This Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Parsnips is a delicious, nourishing addition to your dinner and lunch box rotation.
Every kitchen needs a good chicken soup recipe. After all, chicken soup is not only delicious, it’s also nourishing and comforting.
This is a timely post for me as I just came down with a cold this past weekend. (You know that moment when you realize you haven’t been sick in a long time…and then just like that you realize that by thinking about this you have jinxed yourself!)
Chicken soup is perfect to have on hand not only for when you are under the weather but also for warm lunches and light dinners. My kids love to bring chicken noodle soup in their lunch box.
With or Without Noodles – Your Choice
You can make this recipe with or without noodles. I prefer to keep it on hand without the noodles and then add the noodles separately for those who want them. I find that the soup keeps better this way and I also happen to prefer mine without the noodles. You could also add rice or barley instead of noodles if you prefer.
Key Ingredients
Parsnips, homemade broth, and lemon make this recipe shine and stand out in a sea of chicken soups.
PARSNIPS – These tasty “cousins” of carrots are delicious and a distinct flavor to the soup. You could also experiment with adding other root veggies, such as rutabaga, turnips, or golden beets. (Of course, my youngest son prefers his without the parsnips and picks them out!)
HOMEMADE BROTH – There is no substitution for homemade broth. The flavor is unbeatable and it’s packed with nourishing nutrients. Whenever we make a roasted chicken for dinner, I use this 100 Days of Real Food recipe to make stock. It’s so easy to make. Afterward, I portion it out into pint-sized, wide-mouthed mason jars and freeze!
LEMON – I just read the book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, and let’s just say I’ve had my own aha-moment. (For anyone who is interested in cooking, I totally recommend this book!) Among other brilliant realizations, I know understand why adding a squeeze of lemon, for example, can totally elevate a recipe!
Get Cooking!
This recipe makes use of the Instapot. While the recipe takes almost an hour start to finish, only 15 minutes is hands-on…the rest of the time the instant pot is doing the work for you! You could also make this in a large pot on the stove top too. You would just need to check the chicken for doneness as I haven’t tested it using this method.
Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Parsnips
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1/2 pound)
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped plus extra for garnish
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper you can sub black pepper, but white pepper has a nice mild taste and is not as noticeable for kids
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt or to taste
- 1/2 lemon, juiced plus more to taste
- 4 cups homemade chicken stock, low salt or no added salt (I use 100 Days of Real Food Recipe)
- 4 cups water
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast OR 2 pounds chicken breast on the bone
- 6 ounces noodles/spaghetti/macaroni optional
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to the saute setting. Add the olive oil and then the onions, carrots, parsnips, and celery. Saute for about 3 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic, fresh parsley, thyme, white pepper and salt to the Instant Pot and stir. Then add the fresh lemon juice, chicken stock, and water.
- Next, carefully place the chicken into the pot. Put the cover on the Instant Pot and seal it. Turn it to the "soup" setting and cook for 5 minutes for boneless chicken breasts and 7 minutes for chicken breasts on the bone. Then do the 10-minute natural release method (refer to the instruction manual if needed). After that, carefully unseal and vent the soup. When it stops steaming completely unlock the lid and remove it from the pot.
- Carefully take out the chicken and transfer it to a cutting board. Shred it with two forks and then return it to the pot. Season the soup with additional salt and fresh lemon juice to taste. Garnish with additional parsley.
- (If you want noodles in your soup, cook them separately, a la dente according to package directions while the soup is cooking. Then drain and add to the bowls before ladling over the prepared soup).
This was delicious soup! I made it with bone-in chicken for extra flavor and nutrition. I also left the parsnips out to make sure the kids loved it,