ Or you can join my free email list! You’ll get just one email a week with my latest recipes. 🥧 If you’re interested in more than just pressure cooker recipes, I share my other adventures in the kitchen over at Barbara Bakes. You’ll find some amazing breakfasts and breads, along with the best dessert recipes! Check it out today! |
Pin It:
Can I make this with brown rice instead of noodles? BTW thank you for all your delicious recipes.
Thanks Dee! So nice to hear you’re loving my recipes. Sure, I would cook the brown rice separately https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-brown-rice-and-a-giveaway/ and add it to the bowl the same way you would the noodles.
I am one of the dozen people nationwide who does not participate in social media, so I couldn’t save the recipes. Also, since I use a stove-top pc, it would be helpful if you could occasionally give a tweak to the recipe using that cooking equipment. Thanks.
Hi Gerry – lots of people like to print the recipes and keep them in a notebook. Then they can make notes on the recipe of any changes they made or want to make the next time. Typically stovetop pressure cookers come to pressure faster (making the cook time longer on an electric pressure cooker), which offsets the higher psi on the stovetop. So you can make the recipes in a stovetop pc without changing the cook time on most short cooking recipes. On recipes with a longer cook time, you’ll want to reduce the cook time. You may need to add more liquid when making it in a stovetop pc, but that depends on how well you regulate the pressure and how much steam your pc releases as it cooks. The cook time doesn’t start on an electric pressure cooker until it reaches pressure, so just start a timer when you’re stovetop pressure cooker reaches pressure. Have fun!
I usually use a whole chicken when making my homemade chicken soup. Just wondering if you would just put the chicken into the pot with the broth or water or if you would “brown” or saute the chicken before adding the other ingredients? I will look forward to your input. Thanks!
The recipe for making the chicken broth using the whole chicken are here https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/chicken-stock-in-the-pressure-cooker/ First make the broth and then make the soup.
I started substituting quinoa for noodles so that the soup freezes better. Would I add in the quinoa at the same time I’m cooking the chicken? Look forward to trying this!
Hi Deb – I would cook the quinoa separately and add it to the bowl then serve the soup on top of it.
Hi Barbara-
could you tell me what size pc/instant pot you use for these recipes? This chicken noodle soup sounds scrumptious, need to try as soon as I find out if it will fit in my NESCO pressure cooker.
I use a 6 quart pc to create the recipes. Enjoy!
This is so good! I used “Better than bouillon” for the broth since I didn’t have any chicken stock on hand. Simple recipe that delivered great flavor!
Great – thanks Shelly!
how many people can this feed
Hi Mary – about 6 servings
After you saute the ingredients and add chicken, do you switch the setting to Soup/High Pressure?
Hi Jean – I generally always use the manual button on the Instant Pot https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/instant-pot-duo-and-smartcooker/ On most pressure cookers, most the buttons cook the same, with just preset times.
Well I made this soup yesterday. Only used store bough chicken stock. I felt the soup was lacking in flavor. Otherwise it was a great recipe. Will try again adding more spices for more flavor.
Hi Dianna – homemade chicken stock does make a huge difference in flavor, but definitely change it up to suit your tastes. Thanks!
Made this Chicken Noodle Soup today….LOVE IT, would never be patient enough to look this by the usual stove top methods! Yum…I cooked a four pound chicken, and found that I had enough chicken to make a double batch of soup in my 8 qt. Instant Pot, so I added enough purchased stock to add to what I made, and it turned out GREAT!
From now on, I will plan on a double batch! Thanks for the great recipe…
Thanks Susan – so glad that you loved it. You can’t go wrong with making double.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Hi Diane – yes, I occasionally use rotisserie chicken too.
We’ve been waiting for a brisk day to make this soup, and today was the day! Right before serving, we added the juice of half a lemon and a handful of finely chopped fresh parsley to brighten up the flavors. Perfect!
Hi Cassie – that would add a nice bright flavor. Thanks for sharing!
And thank YOU for being mine and my husband’s most-trusted source for pressure cooking recipes! 🙂
That’s so nice to hear. Thanks!
Just a clarifying question- was the chicken you added already cooked or raw? I’m thinking it was already cooked, but want to be sure. Thanks
Hi Sarah – mine was cooked because I made homemade broth with a chicken, but bite size pieces of chicken will cook quickly in the pressure cooker, so no need to precook it, just cut it in to small pieces. Enjoy!
This soup turned out so good. Leftovers the next day were even better. For the noodles, I used fettucine that I broke into 1/4ths and cooked them in chicken broth for extra flavor. Didn’t have my own stock but used Trader Joe’s Organic Free Range Chicken broth. Great soup!
Thanks Heather! Glad you enjoyed it. The older I get, the more I like leftovers 🙂
I just used my instapot for the first time and made the beef roast recipe in the book that comes with the cooker. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I am a cook and I have NEVER made a more delicious meal in my life!!!! It was v easy too!! I’m in love w/an appliance!! Can anyone please email me Barbara’s chicken stock recipe at pbarb1108@yahoo.com. I am also wondering if you use the same chicken in the soup that you used to make the stock? Thanks!! P
Hi Paula – so great that you’re loving your Instant Pot! Yes, you can definitely use the meat from the stock to make the soup. Here’s a link to the stock recipe. https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/chicken-stock-in-the-pressure-cooker/
I’ve had my Instant Pot about a month now and am continually amazed by what I am now cooking. Better yet, my wife absolutely loves it. Our daughter-in-law instructed me on making egg noodles, so your suggestion to keep noodles separate has really worked well for freezing the left-overs. I prefer to cook the chicken breasts whole then shred them, otherwise I prepare the soup according to recipe. I look foreward to receiving more recipes from you. And, I too, like lots of noodles in my bowl.
