Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

Tick each one off as you go.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 carrots (about 250 g), sliced into coins
• 3 celery sticks, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 ½ lb (700 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6)
• 1.5 liters chicken stock (6 cups)
• 2 cups (200 g) wide egg noodles, uncooked
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Saute. Set the Instant Pot to Saute and warm the oil. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion softens. Stir in the garlic for the last minute, then add the thyme and a good pinch of salt.
2. Deglaze. Pour in a splash of the stock and scrape the bottom of the pot properly with a wooden spoon until nothing is stuck. Do not skip this — any browned bits left clinging to the base will trigger the burn error once the lid goes on.
3. Pressure cook. Add the rest of the stock, the bay leaves and the chicken thighs, pushing the chicken down into the liquid. Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. It takes about 10 minutes to come up to pressure first — that is normal, not a fault.
4. Release. When the timer sounds, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to Venting to release the rest. That short rest keeps the chicken from seizing up tough.
5. Shred. Lift the chicken onto a board and check it reads 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. Shred it with two forks, and fish out the bay leaves while you are at it.
6. Noodles. Set the pot back to Saute and bring the broth to a simmer. Add the egg noodles and cook, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes until just tender. Never cook the noodles under pressure — they turn to mush.
7. Finish. Turn off the pot and stir the shredded chicken back in to warm through for a minute or two. Add the parsley and a squeeze of lemon if you like, then taste for salt and pepper. Ladle into deep bowls.