Inspired by skillet chicken pot pie, this soup version is made with hearty veggies and chicken. Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup takes just 10 minutes to cook: a fast, comforting, and healthy meal for busy weeknights. It’s the ultimate comfort food! Add homemade flaky biscuits for a complete meal!
What Readers Say
“This was delicious! The potatoes were perfectly tender, and it was just like a chicken pot pie without all of the work! Served to guests and it was a hit!”
HILARY
Ingredients Needed
This soup is the perfect comfort food and it’s made with the simplest of ingredients that you can find at any grocery store. Healthy meals don’t need to be complicated.
- 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 1/2 medium white onion, diced
- 1 lb white potatoes diced (about 3 medium potatoes), no need to peel
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced or diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock (or vegetable broth/stock)
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts, depending on size) or boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup frozen petite peas
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or coconut cream or coconut milk from a can)
Equipment Needed
- 6 or 8 Quart Instant Pot for sautéing the veggies and cooking the top
- medium bowl for shredding the chicken after cooking
- 2 forks for shredding the chicken
Substitutions and Variations
Make it Dairy-Free: Use coconut cream or milk from a can (not a carton which is watered down). This will add a tropical flavor to the soup, but it’s the best option for making this recipe dairy free.
Use Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs are a frugal cut of meat and they have a stronger chicken flavor. Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts in this recipe; just trim the fat from the thighs before cooking.
Use Different Veggies: Add cut green beans, cubed butternut squash, broccoli or cauliflower florets, or cubed sweet potatoes.
Add Bacon: Chop a few slices of bacon and saute the pieces with the veggies. The bacon will add a delicious flavor and extra protein and healthy fat to this easy recipe.
Vegetarian Pot Pie Soup: If you want to go meat-free, skip the chicken all together and pressure cook the soup for 6 minutes. Maybe add in some extra veggies (a couple of extra potatoes or mushrooms or 1 cup of cut green beans) to make the soup hearty.
Use Rotisserie Chicken: If you’re short on time, use shredded rotisserie chicken from the store (or leftover chicken from cooking a whole chicken). Add the cooked chicken to the pot with the broth and pressure cook the soup for 6 minutes. This is also how I make quick and easy chicken noodle soup.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Saute Celery, Carrots, Onions, Potatoes
To begin, turn the Instant Pot to saute mode (press the saute button on the front of the pot). Once hot, add the olive oil. Add the celery, carrots, onion, and potatoes and saute until slightly translucent and soft, about 2-3 minutes.
Then add the mushrooms and garlic, and stir to combine. Press the Cancel button to turn off the saute mode.
Step 2: Add Broth, Seasonings, and Chicken
Add the broth, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot well with a wooden spoon. This will loosen any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. If left behind, these bits may cause the Instant Pot to flash a burn notice while pressure cooking.
Now add all the seasonings and chicken breasts to the pot.
Step 3: Pressure Cook for 10 Minutes
Secure the lid on the pot and set the Instant Pot to Manual, High Pressure for 10 minutes. The valve on top of the lid should be set to Sealed.
Step 4: Let Pressure Release Naturally for 10 Minutes
When the Instant is done cooking the soup, it will beep a few times. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes (don’t touch the pot). The screen on the front of the pot will begin counting up, until it reads L10:00.
After 10 minutes, perform a quick release. To do this, turn the steam pressure valve on top of the lid from Sealed to Venting. Once all the pressure has been release (steam is no longer spewing from the valve), open the lid.
Step 5: Shred Chicken & Add Chicken, Peas, Corn, and Cream
Remove the tender chicken to a bowl and shred into small pieces with two forks. Add the shredded chicken, peas, corn, and cream to the soup.
If you’d like to thicken the soup, now is the time (I’ll share how to do this in the next section). Serve warm!
How to Thicken This Creamy Chicken Soup
The best way to thicken sauces and soups made in the Instant Pot is to make a “cornstarch slurry” and add this slurry after the cooking time is complete. You can do this with either cornstarch or arrowroot starch (a grain-free option).
After the soup is done cooking..
- Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl (this makes a “cornstarch slurry”).
- Add the slurry to the soup.
- Turn on the saute mode and heat the soup for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
How to Store and Reheat
- Store leftover soup in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4-5 days.
- This soup does NOT freeze well due to the dairy.
- Reheat the soup in the microwave or on the stove-top, in a saucepan, until warm. This soup is a fantastic option to pack in a thermos for school lunch (or work). Pair the soup with a sandwich, muffin, and/or favorite fruit. See 37 work and school lunch pairings here.
What to Serve With This Delicious Recipe
The only thing this soup is missing is a pie crust. Give this delicious chicken pot pie soup a true pot pie feel by serving it with homemade biscuits (the best comfort food). I’m particularly partial to fluffy einkorn biscuits. Or, make store-bought biscuits. While the soup cooks, bake the biscuits in the oven.
