Inspired by classic chicken pot pie, this soup version is made with hearty veggies and chicken. A fast, comforting, and healthy meal for busy weeknights. Add homemade biscuits on top of this delicious soup for a complete meal!
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.
Cooking Time Note: The soup needs to pressure cook for 10 minutes. Before the Instant Pot begins pressure cooking, it can take 5-10 minutes for the pot to reach pressure. So while the soup only takes 10 minutes to cook, the total time it takes to make this soup may be a bit longer. Keep this in mind when making dinner.The nutritional information does not include the cornstarch.