This pressure cooker chicken noodle soup is perfect if you’re feeling a little unwell, or just need something hearty and filling to warm you up on a cold winter day. This soup tastes like it’s been simmering for hours, but because it’s made using an electric pressure cooker, you’ll have dinner ready in 30 minutes!
Featured Comment
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Today’s weather is freezing and we are making this delicious soup once again. Smells amazing and can’t wait to inhale it down. – Ayesha
Chicken soup for me is one of those meals that is perfect on so many occasions. I love it when I am feeling a little under the weather, or just when the weather is a bit too cold for comfort.
What I don’t love about soups though is that they take so long to boil away on the stove, that by the time they are done I don’t really feel like it anymore! With this version I can go from deciding I want a bowl of soup, to having one in around 30 minutes which is incredible.
The secret is all in the magic of the electric pressure cooker. You may have seen them around, or know someone who has one because they have at some point shared with you just how amazing they really are (because they really are worth the hype).
It is the master of the one pot meal and everything that comes out of it is packed full of flavour. For this recipe, we are using two of the functions – sauté and pressure cook, which means everything comes together in the one appliance, so less clean up required!
Love chicken soup? Then you should also try my dairy free creamy chicken soup or this healing chicken soup which is perfect if you’re looking for something extra nourishing.
Key Ingredients
You really don’t need too many ingredients to make a quality chicken noodle soup, but the basics go a long way.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Onion, carrot and celery – the base of the soup starts with mirepoix, which is a classic French flavour base.
- Garlic – I always throw in some garlic because I love garlic and also like the idea of this soup packing a little extra goodness.
- Chicken – I like to use chicken breast because it’s leaner than other cuts meaning you don’t have to worry about the ‘scum’ that usually forms on the top of a lot of traditional recipes. You can also skip the step of poaching the chicken and instead just add in pre-cooked poached chicken or leftover roast chicken.
- Chicken stock – I like to use salt reduced so I can control how salty I want the soup to taste.
- Bay leaves – adding 1 or 2 dried bay leaves to your soup is just going to help build a subtle depth of flavour and really enhance the rest of the ingredients to give you a delicious tasting soup.
- Pasta – I always like to use spirals / fusilli or a short shape pasta as the idea is to have something bite sized so you can get mouthfuls of everything together in each spoonful.
- Parmesan rind – You know when you have finished with your block of fresh Parmesan and you are left with the hard rind bit? Instead of just throwing it away, hold onto it and throw it into your soup. It adds the most incredible flavour to the soup. This is totally optional (and skip it if you need this soup to be completely dairy free), but if you have it available then I recommend you give it a try because it really makes this the best chicken noodle soup I’ve ever had.
Equipment and Tools
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Slow Cooker / Multi Cooker – I replaced my slow cooker with the Philips All In One as it also functions as a pressure cooker so I get a lot more use out of it.
Step-By-Step Instructions
First start by turning the pressure cooker to sauté and then cooking the onions, carrot and celery in a little olive oil until starting to soften. Add in the garlic and keep cooking until nice and frangrant.
Then it’s as simple as pressing CANCEL, dumping the rest of the ingredients in minus the pasta, securing the lid (ensuring the valve is set to seal) and cooking on high pressure for 15 minutes.
The pressure cooker will need to come up to temperature before the timer kicks in so it will take a bit longer than the 15 minutes in total, but it’s still a lot quicker and less hands-on than on the stove top.
Once cooked, manually release the pressure, staying well clear of the valve as to not get burned by the hot steam. Press CANCEL again, then turn it back onto sauté to bring the soup to the boil. Add the pasta and let boil until cooked.
Meanwhile, remove the chicken so it doesn’t over cook and shred with two forks. Add back into the pot once the pasta is cooked, add in some chopped parsley.
Make sure to remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind if using before serving straight away into bowls. Serve it with a little crusty bread and you have a cosy and warming winter meal that everyone will love!