Here are a few more side dish ideas…
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Frequently Asked Questions
MY Favorite
Instant Pot Soup Recipes
Healthy Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Equipment
- 1 6 or 8 Quart Instant Pot for sautéing the veggies and cooking the top
- 1 medium bowl for shredding the chicken after cooking
- 2 forks for shredding the chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 celery stalks diced (1 cup diced)
- 3 medium carrots diced (1 cup diced)
- 1/2 medium white onion diced (1/2 cup diced)
- 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes diced (about 3 medium potatoes), no need to peel unless you prefer the texture
- 8 ounces white mushrooms sliced or diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock or vegetable stock/broth
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts, depending on size) or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup frozen petite peas
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or canned coconut cream/milk (for dairy free)
Thicken the Soup (Optional):
- 1 tablespoon organic cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- To begin, set the Instant Pot to saute mode by pressing the Saute Button. Once hot, add the olive oil.
- Saute the celery, carrots, onion, and potatoes until slightly translucent and soft (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add the mushrooms and garlic, and stir to combine. Press the Cancel button to turn off the saute function.
- Add the broth, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot well with a wooden spoon. Make sure there aren't any bits left on the bottom of the pot as this can cause a "burn notice" when cooking the soup.
- Add all the seasonings and chicken breasts (or chicken thighs) to the pot.
- Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual, High Pressure for 10 minutes. The steam pressure valve on top should be set to Sealed.
- When the Instant is done pressure cooking the soup, it will beep a few times. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes (don't touch the pot). The screen on the front of the pot will begin counting up, until it reads L10:00.
- After 10 minutes, perform a quick release. To do this, turn the steam pressure valve on top of the lid from Sealed to Venting. Once all the pressure has been released (steam is no longer spewing from the valve), open the lid.
- Remove the tender chicken and place in a medium-size bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken into pieces.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot, along with the corn, peas, and heavy cream. Taste for seasoning (adding more salt or pepper as needed). If you want to thicken the soup, see the next step. If you're happy with thickness, but want to warm it up further, use the saute function for a few minutes.
- Thicken the Soup (Optional):
- After adding the chicken, cream, and veggies, whisk 1 tablespoon of corn starch or arrowroot starch with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl (this makes a "cornstarch slurry"). Add the slurry to the soup. Turn on the saute mode and heat the soup for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
- Spoon into bowls and serve warm with homemade biscuits. If you love this recipe, you'll also love my Creamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup.
Notes
Nutrition
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This soup was delicious and so easy to prepare!
Yay, Nicole, so glad you liked it!
Is it possible to double the recipe?
Hey Jamie, You could, but I don’t think either the 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot could hold that much soup without going over the fill line in the liner. I could be wrong.
This sounds delicious. I was thinking of substituting bone in chicken thighs. Would I need to adjust the time at all?
Hi Carla,
You can do that I believe without adjusting time.
LS Team
This was delicious! The potatoes were perfectly tender, and it was just like a chicken pot pie without all of the work! Served to guests and it was a hit!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
LS Team
Delicious!
Do you know how well this would do in the freezer if I left out the cream?
Hey Meredith, It should freeze great.
Thank you, Kristin, for helping me finally take the step to get started with the instant pot! It has been life changing for me!
You’re welcome! It really is life-changing. Such an incredible tool for helping families get real food on the table.
My family could not get enough of this soup at dinner tonight- they kept going back for more!
Yay, so happy to hear that. Glad you’re loving your Instant Pot, Leaha!
Can you make this without any cream so it’s more of a chicken noodle soup and not a creamy pot pie kind?
Hey Jenn, Yes you can, and yes you’re correct about the chicken noodle soup consistency. You could use a dairy-free cream if dairy is an issue.
A new favorite in our home!
Yay, Jennifer! Thank you for coming back to share.
Hi Kristin, Do you think I could use coconut cream instead of cream? I want to make this soup! Looks delicious!
Hey Marcie, I think you could use coconut cream, or a can of coconut milk. It will definitely add a coconut flavor, I bet it would be delicious paired with the spices and other ingredients.
Marcie, I used full fat coconut milk when I made this and it tasted great!
I don’t have an instapot but I just made this in my old canner/pressure cooker and it is DELICIOUS!! Thank you for the recipe!
Yay, Kathy! I’m so glad it worked out for you!
You’ve done it again, Kristin! This was really good. Thank you for the great recipe!
Love the idea of adding turmeric to soup! I really need to use my Instant Pot more than I do – great idea to make soups with it! 🙂
I usually put turmeric in my chicken noodle soup because of the color it adds plus it’s just so good for you. However, I have yet to make the instant pot purchase. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost hit the purchase button, but something has always held me back. I guess I’m not entirely convinced that I would use it that much. And from what I’ve read I would need to purchase the larger instant pot. The only thing that might convince me is how easy it’s suppose to be to make broth.
Oh, and I think ‘magical pot’ stills has the same meaning for most people these days. Ha.
It’s super easy to make broth! Also for me it’s all about the “hands off” of it. Macaroni and cheese takes me only slightly longer than on the stove top, but it’s totally hands-off once it’s in. And I can do dishes or other things while it cooks.
Hey Katie, Lol, I think so too about “magical pot” ;). I read that to my husband and thought, That sounds all wrong! lol. This is the first time I’ve added turmeric, and love it. You’re right, it adds such a nice color and it’s so good for you.
I have the 6 quart and find that it’s the perfect size for our needs. Sometimes Amazon will drop that price on that one ($60ish is the lowest I’ve seen). It took me a good year before I actually used my IP. I still don’t use it as much as I could/should, but it’s so nice to know that I can quickly make a soup or cook beans in 30 minutes. (The bean recipe is coming next ;)).