Description
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. It’s a true, deep-flavored soup in under 90 minutes!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 (approx. 3 lbs) Whole Chicken, giblets removed
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Salt (Kosher or sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 1 1/2 cups Diced Yellow Onion
- 1 1/2 cups Diced Celery Ribs
- 1 1/2 cups Diced Carrots
- 1 Diced Red Bell Pepper
- 2 medium Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can Canned Diced Tomatoes, undrained
- 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, flat-leaf Italian, chopped
- 5 Garlic Cloves, minced or pressed
- 4-6 cups Chicken Broth, low-sodium
- 1 tablespoon Chicken Bouillon
- 4 cups Water
- 1/2 pound Ditalini Pasta
Instructions
- Create the Spice Rub: In a small mixing bowl, combine the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. Mix thoroughly.
- Season Chicken and Prep Pot: Pat the whole chicken dry with paper towels. Rub the seasoning blend generously all over the chicken. Place the seasoned chicken in the bottom of your Instant Pot insert.
- 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 and set the pressure regulator to “Sealing”. Program to “Pressure Cook” (or “Manual”) for 20 minutes at High Pressure.
- First Pressure Release: After 20 minutes, let the pot wait for 15 minutes (natural release). Then, carefully move the valve to “Venting” to release any remaining pressure.
- Remove Chicken: Once the pin has dropped, open the lid. Carefully remove the whole chicken to a large plate or cutting board. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Add Vegetables and Cook Again: While the chicken is cooling, add the diced celery, carrots, red pepper, onion, diced tomatoes (with juices), and diced potatoes to the hot broth in the Instant Pot. Add more chicken broth until the liquid level measures 8 cups (this may take 1-3 additional cups).
- Secure the lid and set the valve to “Sealing”. Program the cooker to “Pressure Cook” for 5 minutes at High Pressure.
- Second Pressure Release: After 5 minutes, let the pot wait for 10 minutes (natural release), then perform a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- Prepare Pasta and Shred Chicken: While the vegetables are cooking, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ditalini pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- Shred the cooled chicken, discarding bones and skin.
- Combine and Finish Soup: Once the pressure is released from the Instant Pot, open the lid. Use a potato masher to mash the soup a few times to slightly break down the vegetables and thicken the broth.
- Stir the shredded chicken back into the pot. To serve, add the cooked noodles to each individual bowl and ladle the hot soup over them.
Notes
- Pat Chicken Dry: A dry surface is key! This helps the spice rub adhere to the skin and creates a more flavorful result.
- Natural Release: The 15-minute natural release after cooking the chicken is important. It helps prevent steam and hot broth from spitting out of the valve.
- Mashing Trick: Mashing the soup a few times at the end 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.
- Serving Pasta: Serve the cooked noodles in each bowl, rather than adding them all to the pot. This prevents the pasta from absorbing all the broth and becoming mushy in leftovers.
- Note: This soup is a fantastic source of protein and Vitamin A.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes (Pressure Cook Time)
- Category: Soup, Main Course
- Method: Pressure Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 980 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
