If there’s one comfort food that you’ll find yourself going back to all throughout the year, it is this Instant Pot chicken soup. Light, flavorful and versatile, you just can’t go wrong with it. Plus, it takes just a few minutes to get ready- it doesn’t get better than this.
Ready to give this recipe a shot? Here’s all you need to know about making it the right way.
Jump to:
Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need two sets of ingredients to make this easy Instant Pot chicken soup.
For the onion paste
- Oil: 1 tbsps
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Black pepper (whole): 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
- Onions (roughly chopped): ½ cup
- Green chilies: 1-2
- Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
For the soup
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Chicken: 200-250 grams
- Prepared onion paste
- Water: 2.5 cups
- Salt: 2 tsps or as per taste
- Coriander leaves: A bunch
How to Make the Instant Pot Chicken Soup
Once you have all your ingredients and the Instant Pot ready, here’s what you need to do to make the soup.
Turn on the Instant Pot and set to Saute mode. Once it's heated, add in oil.
Once the oil starts to heat up, add in the cumin seeds, black pepper, and mustard seeds.
Add in the chopped onions followed by the green chilies. Let it cook until the onions turn translucent.
Next add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
Transfer the mixture into a blender and blend it to a smooth paste. Make sure the mixture has cooled down a bit before you blend it into a paste.
In the same pot, add oil and let it heat up.
Next, add the chicken and saute for 2 minutes.
Add in the onion paste next and salt and mix well.
Add water and let it come to a quick boil.
Add the coriander leaves next.
Put on the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual Pressure Cook mode for 20 minutes, making sure that the valve is in the sealing position.
Let the pressure release naturally before removing the lid. Give it a good stir.
Serve hot after sprinkling some crushed black pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s so much more that you can add to this hug-in-a-bowl to bump up its flavor, texture and nutritive value. Here are a few good ideas to get you going.
- Want to get a bit more texture to the soup? Throw in some of your favorite chopped veggies (think carrots, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, celery, peas, bell peppers and tomatoes).
- Want your chicken soup to be more nutrient dense? Throw in some chopped greens like kale or spinach.
- Want to make the soup a filling meal? Add some leftover rice and allow it to simmer for a couple of minutes before you serve.
- Not a fan of rice? You could use any boiled pasta or noodles too. Just make sure you adjust the seasonings accordingly. 
You can use practically any cut of chicken for this recipe, however, it is best to use bone-in chicken to get the maximum depth of flavor. Chicken thighs are a great cut, since they have the most tender meat and the most flavor too. 
Yes, you can! This flavorful soup can be batch made and stored for later, so that you have a nice, home cooked meal to come back to after a tiring day at work. If you’re planning to consume it within 2-3 days, you can transfer the soup (or leftovers) to an airtight container and refrigerate it.
If you want it to last longer, use freezer safe containers and freeze the soup for upto 3 months. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Instant Pot Chicken Soup
Implementing these little tips and hacks will ensure that your Instant Pot chicken soup hits the perfect flavors!
- Want your Instant Pot chicken soup to have a richer, creamier taste? Swap the oil in the recipe for butter, and add some heavy cream into the mix towards the end.
- Want your chicken soup to be thicker? Add a simple corn flour slurry and let it cook on low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens.
- To get a more tangy flavor into your soup, add some tomato purée or a bit of tomato paste.
- To enhance the flavors of the soup, squeeze some lemon juice into it, right before you serve.
- Want to get some Italian flavors to the soup? Add some dried oregano, thyme and rosemary, or just stick to the classic dried Italian seasoning.
- If you have a few extra minutes, you might want to sear the chicken in a pan or in your Instant Pot until it gets a nice brown caramelization. Doing this will add another depth of flavor to the soup. Remember that if you’re planning to do this, the chicken you’re using should be skin-on.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This flavorful soup tastes incredible when paired with a side of crusty bed, along with a nice crunchy salad. You can also reserve some of the leftover soup and add it to your curries or to loosen your pasta sauce- it can add a ton of flavor to them.
Enjoyed making and relishing this comforting bowl of soup? Looking for some more flavorful soup recipes worth trying your hands at? Here are a few good ones you might want to take a look at.
- Creamy Vegan Fall Vegetable Curry Soup
- Instant Pot Red Lentil Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients for the onion paste
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper , (whole)
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ½ cup Onions , (roughly chopped)
- 1-2 pcs Green chilies
- 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
Ingredients for the soup
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 200-250 gms Chicken
- 1 cup Prepared onion paste
- 2.5 cup Water
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 bunch Coriander leaves
Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot and set to Saute mode. Once it's heated, add in oil.
- Once the oil starts to heat up, add in the cumin seeds, black pepper, and mustard seeds.
- Add in the chopped onions followed by the green chilies. Let it cook until the onions turn translucent.
- Next add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
- Transfer the mixture into a blender and blend it to a smooth paste. Make sure the mixture has cooled down a bit before you blend it into a paste.
- In the same pot, add oil and let it heat up.
- Next, add the chicken and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add in the onion paste next and salt and mix well.
- Add water and let it come to a quick boil.
- Add the coriander leaves next.
- Put on the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual Pressure Cook mode for 20 minutes, making sure that the valve is in the sealing position.
- Let the pressure release naturally before removing the lid. Give it a good stir.
- Serve hot after sprinkling some crushed black pepper.
Leave a Reply