Description
A hearty and healthy Instant Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup made with tender chicken breasts, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs, all cooked quickly under pressure for a perfect weeknight meal that’s both comforting and nutritious.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Vegetables
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 cup green beans, chopped
Liquids and Canned Goods
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Herbs and Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Juice of ½ lemon
Other
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare and Sauté Vegetables: Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat the olive oil. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they soften and become fragrant.
- Add Remaining Vegetables: Add the sliced carrots, celery, diced zucchini, and chopped green beans to the pot. Sauté together for another 2 minutes to begin softening the vegetables.
- Add Liquids and Seasonings: Stir in the canned diced tomatoes with their juice, chicken broth, dried thyme, dried basil, salt, black pepper, and the bay leaf to the pot, mixing everything well.
- Add Chicken: Place the whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs into the pot, submerging them in the broth and vegetables.
- Pressure Cook: Cancel the Sauté mode, seal the Instant Pot lid, and set it to Pressure Cook (Manual) on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Release Pressure: Once cooking is complete, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then perform a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- Shred Chicken and Final Touches: Carefully remove the chicken pieces, shred them with two forks, and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in the juice of half a lemon and taste to adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
- For extra greens, add fresh spinach or kale at the end of cooking and stir until wilted.
- To make the soup heartier, stir in cooked rice, quinoa, or small pasta right before serving.
