Instant Pot Chicken Noodle

There's something about the smell of chicken broth hitting steam that makes a kitchen feel like home immediately. My Instant Pot and I discovered this soup on a gray afternoon when I realized I had exactly the ingredients on hand but zero patience for a long simmer. Fifteen minutes of chopping, a push of a button, and suddenly I was ladling something that tasted like it had been simmering for hours. It became the recipe I reach for when the world feels a little too much.

I made this for my neighbor who had just come home from the hospital, and watching her close her eyes on the first spoonful told me everything. The noodles were soft but not mushy, the broth warm without being heavy, and those green flecks of parsley made it look like you'd actually planned ahead. She asked for the recipe before she'd finished the bowl.

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts or thighs (1 lb): Thighs stay juicier, but breasts work beautifully too, especially if you shred them immediately after cooking.
• Wide egg noodles (6 oz): The wide ones catch the broth better and feel more luxurious than thin pasta.
• Carrots and celery (2 each): These are your flavor foundation; don't skip the sauté step or you'll miss half their sweetness.
• Yellow onion and garlic (1 and 3 cloves): The onion sweetens as it cooks, and that garlic minute is when the whole pot transforms.
• Chicken broth (8 cups): Low-sodium is key so you control the salt and can taste everything else.
• Fresh parsley (¼ cup): This is not decoration, it's the brightness that makes people ask for seconds.
• Dried thyme and rosemary (½ tsp each): Bay leaf too, it's subtle but it's there doing important work in the background.
• Olive oil and lemon juice: The oil starts everything, the lemon finishes it by cutting through the richness.

Instructions

Start with the soffritto:

Hit Sauté mode, get that oil shimmering, then add your onion, carrots, and celery. You're looking for them to soften and lose their raw edge, about three to four minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing catches.

Wake up the garlic:

Add your minced garlic and let it sit for a minute or so, just until it fills the pot with that unmistakable smell. This single minute is when the broth stops tasting plain.

Build your soup base:

Add the chicken, broth, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and dried herbs all at once. Stir so everything mingles, then close and seal your Instant Pot.

Let the pressure do the work:

High pressure for ten minutes is enough to make the chicken tender and the broth taste like it knows what it's doing. The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure, so don't panic.

Release thoughtfully:

After ten minutes, let pressure release naturally for five minutes, then carefully quick release the rest. The top stays hot, so use a folded towel to protect your hand.

Shred and add noodles:

Pull out the chicken and shred it with two forks, letting it fall back into the pot like confetti. Add your noodles and switch back to Sauté to cook them until tender, about five to six minutes, stirring now and then.

Finish with brightness:

Stir in that fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice if you're using it. Taste and adjust the salt because this is your moment to make it exactly right.

Save

This soup became the thing I made when words weren't enough. When my sister was stressed about her job, when my friend's dad was getting better, when I just wanted to prove that I could take care of someone with a bowl and a spoon. Food isn't magic, but sometimes it's close.

The Power of Fresh Herbs

The difference between a decent soup and one people remember is almost always those green flecks at the end. I used to think fresh herbs were fancy, an afterthought for when I felt like showing off. Then I realized they're actually the equalizer, the thing that makes a quick weeknight meal taste intentional and cared for. That little handful of parsley isn't decoration, it's respect for the person eating.

Timing and Flexibility

The beauty of this soup is that the actual cooking is thirty-five minutes, but the clock is generous. If your chicken needs an extra minute, if your noodles cook faster than expected, if you need to add a splash more broth because it's looking thick, the soup forgives you. I've made this a hundred times slightly differently and it's never let me down. The Instant Pot does the heavy lifting while you're free to think about something else or just breathe.

Making It Your Own

This recipe is a canvas more than a law. Some people add spinach in the last minute, others throw in a parmesan rind while it cooks and remove it at the end. I've made it with gluten-free noodles for friends and literally nobody noticed the difference. The core of the thing, the comfort and the flavor, stays the same no matter what you adjust.

• If you have fresh dill or tarragon instead of rosemary, use it, your soup will still be delicious.
• Leftovers need a little extra broth when you reheat because the noodles drink it up overnight.
• This freezes beautifully as long as you cook the noodles to just under tender if you're planning ahead.

Save

This soup has become the recipe I pass to people, the one I make when I want to say something without saying it out loud. It's proof that comfort doesn't need to be complicated.

Recipe FAQs

→ Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?

Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs can be substituted for breasts for a richer flavor and moist texture.

→ What type of noodles work best?

Wide egg noodles hold up well in this dish, but gluten-free alternatives can be used if preferred.

→ How do I prevent noodles from becoming mushy?

Add noodles after shredding the chicken and sauté them briefly until tender to avoid overcooking.

→ Can I prepare this without a pressure cooker?

Yes, simmer the ingredients in a large pot until chicken is cooked and noodles are tender, though cooking time will be longer.

→ What herbs enhance this dish's flavor?

Fresh parsley, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and a bay leaf create a fragrant, balanced herb profile.