Pressure cooker Italian chicken soup
User Reviews
4.6
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
6
Pressure cooker Italian chicken soup
Description
This soup recipe uses a whole chicken along with large vegetable pieces and aromatics cooked together in a pressure cooker. The chicken becomes very tender, and the broth develops depth from simmering under pressure. After cooking, the chicken is removed to shred, and the broth strained to remove solids, leaving a clean and flavorful base for the soup.
Diced carrots are returned to the soup along with pasta which is cooked separately before addition to avoid overcooking. Fresh parsley, basil, lemon juice, and grated Parmesan finish the soup, adding brightness and richness.
The soup is hearty but clear, benefiting from the pressure cooker’s ability to tenderize chicken quickly. It works well as a complete meal or starter during cooler days.
Cooking pasta separately prevents it from becoming mushy, and allowing the pressure to release naturally enhances flavor and texture. Adjust salt and pepper seasoning to taste before serving.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg whole chicken 3 lbs
- 4 tomato large
- 3 celery roughly chopped, stalks
- 2 carrot peeled and halved, large
- 1 onion roughly chopped, large
- 4 garlic halved, cloves
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 water 8 cups
- 4 tsp salt
- 150 g pasta about 3/4 cup risoni or orzo
- parsley finely chopped, small bunch
- small bunch basil finely chopped
- lemon juice to taste
- Parmesan Cheese to serve, grated, a little
- salt to season
- black pepper to season
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the pressure cooker.
- Roughly chop one tomato and finely dice the rest.
- Add the roughly chopped tomato, celery, carrots, onion, garlic cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf in the pressure cooker.
- Slowly pour in the water, taking care not to go above the maximum line indicated in the inside of the pot. Stir in the salt.
- Make sure the steam valve is in the 'sealing' position. Cook for 25 minutes on high pressure.
- At this point you can let the pressure release naturally or, if you are in a hurry, leave it for 15 minutes then release manually. Since this has a lot of liquid there will also be a lot of steam released.
- Open the pressure cooker and use a large slotted spoon to transfer the chicken onto a platter. Be careful as it will be falling off the bone.
- Strain the broth from the pot into a large bowl then return to the pressure cooker.
- Pick out the carrots, dice them and add them to the pot. Discard the other vegetables.
- Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and shred the meat. Add the meat to the pressure cooker.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, a quarter of the chopped herbs and the pasta (see notes).
- Make sure the valve is set to sealing again. Cover and cook for 4 minutes on high pressure.
- Manually release the pressure.
- Taste the soup for seasoning and add the lemon juice and remaining herbs.
- Serve garnished with croutons with a little sprinkling on Parmesan, if you like.
Notes
- Cook pasta separately to maintain texture and add it just before serving.
- Pressure cooker requires time to build pressure before cooking begins; total preparation includes that inactive time.
- Lemon juice adds fresh acidity to balance the savory soup.
- The soup can be stored refrigerated and reheated gently to preserve texture.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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