Thanks Mike – what a treat to have homemade egg noodles too.
What is the best way to reheat the pasta that has been frozen?
Hi Natasha – I usually just microwave them for about a minute and then put the hot soup over them. But if you didn’t want to use the microwave, you could just heat up the soup and then add the frozen noodles.
What kind of noodles are in the picture?
Hi Christal – they’re Ditalini noodles.
This looks so good. I am looking for a chicken and dumpling recipe I am wondering if you think I could just add dumplings to this ? if so when and for how long ?
Thanks Shirley – I haven’t tried it, but you’d want to add the dumplings after pressure cooking the soup and just simmer them in your pressure cooker for about 10 minutes uncovered. You can simmer using the saute setting.
Another great recipe. It sure is the time of year for a bowl of hot chicken soup. The only thing I did different than you was to add a couple of cloves of garlic. It works wonders to keep the cold away. Happy holidays.
Thanks Susan – I’m a garlic lover too.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was wonderful! I just got my Instant Pot and was very pleased with the results after only 5 minute at pressure. I really think I’m going to like this new pressure cooker!
This was delicious! I used precooked chicken meat, and it worked fine. I also added a sprig of rosemary, and that was a delicious addition, although we needed to pick rosemary needles out our soup later. This works great with shell noodles. It’s a keeper!
I’ll have to try it with shell noodles. Glad you like it!
Thank you for this recipe. New to the Instant Pot pressure cooking world, yours is the first soup we attempted. The only modification was substituting a teaspoon of Better than Bouillon for the teaspoon of salt.
Hi Liko – so glad you enjoyed the soup. Have fun with your Instant Pot.
Can I use chicken broth instead of stock?
Sure – whatever you have on hand. But homemade really does taste better.
Do you use raw chicken or cooked chicken?
Raw chicken.
“…soups with noodles, potatoes or rice freeze better if you freeze the noodles, potatoes or rice in a separate single serving bags and reheat them separately.”
I agree — those items should be cooked separately and added to the bowl not the pot. I don’t mind the potatoes but if you leave noodles or rice in soup that you plan to eat later, they suck up all the broth and they also get slimy. Neither the soup nor those particular ingredients benefit from being cooked together, especially if you expect leftovers.
I am just learning how to use the pressure cooker. Great recipe !! easy to make and delicious. Thanks for posting it!
Thanks Erika – so glad you enjoyed it.
Next time let people know that the chicken should be cooked beforehand. Wasted a dinner, because the chicken was not cooked through.
Hi V – sorry you had problems with the recipe. The chicken does not need to be cooked before hand. If you used diced chicken as called for in the recipe it will cook through in five minutes pressure cooking. Also, if your chicken wasn’t cooked through, you can just lock the lid in place and cook it a minute or two longer. No need to waste a dinner.
Hi, can I ask you a question about the pasta please? How much? I can NEVER measure pasta right? I always end up with 3 to 4 times more than I need? My mom was an expert at it, she always made just the right amount. I’m a guy, but I love cooking, but cooking the right amount of pasta is my main downfall? I’ve been cooking for over 20 years now, but no matter what I try I never get right? It just never looks like enough to me, so I add a little more, then I end up with the never ending pasta making machine lol.
Thanks so much! Love your blog! Big time follower!
Darin
Thanks Darin – I cooked the entire package, but don’t add them to the soup, just put them in a bowl and let people serve themselves as many noodles as they’d like. Any leftover noodles can be frozen and reheated in the microwave. I rely on the package labeling to determine number of servings. If the package says it serves 8 and I’m only cooking for 4, then I use half the package. Hope that helps.
I sure agree with you about cooking the pasta separately and not putting it in the soup until ready to serve. I think it gets slimy if left to sit in leftover soup so I cook it separately and add it at the last minute. I do the same with rice for the same reason.
Hope your son is doing okay. And I think you’re a great mom to make him soup in the middle of the summer. Sounds so good!
So timely! My stepmom has had a horrible virus for the last few weeks (she even broke down and went to the doctor).
I take a whole chicken and toss it in with 2 bay leaves, 2 ribs of celery, 1 quartered onion and 2 carrots cut into chunks. I cover with water and pressure cook for a spell.
Then I take a metal colander & put it over another large pot and pour it through. I compost the onion, carrot & celery. And then when the chicken’s cooled a bit, I pick out the good stuff.
For the soup, I tend to assemble it in a regular pot. I usually let the broth spend the night in the fridge and get the fat off the top (i know, i know, sacrilege, but I don’t like my soups that, uh, robust).
So the next day, I’ll chop one onion & sauté in some of the fat, and when it’s translucent, I’ll add some chopped garlic. Then I add back in the cold chicken broth, and I’ll thin it with some store bought. Then I add in quartered carrot coins, and some dry pasta & let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, add back in the chicken, and let it simmer for another 5, and voila, you’ve got soup that heals all ills.
Hi Lara – sorry to hear your stepmom hasn’t been feeling well. I like to chill the broth so it’s easy to get rid of the fat too. I’ll have to remember to use some of the chicken fat to cook the veggies in. Great idea. Thanks for sharing.
Probably a dumb question, do you add cooked chicken or raw chicken?
Hi Kathy – not a dumb question at all. It’s a great question. I’ve always used the dark meat from the chicken I cooked to make the broth. But if you aren’t making broth, you could use any chicken you wanted, dark or light meat. If you cut it small enough (tiny pieces) you wouldn’t need to cook it before hand. If you prefer larger pieces, you would want to cook it before adding it to the soup. You could just saute it in the pressure cooking pot before you cook your onions and celery. Thanks for the question.
I love homemade chicken noodle soup!