Easy Instant Pot Sicilian Chicken Soup Recipe

Is there anything more comforting than a truly hearty bowl of chicken soup? I’m not talking about the thin, brothy kind, but a rich, rustic soup brimming with tender chicken, vegetables, and pasta. This Instant Pot Sicilian Chicken Soup is exactly that—a complete, satisfying meal in a bowl. It captures that authentic, simmered-all-day Italian-American flavor, but thanks to the magic of the pressure cooker, it comes together in a fraction of the time.

This Sicilian Chicken Soup recipe uses a whole chicken to create a deeply flavorful broth from scratch, all in the same pot. It’s packed with tender potatoes, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and classic ditalini pasta. This is the perfect, easy recipe for a chilly evening when you need something that warms you from the inside out. Get ready to discover your new favorite Instant Pot chicken soup.

Ingredients for This Hearty Soup

The beauty of this soup is how it uses simple, wholesome ingredients to build incredible depth. Using a whole chicken creates a rich, homemade broth that’s worlds away from a carton.

Ingredient	Amount/Quantity	Notes
Whole Chicken	1 (approx. 3 lbs)	Giblets removed. This is key for a rich broth.
Pepper	1/2 teaspoon	Freshly ground is best.
Salt	1 tablespoon	Kosher or sea salt.
Onion Powder	1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder	1 teaspoon
Dried Oregano	2 teaspoons	The classic Italian soup herb.
Diced Yellow Onion	1 1/2 cups	The start of any great soup base.
Diced Celery Ribs	1 1/2 cups
Diced Carrots	1 1/2 cups
Diced Red Bell Pepper	1	Adds a subtle sweetness and color.
Russet Potatoes	2 medium	Peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces.
Canned Diced Tomatoes	1 (14.5-ounce) can	Undrained. Fire-roasted adds a nice smoky flavor!
Fresh Parsley	1/4 cup	Flat-leaf Italian, chopped.
Garlic Cloves	5	Minced or pressed.
Chicken Broth	4-6 cups	Low-sodium is recommended.
Chicken Bouillon	1 tablespoon	Enhances the “chicken” flavor.
Water	4 cups
Ditalini Pasta	1/2 pound	Or any small pasta shape like tubettini or small shells.

Recipe Timing

This recipe uses the pressure cooker in two stages, but the total hands-on time is minimal.

• Preparation Time: 20 minutes (for chopping vegetables and measuring spices)
• Pressure Cook Time: 25 minutes (20 minutes for chicken, 5 minutes for vegetables)
• Pressure Release Time: 25 minutes (15 min + 10 min release)
• Total Time: Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes (This includes all prep, cooking, and pressure release. It’s a true, deep-flavored soup in under 90 minutes!)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Create the Savory Spice Rub

In a small mixing bowl, add the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. Use a fork or whisk to mix these spices together thoroughly.

Step 2: Season the Chicken and Prep the Pot

Take your whole chicken and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Tip: A dry surface is key! This helps the spice rub adhere to the skin and creates a more flavorful result. Rub the seasoning blend generously all over the entire chicken. Place the seasoned chicken in the bottom of your Instant Pot insert.

Step 3: Pressure Cook the Chicken

Add 4 cups of the chicken broth, 4 cups of water, the chicken bouillon, and the chopped fresh parsley to the Instant Pot, pouring it around the chicken. Secure the lid on your pressure cooker and make sure the pressure regulator valve is set to “Sealing”. Program the cooker to “Pressure Cook” (or “Manual”) for 20 minutes at High Pressure.

Step 4: First Pressure Release and Remove Chicken

After the 20-minute cook time is complete, let the Instant Pot wait for 15 minutes (this is a “natural release”). After 15 minutes, carefully move the valve to “Venting” to perform a quick release of any remaining pressure.

Tip: That 15-minute natural release is important. It helps prevent steam and hot broth from spitting out of the valve. Always be cautious when releasing pressure.

Once the pin has dropped, open the lid. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully remove the whole chicken from the pot and transfer it to a large plate or cutting board. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes, or until it’s easy to handle.

Step 5: Add Vegetables and Cook Again

While the chicken is cooling, add the diced celery, carrots, red pepper, onion, diced tomatoes (with their juices), and diced potatoes directly into the hot broth in the Instant Pot. Add more chicken broth until the liquid level in the pot measures 8 cups. This could take anywhere from 1 to 3 additional cups of broth.

Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and set the valve back to “Sealing”. Program the cooker to “Pressure Cook” for 5 minutes at High Pressure.

Step 6: Second Pressure Release

After the 5-minute cook time is up, let the pot wait for 10 minutes (natural release) before carefully performing a quick release for any remaining pressure.

Step 7: Prepare the Pasta and Shred the Chicken

While the vegetables are cooking in the Instant Pot, you have two tasks. First, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil on your stovetop and cook the ditalini pasta according to its package directions until just al dente. Drain it well.

Second, shred your cooled chicken. Remove the bones and skin (they’ve already given their flavor to the broth!) and shred or cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Step 8: Combine and Finish Your Sicilian Soup

Once you have released the pressure from the Instant Pot, open the lid. Take a potato masher and mash the soup a few times. Tip: This is a fantastic trick! It slightly breaks down the potatoes and vegetables, which helps to thicken the broth and give the soup a wonderful rustic texture.

Finally, stir the shredded chicken back into the pot. Your soup base is now complete!

To serve, we recommend adding the cooked noodles to each individual bowl and ladling the hot soup over them. This prevents the pasta from absorbing all the broth and becoming mushy in the leftovers.

Nutritional Information (Estimate)

Please note this is an estimate per serving, assuming the recipe yields 8 large servings. Actual values will vary based on your specific ingredients.

