How to Make Chicken Soup in the Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 1 3- to 4-pound chicken, or an equivalent mix of bone-in thighs, legs, or breast meat
• 4 ribs celery, sliced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium parsnip, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 12 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley
• 3 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 2 quarts water

Directions

1. Set the chicken into the pressure cooker pot with the breast facing up. Add the remaining ingredients on top, saving the water for last so it pours in neatly without splashing. Using 4 teaspoons of salt here gives you a nicely seasoned soup broth; if you want a plainer chicken broth for another use, reduce the salt or leave it out.
2. Secure the lid on the pressure cooker, and check that the pressure regulator is turned to the "Sealing" setting. Choose the "Manual" program and cook for 25 minutes on high pressure. If you are using an Instant Pot, you can use the "Soup" program with the same 25 minutes of cooking time. For a stovetop pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 22 minutes.
3. Plan on about 35 minutes for the pressure cooker to build pressure before the cooking time starts. From sealing the cooker to having the soup finished, the total time is about 1 hour.
4. Once the cooking time is done, let the soup sit for about 15 minutes before using a quick pressure release. This pause helps keep hot broth from sputtering through the valve, but still use care when letting out the steam.
5. If you prefer, you can allow the pressure to come down on its own, though it will take considerably longer. Do not open the cooker until the float valve has dropped back into its "down" position.
6. With tongs or a slotted spoon, lift the chicken out of the pot and place it on a dish until it is cool enough to handle comfortably, about 20 minutes. The chicken may loosen and fall apart as you move it, so take your time.
7. Pull the meat from the bones, then discard the bones, skin and cartilage. Slice or shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
8. Return the chicken meat to the soup and stir it in. Spoon the soup into bowls and serve.
9. Cool any remaining soup fully, then refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. The broth may set up into a gel as it chills, but it will become liquid again when reheated.