Hearty Chicken Soup (Instant Pot)

Anyone else feeling the winter chill and wanting to cuddle under the covers all day? I definitely am! Warm meals that are cozy and keep you toasty are our go-to’s since we’ve been back from our Spain and Morocco trip. With Christmas only 6 days away, we’re also opting for quick recipes that are tasty and have lots of veggies – gotta make up for the many holiday parties and adult beverages on the weekends but eating well during the week!

I know a LOT of you invested in the Instant Pot the past month with the (many) Black Friday deals for it so here’s a delish recipe to test out your new toy! It’s crazy easy but has so much depth in flavour that people will think you simmered the soup for hours. Give it a go and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (15mL) olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
2 carrots (approx 1 cup), 1cm slices
2 celery stalks (approx 1 cup), 1cm slices
1 parsnip OR 2 turnip (approx 1 cup), 2cm cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp (5 mL) Italian seasoning (or dried herbs of your choice)
1 tsp (5 mL) salt, more as needed
4 cups (1L) water

What to Do:

Using your Instant Pot, press the “Saute” function then “Adjust” so the red light is on “More.” Add the olive oil, onions and chicken thighs. Cook until the chicken is browned – approx 5-7 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Close the lid of the Instant Pot and move the knob at the top of the lid to “sealing” to build pressure when cooking.
Press the “Soup” button. It should then show it is cooking at “high pressure” for 30 minutes.
Cook until the Instant Pot beeps. Release pressure by turning the “sealing” knob.
Serve immediately or allow to cool for 5 minutes.
NOM!

Serves approx 4-6 individuals

Tips & Tricks

Ain’t got time for the meat browning? Skip it and go straight to step 2! The browning of the onions and meat give the soup extra flavour so if you have time, commit to the extra 10 minutes!
Got extra soup? Store in an air tight container and stick in the freezer for future meals. I always double this recipe for batch cook-freeze meals.
Don’t have all the ingredients? Sub for other hearty vegetables of your choice!