Instant Pot Chicken Soup You Must Make This Winter
This Instant Pot chicken soup feeds my soul! Is soup your comfort food?
It is most definitely mine. Mashed potatoes may do it for some people, but not for me.
Soup is the way to my heart. All of the rich flavor is what I crave when I am sick. This is an easy Instant Pot chicken soup you must make this winter! Your belly and your immune system will thank you.
Homemade Chicken Broth
You can always buy your broth from the store. However, the flavor will be nothing compared to the homemade version. The rich flavor comes from roasting your chicken bones before using them to make the broth. And I promise it is not as difficult as it sounds. Making it yourself will also allow you to add your own seasoning. This is the Instant Pot I use in my kitchen. It is so great for broths and soups. Santa should really bring me a second one!
Broth made from bones helps an upset tummy feel better and boosts the immune system as well. Two very good reasons to start making it today! Fall and winter are a great time to sip on bone broth for the purpose of counteracting all of the germs you come into contact with on a daily basis.
A store bought rotisserie chicken would work well for this recipe. Similarly you can use a roasted chicken you have made at home. Save some of the meat from the chicken for your Instant Pot chicken soup. More importantly, don’t forget to keep the bones to use in your homemade broth.
Step by Step Instructions for Homemade Broth
- Boil a stock pot of water then add your chicken bones to the pot. Boil for 20 minutes to clean the bones up. You can leave any skin or small amount of meat on the bones for this step. Use bones from a whole chicken you cooked or a rotisserie chicken you purchased from the store. Either will work.
- Take bones from pot when the 20 minutes are up. Pat dry and lay flat on a baking sheet. Put in a preheated 450 degree oven. Roast bones for 45 minutes. You want them to get dark and crispy but not burnt. This is where all of the flavor comes from for your broth.
- Put roasted bones in the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Add cut carrots, celery, onions cut in half and two bulbs of garlic cut in half. You do not need to peel the carrots, garlic or onions.
- Fill Instant Pot with filtered water right near the fill line. Add a TBSP of apple cider vinegar to help pull the minerals from the bones. Close lid and seal.
- Use the manual setting and push the + button to add 2 hours to the time.
- Once the cook time is up let the pressure release naturally for about 20-30 minutes. It will be very hot so do NOT release it manually as soon as it is done. Trust me on this. Make sure you have time to wait for the natural release.
- Once you release the pressure it will still be hot so be careful. This is when you want to strain everything through a fine mesh strainer so that only broth is left behind. Discard everything else.
Making Chicken Soup
Now it is time to make your soup with the flavorful broth you have made. This is where you will add the seasonings. I never season my broth before it is made. You will want to be able to season the broth for each recipe you use it in.
Shredded chicken, chopped carrots, thyme, salt, pepper and your homemade broth are all you will need for this soup. You can add noodles if you prefer to make it into chicken noodle soup. They are both delicious! Scroll down for the printable recipe for the Instant Pot chicken soup as well as for a savvy tip on how to store the rest of your broth.
Your savvy tip is to store the rest of your broth in a glass container in the fridge for 5-7 days. You can also freeze the leftovers in a glass container. Make sure it is glass made for the freezer. Another tip is to freeze it in ice cub trays and then put the cubes in a freezer bag. This makes thawing the broth for future recipes super simple.
Be sure to check out my post on How to Get 5 Meals From a Whole Chicken here.
Here is a great blog post on the benefits of bone broth.

Prep Time | 5 minutes |
Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Servings |
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- 1.5 lb cooked shredded or cubed chicken
- 6 cups homemade chicken broth
- 2-3 cups chopped carrots
- 16 oz noodles of choice
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground sage
Ingredients
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- Add broth to your stock pot and heat to a boil. Once it has boiled add the chopped carrots. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in the thyme and sage as well. Let the carrots simmer for about 10 minutes. While carrots are simmering taste the broth and adjust seasoning as needed. Next add in your noodles and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Once the carrots and noodles are both tender add in your cooked chicken and heat through. Taste the soup again at this point and make any adjustments you need to the seasonings. Seasoning as you go will help ensure that the end result is flavorful and seasoned the way you prefer it. Store any leftover soup in the fridge for 2-3 days.