• Calories: 410 kcal
• Protein: 32 g
• Carbohydrates: 38 g
• Fat: 14 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Sodium: 980 mg (can be lower with low-sodium broth)
• Fiber: 5 g
• Sugar: 6 g
• This soup is a fantastic source of protein and Vitamin A (from the carrots).

Healthier Alternatives & Variations

This Italian chicken soup is already quite wholesome, but you can easily adjust it to fit your dietary needs:

• Lower Sodium: Use a low-sodium or no-salt-added chicken broth. You can also omit the chicken bouillon and salt, and instead add salt to taste at the very end.
• Gluten-Free: The soup base is naturally gluten-free! Simply swap the ditalini pasta for your favorite gluten-free small pasta shape.
• Low-Carb: To make this a low-carb chicken soup, omit the potatoes and pasta entirely. You can bulk up the soup by adding other non-starchy vegetables like diced zucchini, green beans, or chopped kale in Step 5.
• Spicy Kick: For a spicier version, add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings in Step 1.

Serving Suggestions

This Instant Pot Sicilian Chicken Soup is a true one-pot meal. It’s so hearty that it doesn’t need much, but here are my favorite ways to serve it:

• The Classic: Serve piping hot in big bowls with the pasta on the bottom, as described. A side of crusty Italian bread or garlic bread is non-negotiable for dipping into that rich broth!
• Garnish: A sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a little extra chopped parsley on top of each bowl looks beautiful and adds a salty, savory kick.
• Salad Pairing: If you want to add some freshness, a simple green salad with a bright lemon vinaigrette is the perfect contrast.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

This pressure cooker recipe is very straightforward, but here are a few things to watch out for to ensure success:

• Cooking the Pasta in the Pot: While you can add the uncooked pasta in Step 5 with the vegetables, I strongly advise against it, just as the recipe suggests. The pasta will overcook, become mushy, and soak up all your delicious broth overnight. Solution: Cook the ditalini pasta separately on the stovetop.
• Skipping the Natural Release: The data calls for a 15-minute and 10-minute natural release. It’s tempting to hit that quick-release valve right away, but don’t. Solution: Be patient! This waiting period prevents the hot soup and steam from spitting violently out of the valve and also helps the flavors settle.
• Not Patting the Chicken Dry: If you try to rub the seasoning on a wet chicken, it will turn into a clumpy paste and slide right off in the broth. Solution: Take 30 seconds to pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels before applying the spice rub.

Storing and Reheating Tips

This soup makes fantastic leftovers!

• Make-Ahead: You can chop all your vegetables (onion, celery, carrots, pepper, potatoes) and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also mix the spice rub and store it in a small jar.
• Refrigerating: Store the soup base and the cooked pasta in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The soup will last for 3-4 days, and the pasta for 2-3.
• Why Store Separately? If you store the pasta in the soup, it will absorb all the broth, becoming bloated and soft while leaving you with a thick, pasty stew.
• Freezing: The soup base (without the pasta) freezes beautifully. Let it cool completely, then pour it into freezer-safe containers or ziptop bags. It will keep for up to 3 months. The pasta does not freeze well.
• Reheating: Reheat the soup base on the stovetop over medium heat until simmering. Cook fresh pasta or use your refrigerated pasta. Place pasta in a bowl and ladle the hot soup over it.

Conclusion

This Instant Pot Sicilian Chicken Soup is the ultimate proof that you don’t need to spend all day in the kitchen to create a meal with deep, complex, “simmered-for-hours” flavor. It’s a hearty, healthy, and incredibly satisfying dish that’s perfect for feeding a family, meal prepping for the week, or simply warming up on a cold day. The combination of fall-off-the-bone chicken, tender vegetables, potatoes, and pasta in a rich homemade broth is true comfort food at its easiest.

We hope you love this Sicilian Chicken Soup recipe as much as we do. Try it out and let us know in the comments how it turned out for you! We’d love to hear your feedback or any variations you tried. Don’t forget to rate the recipe and share it with a friend who needs a new weeknight hero!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I use boneless chicken breasts or thighs instead of a whole chicken?

Yes, you absolutely can. However, the whole chicken (with bones and skin) is what creates the rich, homemade broth from scratch. If you use boneless, skinless chicken (about 1.5-2 lbs), your broth won’t be as deeply flavorful. You may want to use a high-quality bone broth instead of water and regular broth. You will also need to reduce the chicken cook time (Step 3) to about 10-12 minutes at High Pressure.

Q2. Do I really have to cook the pasta separately?

As mentioned in the post, this is highly recommended. If you cook the pasta directly in the Instant Pot, it will release a lot of starch, which can make the soup cloudy and thick. More importantly, any leftover soup will have mushy, bloated pasta that has absorbed most of your delicious broth. Cooking it separately keeps the soup broth clear and the pasta perfectly al dente.

Q3. Can I make this soup on the stovetop?

Yes! The method is just different. You would simmer the whole chicken in the broth, water, and aromatics in a large stockpot for about 1.5-2 hours until cooked. Then, remove the chicken, add all the chopped vegetables and potatoes, and simmer for another 20-30 minutes until tender. While that simmers, shred the chicken and cook the pasta. Finally, combine the shredded chicken in the pot, mash some of the veggies, and serve over the pasta.

Q4. My soup seems a little thin. How can I thicken it?

The recipe has a built-in trick for this! The instruction to “mash the soup around a few times” with a potato masher (Step 8) is designed to break up some of the tender potatoes. The starch from the potatoes will naturally thicken the broth, giving it a rustic, hearty consistency without any extra flour or cornstarch.

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