Try this Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 3 stalks celery
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 leaf
- 1 whole chicken (3 1/2-to 4-pound)
- 1 medium red onion
- 2 medium carrots (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium red sweet pepper (coarsely chopped)
- 2 cups dried wide egg noodles
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- juice of 1 lemon (3 to 4 tablespoons)
- Carbohydrate 2.22285770833333 g
- Cholesterol 690 mg
- Fat 138.648528854167 g
- Fiber 0.771127098162969 g
- Protein 171.7108746875 g
- Saturated Fat 39.6780669791667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (963g)
- Sodium 665.470385416667 mg
- Sugar 1.45173061017036 g
- Trans Fat 11.8018504166667 g
- Calories 1989 calories
Step-by-step
- Place chicken in the Instant Pot. Cut onion in half; set half aside. Cut remaining half into wedges; place on top of chicken.
- Cut 1 stalk of celery in half; add to pot with chicken. Add bay leaf to pot.
- Slowly pour broth over all in the pot.
- Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve. Select Poultry and adjust to more. When cooking is complete, use a natural release to depressurize. Press cancel.
- Meanwhile, chop reserved red onion half. Thinly slice remaining 2 stalks celery. Set aside.
- Once pressure is released from the pot, transfer the chicken to a large cutting board; set aside.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard onion wedges, celery stalk, and bay leaf from liquid in pot. If desired, strain liquid in pot through a fine-mesh sieve; return liquid to pot if strained.
- Skim fat from top of liquid in pot if desired. Add chopped onion, sliced celery, carrots, sweet pepper, noodles, garlic, salt, thyme, sage, and black pepper to pot.
- Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve. Select manual and cook at high pressure for 2 minutes. When cooking is complete, use a quick release to depressurize. Press cancel.
- When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones. Discard bones and skin. Cut meat into bite-size pieces. Add chicken to soup in the pot.
- Select sauté and adjust to normal. Cook, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes or until soup is heated through. Press cancel.
- Stir in spinach and lemon juice just before serving.
- Prepare as directed except substitute 8 ounces rice noodles for the egg noodles, substitute 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce for the salt, substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons rice vinegar for the lemon juice, substitute shredded napa cabbage for the spinach, and substitute 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh gingerfor the dried thyme.
A whole bone-in bird carries the structural integrity needed to build a rich stock while yielding tender meat for the final bowl. Pressure cooking extracts gelatin from the bones quickly, turning standard broth into a velvety base without long simmering times. When evaluating the vegetables after their brief pressure cycle, look for carrots that offer slight resistance to a fork tine rather than collapsing into mush. This ensures they retain texture during the final sauté phase.
Testing Doneness Without a Thermometer
Proteins signal their readiness through distinct visual cues. When the chicken comes out of the pressure cooker, pierce the thickest part of the breast. Clear juices indicate the meat is fully cooked. For the wide egg noodles, a two-minute high-pressure window prevents overexpansion. Pull a single strand from the pot and bite it. A slight firm core means the starch is properly hydrated without turning gummy.
Chemical Interactions in the Broth
Acidity alters perception and balance. Adding lemon juice at the very end introduces citric acid. This lowers the pH of the broth slightly, brightening the heavy savory notes from the poultry fat and dried herbs. Fresh spinach leaves wilt instantly in the residual heat, adding color without diluting the primary flavors.
