This can easily be done on a stove top, or in a slow cooker if you do not have an instant pot.
I came up with this one while I was making chicken soup, but craving something Italian. If you just want to keep it at chicken soup, then stop after the noodles.
This soup is kid-friendly. My kids think it tastes like pizza.
This makes a very large batch of soup. It tends to disappear quickly, but the recipe can be halved if desired.
Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup
Servings 16
Ingredients
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 6 carrots peeled and sliced
- 4 celery ribs sliced
- 2 lbs chicken breast
- 3 lbs chicken thigh skinless, bone-in or boneless
- 10 cups chicken broth divided
- 8 oz ditalini
- 1 25 oz jar marinara sauce (or homemade)
- 30 grams Parmesan cheese powder or Parmesan rind
- 1 large bunch spinach, escarole or leafy greens
- salt
- Adobo
Instructions
- Set the instant pot to Saute and heat the oil.
- Add chopped onion. Saute until it begins to soften.
- Add garlic, carrots and celery. Cook until fragrant, stirring occasionally (approximately 3 minutes).
- Season the chicken with salt and Adobo. Place it on top of the vegetables in the pot.
- Add 4 cups of the chicken broth.
- Close the lid and seal. Pressure cook for 18 minutes. Natural Release.
- Pull the chicken out of the pot.
- Add the rest of the broth to the pot. Turn the pot to Saute and bring to a boil.
- In the meantime, shred the chicken with 2 forks.
- When the soup is boiling, add the ditalini. Cook until tender.
- Add the chicken back to the pot, along with the pasta sauce.
- Add the Parmesan cheese or rind.
- Add greens and stir until wilted.
- Top with Parmesan cheese if you'd like.
Notes
Nutrition per bowl (1/16 of the recipe – approximately one soup bowl full):
365 calories – 11 fat – 13 carbs – 35 protein
If you want to make this ahead and freeze, then skip the ditalini. You can cook the pasta separately when you are ready to eat the soup.
Adobo is just a seasoning. It isn’t required. If you do not have it, the soup will still come out great.
The macros were calculated according to what went into the soup, but of course they will vary depending on how much of each ingredient that you dish into your bowl.
I find that the texture of chicken thighs works well for soup, and will usually use both thighs and breasts together. If you prefer to go even lower in fats, you can use all chicken breast instead. If you go that route, I would at least do bone-in (though boneless can work, too).