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
This recipe makes enough for 3-4 bowls (depending how hungry you are) which is perfect if you don’t want to be eating soup all week.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. As the noodles are already cooked, they will continue to soften when you reheat it so it is best eaten on the same day but if you don’t mind soft noodles, it’s still really delicious reheated.
To make ahead, simply just leave out the noodles and freeze the soup for up to 3 months. To serve, defrost and heat up the soup and serve with cooked pasta.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you certainly can, I have included stove top directions in the recipe card down below. It’s still pretty easy, you just need to pay it a little more attention and let it boil a little longer.
No, it’s optional and keep in mind that using it will mean this soup is not dairy free. Proper Italian Parmigiano Reggiano (which is what I use) however, has been through an aging process which means it is free from lactose which is why I still eat.
If you also eat parmesan, I recommend saving the rinds and using it in this soup as the addition deepens the flavour of the broth. Just remember to remove it before serving!
You can! Simply use your favourite gluten free pasta or simply omit it and just enjoy the brothy soup. Keep in mind that some gluten free pasta varieties may break down more easily, so keep an eye on the texture as they cook.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More cosy soup recipes:
Vegetable Soup with Barley and Lentils
Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
Dairy Free Potato and Leek Soup
Beef Minestrone Soup
Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 skinless chicken breast
- 4 cups reduced-salt chicken stock
- 1 parmesan cheese rind optional
- 1 cup dried pasta
- ½ tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Turn the electric pressure cooker on and set it to Sauté on high heat. Add the olive oil to the pot, then add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further 1–2 minutes. Press Cancel to turn off the heat.
- Add the salt, pepper, bay leaves, chicken breast, chicken stock, and parmesan rind (if using) to the pot.
- Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and ensure the valve is set to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook and set the timer for 15 minutes. The cooker will take a few minutes to come to pressure before the timer begins.
- Once the timer finishes, carefully open the vent using a wooden spoon to release the pressure. Stand back, as the steam will be hot.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside. Add the dried pasta to the soup. Press Cancel, then turn the cooker back on to Sauté on high to bring the soup to a boil. Let it boil for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through.
- While the pasta is cooking, shred the chicken using two forks.
- Once the pasta is cooked, return the shredded chicken to the pot, add the chopped parsley, and stir to combine. Serve immediately into bowls.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This post was updated in 2025 with new photos and more helpful information. The recipe remains the same!
Amanda says
Oh my goodness! Took me 30 minutes to whip up and it tasted like it took hours! I didn’t have chicken breast so I used thigh fillets chopped up, SO FLAVOURFUL! This is going to be my go to, the kids loved the swirly pasta noodles.
Sally says
So happy to hear you and the kids enjoyed this one!
Ayesha Rountree says
Today’s weather is freezing and we are making this delicious soup once again. Smells amazing and can’t wait to inhale it down.
Robyn says
Oh yum! How I wish this was my lunch today! So wholesome and comforting, I cannot wait to make this soup!
Sally says
Thanks Robyn, hope you enjoy it!
Gavin says
It’s DEFO soup weather these days and couple leaves with some man flu this is gonna make me a whole lot happier once I enjoy it for dinner later!
Sally says
Hope this made you feel better Gav!
Sarah says
It’s definitely soup weather at the moment! What a great soup, would go well with some lovely crusty bread. Might have to give this one a go on the slowcooker 🙂
Sally says
Thanks Sarah, let me know if you do try it in the slow cooker!
Andrea says
Yum!! I’ve been making a pressure cooker soup each week for work lunches. This one looks so nourishing and full of flavour, it’s definitely going on the list! Thank you!
Sally says
That’s such a good idea, I love left over soup for lunches!
Sylvie says
Oh my I wish I had a big bowl of this soup in front of me right now – it is absolutely perfect for cold days like today!! So delicious and comforting too, yum!
Sally says
So perfect for this chilly weather at the moment!