Make this Instant Pot Chicken Soup in just over an hour for a flavor packed and cosy dinner. Creamy with a light spicy kick, this soup is just the comfort food you need.
Start your pressure cooker in sauté mode. Add butter and allow to melt, then add chopped garlic. Sauté 1 minute until fragrant.
¼ cup butter, 4 garlic cloves
Add chopped bell pepper, sliced mushroom, and olive oil. Sauté 2-3 minutes until softened.
1 red bell pepper, 2 cups white button mushrooms, 1 tablespoon olive oil
Turn off the pressure cooker and add in the whole chicken. Follow with salt and pour over the water. Mix gently around the chicken and make sure no pieces are stuck to the bottom of the pressure cooker.
1 whole chicken, ½ tablespoon salt, 4 cups water
Close the lid tightly and set the pressure cooker to manual cooking at High Pressure for 20 minutes (about 6 minutes per pound of chicken). Make sure "keep warm" is turned off.
When the pressure cooking cycle is done, leave to release pressure naturally for at least 15 minutes. After this you can use the quick release valve to release the last of the pressure.
Remove the chicken from the pressure cooker and set aside to cool.
Start your pressure cooker in sauté mode and add cream, chili powder and chili flakes. Simmer at least 5 minutes.
2 cups heavy cream, ½ tablespoon chili flakes, ½ tablespoon chili powder
When the chicken has cooled down enough to touch, remove the meat from the bones and shred it. Then add to the soup. Mix and let it sit for a minute to heat the chicken through, and you are ready to serve!
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
Chili powder & flakes can vary a lot in strength. As written, this recipe uses a spicy kind of chili flakes and comes out with just a bit of a spicy kick (even my mom was OK with it!). But please adjust the amounts to suit your palate, and taste test as you go to avoid it becoming too spicy.
Olive oilcan be skipped, but adds nice flavor
Butter can be salted or unsalted, and can be swapped for olive oil
Bell pepper: use any color, I like red
Heavy cream is required for best results
Tips & tricks
Adjust the amount of spice to suit your palate - add more or less chili flakes to taste
Allow pressure to release naturally for the best cooked chicken
Cook 6 minutes per pound of chicken. I round up and cook a 3 lb chicken for 20 minutes.
For a delicious cream ofchicken soup - blend the soup with an immersion blender* after adding the chicken in the final step
Storeleftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days
Reheat leftoves in the microwave in 1 minute increments, or in a saucepan on the stove for 5-10 minutes