Easy and effortless Vietnamese-inspired Instant Pot Chicken Soup will warm you right up! When you’re in the mood for a fragrant, herby, and light chicken soup — make this simple and delicious recipe. Gluten-free rice noodles and a ton of aromatics lend extra comfort and cozy vibes.
Instant Pot Chicken Soup
When everyone’s got the sniffles and the world is covered in snow and ice, Chicken Soup makes everything better!
And this Vietnamese-inspired Instant Pot Chicken Soup is especially tasty and good for you!
Inspired by Pho Ga, Vietnamese Chicken Soup, it’s got all the richness and depth of homemade chicken stock. But with gluten-free rice noodles and a generous scattering of fresh herbs, it’s fantastically light and fresh. Add a squeeze of lime and drizzle of sriracha and it’s honestly the easiest, tastiest chicken soup to make at home.
Proof that the Instant Pot really can make homemade chicken soup easy, healthy, and fast!
A 30-minute weeknight dinner never looked so good!
Ingredients:
- Chicken thighs with bones + skin. Instead of a whole chicken, I recommend chicken thighs with bones and skins as they cook faster. The flavor and richness from all that bone, cartilage, and tendon cannot be replicated! All the vitamins and minerals from the bones add body and heft to the stock.
- Onion + Garlic + Ginger. The aromatic base of the soup! Organic ginger tastes best for its peppery bite.
- Chicken Bouillon. Better Than Chicken Bouillon (affiliate) is my secret ingredient for that homemade chicken soup flavor! A thick and jiggly paste that adds heft, body, and rich chicken flavor. I buy mine at Costco. If you don’t have it, chicken bouillon powder (affiliate) also works.
- Peppercorns. A classic addition to chicken stock that adds subtle depth.
- Fish Sauce. Season with fish sauce (instead of salt) for an umami-rich chicken soup.
- Rice Noodles. Fresh and light rice noodles make this gluten-free! There are several different varieties and thicknesses. Choose the one you like best.
Instructions:
- Add ingredients to Instant Pot. Add chicken thighs, ginger, onion, garlic, chicken bouillon, peppercorns, and water to the instant pot. Lock lid into place and cook for 18 minutes.
- Prep chicken. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot. Shred the chicken, discarding the bone and most of the skin.
- Prep soup. Strain chicken broth. Season chicken broth with fish sauce. Add shredded chicken back into the soup.
- Prep noodles. Soak rice noodles in hot water. When the noodles are soft, drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
- Serve and enjoy! To serve, add rice noodles to individual bowls and cover with hot soup. Serve with a platter of fresh herbs, lime wedges, and sriracha. Enjoy!
Serve with:
- Vietnamese-style herb platter. A simple addition that pairs so well with the ginger-infused broth and keeps the soup light and fresh! FYI, a variety is nice. Thai basil, cilantro, and mint add so much aromatic freshness.
- Sliced jalapeno + lime wedges. The jalapeno adds a subtle spicy kick. The lime wedges add fresh flavor. These simple additions finish the Vietnamese-inspired vibe.
- Sriracha and/or Hoisin. Classic Asian sauces. Add as much or as little as you like!
When ready to eat, simply pinch herbs off their stems and add them directly to your soup bowl. Add jalapeno, a squeeze of lime juice, and drizzle of sriracha or hoisin and enjoy!
PRO Tips:
- Do not cook rice noodles in the soup. Although it may be tempting to add the uncooked noodles directly into the soup, I recommend soaking in hot water separately. Otherwise, the noodles will turn gummy and mushy and the stock will become overly starchy.
Essential Kitchen Tools:
- Instant Pot. For that long-simmered, rich flavor fast — the Instant Pot 6qt (affiliate) or Instant Pot 8qt (affiliate) is a great kitchen tool for making soup. Simply dump everything into the Instant Pot. And let this modern kitchen tool do the work! After 18 minutes, you’ll have deeply flavorful stock with all the richness of long simmered bones.
- Sieve. A large wire mesh sieve (affiliate) makes straining the soup so much easier!
More Asian Soup Inspiration:
- Kkori Gomtang (Korean Oxtail Soup)
- Homemade Miso Soup
- Pork Belly Kimchi Jjigae
- Seafood Soondubu Jjigae
- Gamjatang (Korean Porkbone Soup)
- Lemongrass Chicken Soup
Instant Pot Vietnamese-style Chicken Soup
Easy and effortless Vietnamese-inspired Instant Pot Chicken Soup will warm you right up! When you're in the mood for a fragrant, herby, and light chicken soup — make this simple and delicious recipe. Gluten-free rice noodles and a ton of aromatics lend extra comfort and cozy vibes.
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, 6Qt
- Large Sieve
Ingredients
In the Instant Pot
- 4 chicken thighs with skin + bones
- 1 large onion peeled + cut in half
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 inch knob ginger cut into thin slices
- 1 Tbsp Better Than Boullion chicken seasoning (or chicken boullion powder)
- 1 Tbsp peppercorns
- 7 cups water cold
Seasoning
- 1-2 Tbsp fish sauce (according to taste)
Optional toppings:
- Fresh herbs: thai basil, cilantro, mint
- 1 Jalapeno, sliced
- 6 ounces rice vermicelli or noodles
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Dump all ingredients (except the fish sauce) into the Instant Pot
- Set the manual mode to 18 minutes, high pressure. Turn off the "Keep Warm" function.
- When the Instant Pot is finished cooking, manually release the steam. Open the Instant Pot and remove the chicken thighs onto a plate and set aside.
- Strain the stock with a fine-mesh sieve into a large pot. Season with fish sauce, according to taste. Cover and set aside.
- Remove the chicken skin from the chicken thighs. Using two forks, shred the chicken meat. Return to the soup pot.
Conventional Stovetop directions:
- Put all ingredients (except the fish sauce) into a large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Using a small, fine mesh strainer, skim the fat and scum particles that rise to the surface in the first 5 minutes of cooking. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone and the vegetables are completely soft.
- Remove chicken thighs onto a plate and set aside. Strain the stock with a fine-mesh sieve. Season to taste with fish sauce. Cover and set aside.
- Remove the chicken skin from the chicken thighs. Using two forks, shred the chicken meat. Return to the soup pot.
To serve:
- Add shredded chicken back into the pot. Cover and keep warm.
- Soak rice vemicelli in hot water until the noodles are soft and pliable, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water until the noodles are cold to the touch. Add drained rice vermicelli directly to the soup pot and briefly warm noodles, about 2 minutes.
- Ladle soup in bowls, making sure to distribute shredded chicken and rice vermicelli evenly. Serve with platter of fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, mint, green onion), lime wedges, sliced jalapeno, and sriracha and/or hoisin.
Notes
*The cook time does not include the time it takes for the IP to pressurize.
**The amount of fish sauce to add depends on personal preference. Adjust the seasoning by taste.
Nutrition
Serving: 0gCarbohydrates: 0gProtein: 0gFat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgPotassium: 0mgFiber: 0gSugar: 0gVitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 0mgIron: 0mg
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