Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (Paleo, AIP, Gluten-free, hearty!)

Instant Pot Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup in white bowl

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (Paleo, AIP, Gluten-free, hearty!)

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup is the most delicious Paleo & Gluten-free soup possible -- with a rich delicious broth that's made effortlessly, plus hearty noodles, chicken and veggies -- all traditional, but grain-free, Gluten-free and very easy to make.

Course DInner, lunch, Soup

Cuisine American, British, French

Keyword aip, chicken noodle soup, gluten-free, instant pot, paleo

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 727kcal

Author Megan

Cost $20

Equipment

Instant Pot or similar pressure cooker

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 small or one large onion omit for VAD
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 cups water
3 pounds chicken thighs boneless skinless
1 Tablespoon sea salt or Potassium Salt for more minerals
3 medium carrots peeled and sliced, white carrots for VAD
6 stalks celery sliced
8 ounces pasta : For Paleo use Jovial's Cassava Pasta; for Gluten-free and VAD, use Jovial's Brown Rice Pasta: Fusilli or preferred shape
3 cloves garlic crushed or minced, omit for VAD
optional -- 1 teaspoon each: sage and thyme I do not use these in the fall, but they are very nice in the winter months.
optional garnishes: 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and/or 2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger root, 3 Tablespoons fresh mint, dill or parsley (mint or dill for VAD), chopped small

Instructions

Using a 6-qt Instant Pot, press the Sauté button (on high heat). Add olive oil, diced onions and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just beginning to brown in places, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add water to the 6 cup line, or 6 cups water, if you don't have that line in your IP. Also add remaining 1 Tablespoon sea salt.
Add whole chicken thighs (boneless skinless), then carrots and celery. (If using dried herbs, add sage and thyme now.)
Select Manual setting on High pressure, and set time for 5 minutes. Seal lid and close steam valve. When timer sounds and cooking is complete, allow a natural release of pressure for 20 minutes; then do a Quick-Pressure Release, according to manufacturer's instructions.
Remove chicken from the IP using tongs, and place in a large bowl to cool slightly. Take about 1/3 of the chicken, seal and store in the fridge for another purpose:
We use 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe to make the incredibly delicious stock, that's also full of gelatin. But after the meat cooks, we retain about one pound of it for another purpose. All of the chicken is used for the broth, but only 2 pounds (ish) are needed for the finished soup. That one pound of leftover chicken is great in the fridge for easy meat leftovers. (I shred mine and toss with a little vinaigrette, then eat with lettuce for a lovely salad. You could also use it inside tacos, with pasta, on a bowl or sandwich. I like having the leftover easy meat on hand.)
With the 2 pounds retained chicken in bowl: Use two forks to roughly shred, or I also like to use kitchen sheers to cut chicken into chunks/squares. (I prefer the texture of chicken in soup in chunks, as I think that shredded chicken in soup isn't as nice. But do whichever you prefer.)
With chicken cooling and set aside, select high Sauté setting on IP, and bring stock to a boil. Stir in pasta and cook, uncovered, until almost perfectly tender, 12 minutes for Gluten-free and 10-12 for Cassava Pasta. (This is where you need to be a little bit careful, especially with the cassava pasta. Try to stop the cooking a little before the pasta is ready. After it's done cooking, it will continue to absorb the broth and soften more, and you don't want it too soft or falling apart.) NOTE: Do not add pasta to IP if you want your leftovers to have al dente pasta. In this case: Cook the pasta in a separate pot of boiling water, on the stove top, and then add in only as much as is needed for the first meal. Retain the rest separately for leftovers.
Stir in chicken and optional fresh herbs. (If using, stir in optional fresh lemon juice and/or freshly grated ginger root.)
Serve immediately.

Notes

Stove Top Variation

Sauté onion, in large stove top Dutch oven or big shallow pot with lid, with the same directions as you see for the Instant Pot, but over medium-high heat: Add olive oil, diced onions and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just beginning to brown in places, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add water, salt, chicken and veggies. (Make sure the water covers the meat. If not, add a bit more water to cover, or move the meat around so it's lower in the pot.) Cover pot with lid, and turn heat to high.
As soon the water begins to simmer, reduce heat to whatever temperature maintains a simmer, medium-low or low.
Simmer 15 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Proceed with recipe as it's written, starting with Step 5.

Nutrition