Chicken noodle soup is the perfect cold-weather dish, whether you have the sniffles or just need something comforting. It's warm, savory, and full of delicious chicken, vegetables, and noodles. It'll cure what ails you—even if it's just hunger.
The homemade version is so much better than the canned kind that it’s not even a contest. Luckily, it’s easy to make chicken noodle soup at home, especially if you have an Instant Pot. The handy appliance shrinks down the cook time while still producing a flavorful dish with minimal clean-up. (No Instant Pot? Try this stovetop version!)
We recommend adding the noodles after pressure cooking to prevent soggy, sad egg noodles. It only adds a few minutes of cook time, anyway.
The Secret to Flavorful Chicken Noodle Soup
While you could use store-bought chicken broth to make this soup, soups are always better with homemade broth. If you don’t have homemade broth in your freezer, making a batch is easy and quick with an Instant Pot. Here’s how:
- Combine chicken bones and/or wings, a large onion cut into quarters, two roughly chopped carrots and celery stalks, and a bay leaf in the inner pot.
- Season with salt and add water just until all of the ingredients are covered.
- Cook at high pressure for 1 hour and use a natural release. The broth can be made up to 5 days ahead and kept refrigerated, or freeze for up to 3 months.
One more secret that ensures this chicken noodle soup is full of flavor? Sautéing the vegetables and onions in butter to release their aroma and boost their flavor.
A Note On Pressure Release
Some Instant Pot models take longer to release pressure than others. If yours hasn't naturally released all of the pressure in 30 minutes, use a controlled quick release to release any remaining pressure.
“A true bowl of comfort that comes together quickly! I love making soup in the Instant Pot because it doesn’t require me to hover over the stovetop and this chicken noodle soup didn’t disappoint. Even with store-bought stock, the recipe was deeply aromatic and the chicken thighs get nice and tender for shredded. Cooking the egg noodles right in the soup at the end also meant one less pot to wash, which is always a smart idea.”—Patty Lee
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons butter, or oil
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1 yellow onion, diced
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2 stalks celery, diced
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2 carrots, peeled and diced
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
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1 bay leaf
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2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless skinless
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4 cups low sodium chicken broth, store-bought or homemade
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3 cups water
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Salt, to taste
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Freshly ground pepper, to taste
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6 ounces egg noodles, about 3 heaping cups
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1/2 lemon, juiced
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2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Turn on the sauté function on the Instant Pot (medium heat). Once hot, add the butter to the inner pot and melt. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and sauté for a few minutes, or until the onions are turning translucent.
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Add the garlic and oregano and stir; turn off the sauté function. Add the bay leaf and the chicken thighs in a single layer. Add the broth and water and season with salt and pepper. Secure the lid.
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Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes and use a natural release. Depending on your model of Instant Pot, don’t forget to close the steam release valve before pressure cooking.
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Once the pressure has released naturally, remove the lid. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the chicken to a plate. Remove the bay leaf. Shred the chicken and return to the pot. Turn on the sauté function (medium heat).
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Once simmering, add the egg noodles and stir to submerge. Cook for about 5 minutes, uncovered, or until the noodles are cooked through. Carefully remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot and add the parsley and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
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Serve hot.
The Spruce / Laurel Randolph
Recipe Variations
- Make this recipe with chicken breasts. Add two pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes instead of 6.
- Make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth and replacing the chicken with a can of rinsed and drained beans and chopped vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, bell pepper, corn, peas, and mushrooms.
- For extra nutrition and color, add greens like baby spinach or baby kale at the end of cooking just until wilted.
- Tweak this soup recipe to make it your own by using your choice of fresh or dried herbs.
How To Store
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- You can also easily freeze leftover chicken noodle soup. If possible, set aside the portion you want to freeze before adding the egg noodles since noodles don't freeze well. If you've already added noodles, you can still freeze, but be aware that the noodles will be very soft upon reheating.
- Then, portion into small freezer-safe containers (not glass!) or into zip-top bags. If using zip-top bags, you can lay them flat to save space.
