Instant Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup

This is a healthy, comforting Instant Pot chicken vegetable soup, that’s nourishing and hearty, that can easily be made on the stovetop too if you don’t have an Instant Pot. It’s perfect for those who are looking for a nutritious soup that’s lower in carbs, paleo, and whole 30.

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• This Instant Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup is:
• Tips for making Instant Pot chicken vegetable soup
• Cut all your vegetables roughly the same size
• What is the best cut of chicken for the soup?
• Can you make this soup without an Instant Pot?
• Can you use bone broth instead of chicken broth?
• Can you add noodles to this soup?
• More soups you'd like: 
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

A few years ago I asked my mother about a family recipe book. You know the type of heirloom one passes down from generation to generation. To that, she laughed and gave no answer. So I asked again. Then she straightened up and said: “Oh you’re serious? Well, no one ever wrote anything down. Recipes were just passed on by watching and sharing. You know a little of this, a little of that”. Then it dawned on me, that’s was how I remembered cooking to be growing up in my family. You watched, you learned, you made your own version.

On a cold walk several weeks ago, I called my mom inquiring about a family chicken and vegetable recipe I often ate growing up. I wanted that soup. I knew there were certain ingredients that I wouldn’t be able to use such as lovage and borsht, which were staples in the kitchen, but wanted something close to it; something to tie the past to the future.

I was also set on making it in the Instant Pot, which had been lying dormant nearly all summer long. So my mother, excited to share, rattled off some ingredients, I made a mental note and decided to just figure it out on my own.

When it comes to a simple chicken and vegetable soup, the ingredients have to harmonize, complement one another, especially when cooking them in the Instant Pot. Once the lid goes on, there’s no going back to fix. So making sure that the soup base is as flavorful as possible is key. I find it quite disappointing when a chicken and vegetable soup lacks a certain flavor that sucks you in and makes you want to go for another bowl.

So this simple soup is a medley of vegetables in a flavorful broth with tender bites of chicken. Carrots, parsnips, and turnips, give this vegetable soup a hearty base. But if you wanted to convert this into a chicken noodle soup, you certainly could.

There’s also an unsuspecting twist in here, which comes from ground coriander. One thing I’ve learned from my mother growing up is to use spices as much as possible. They can truly turn the ordinary into the extraordinary and though seemingly innocent, just one teaspoon of coriander adds a certain essence to the chicken soup.

This Instant Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup is:

• Perfect for a weeknight meal
• Ideal food if you’re feeling under the weather
• A great way to get a dose of vegetables in your system
• Allergy-friendly and perfect for those following a paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free or whole 30 lifestyle
• Easy to make as it involves very little actual work
• Gut healthy and nourishing

Tips for making Instant Pot chicken vegetable soup

As I mentioned, earlier, this soup is very simple to make but there are some variations and tips I can offer to make this the best chicken soup, so let’s get into them!

Cut all your vegetables roughly the same size

Since we’re using mostly root vegetables as the base, try to cut all the vegetables about the same size to ensure they cook easily in the Instant Pot.

What is the best cut of chicken for the soup?

Chicken thighs, in my opinion, work best in this soup. I find breast to be too dry and too tough of a cut. Whether you’re choosing bone-in and skin or boneless and skinless is up to you. If you’re’ using skin on bone-in, you’re going to get a fatty layer that can easily be removed post-cooking and cooling. If you're using boneless and skinless, you won’t have that issue. But when you cook with bone-in, you’re going to get additional flavor and nutrients. So it’s something to consider.

Can you make this soup without an Instant Pot?

You sure can. You can sauté the vegetables just the same as you would in the instant pot and add the rest of the ingredients and bring them to a boil and simmer the soup for 45 minutes to one hour or until the chicken is fully cooked and soft.

Can you use bone broth instead of chicken broth?

Absolutely! You can use whichever broth you want. Bone broth will be heartier and yield a richer tasting soup. I recommend using low sodium broth so you can control the salt level. That’s for either chicken or bone broth.

Can you add noodles to this soup?

I’ve added noodles post-cooking as my children like chicken noodle soup. You can boil noodles separately and add them at the end. You can also add gluten-free noodles or zucchini noodles if you want to keep the soup paleo and whole 30.

More soups you'd like: 

• Bone Broth Vegetable Soup
• Golden Cauliflower Soup with Bacon
• Thai Coconut Soup with Chicken and Lemongrass
• Sausage Kale and Carrot Soup