Chicken Noodle Soup for the Pressure Cooker

by Ellie Weightman

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast                       
1 tblsp butter
1 tblsp olive or vegetable oil
3 med carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced   
1 clove garlic
½ tsp sea or kosher salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1 small bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
4 cups chicken broth - homemade best - see below
2 cups water
1 cup alphabet pasta or soup noodles - cooked separately
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Optional to add at end 
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
3 dashes cinnamon
2 grates of a hole nutmeg
juice of 1 lemon

Melt the butter and bring to temperature with the oil in the pressure cooker over medium heat.  Add the carrots and celery; saute for 2 minutes.  Add the onion; saute for 3 minutes or until the onion is soft.  Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Add the salt, parsley, thyme, chicken broth, water and chicken.

Lock the lid into place and bring to low temperature maintaining pressure for 20 minutes.   Remove from heat and quick-release the pressure.  Remove the lid.

While the soup is cooking, boil water and then cook the noodles according to the pasta directions. Drain.  Toss with a bit of olive oil to keep from sticking while waiting to add to soup.

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken breast to a cutting board.  Once cool enough to handle, shred the meat or cut into bite-size pieces.  Return the chicken to the pressure cooker.

Return the pressure cooker to simmer WITHOUT THE LID.  Add the cooked pasta.  Add optional beans, peas, lemon, nutmeg and cinnamon and stir well. Taste for seasonings and add additional salt and pepper if desired.  

*Use my Homemade Chicken Broth / Stock recipe to make broth for this dish.

Chicken Broth / Stock for Pressure Cooker

by Ellie Weightman - this will make a more brown, flavorful broth/stock

5 lb chicken wings, backs, necks or rotisserie chicken bones & parts
2 med onions, quartered
2  carrots, cleaned and coarsely cut
2 celery stalks, rinsed and coarsely cut
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 whole cloves
4 fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 tsp whole black peppercorns

Preheat oven to 350̊

Do not rinse chicken or it will not brown when roasting. Roast all chicken parts on a baking sheet in oven until they brown, usually about 45 minutes.  Remove the chicken parts but reserve the juices on the baking sheet - adding white wine or water to the baking sheet to get up all the fond left by the chicken.  Put the chicken parts and its juices in the pressure cooker on the cooker rack with all the other ingredients and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches (do not fill more than 2/3 of the pot or according to the instructions on your pressure cooker).  Put pot over high heat until the gauge measures 15 PSI, lower heat to maintain 15 PSI for 50 minutes.  Turn off.

When pressure goes to 0 or all pressure is gone using your fast release button if your cooker is equipped with one, remove the lid.  Strain the broth with a stainless mesh strainer until clear, it could require straining 2 times or the use of a cheesecloth.  Put broth in bowl, cover and set in frig overnight. 

The next day skim the hardened fat off the top - it will be thick and waxy. Bring the broth back to a boil and simmer until reduced by 1/3, at least 30 minutes. 

Divide among resealable bags (8 oz each is good size) and freeze OR use the pressure CANNER to can it in jars.




This broth is excellent as a replacement for water in stuffing, rice, cous cous and many other dishes.  It can also be used for broth/water when making chicken soup.