Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (Gluten Free Recipe)

Making flavorful Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with gluten free noodles is easier than you might think!

This gluten free Chicken Noodle Soup made in the Instant Pot will quickly become a favorite meal for the whole family. It’s full of ingredients most kids love – tender chicken, noodles, carrots and flavorful broth.

Since I use cooked chicken in this easy recipe, it has a short cook time too. So I can make my classic stovetop version in a fraction of the time it used to take.

This classic soup is delicious on a cold winter night or anytime you’re craving comfort food.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups of sliced carrots
• 1 ½ cups of sliced celery
• 1 cup of diced onion
• 8 cups of chicken stock
• 4 cups of cubed, cooked chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ½ cups of gluten free elbow noodles

Equipment

• Knife
• Cutting Board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Instant Pot
• Wooden spoon
• Ladle
• Serving bowl

By the Numbers: How to Make the Best Chicken Noodle Soup

Follow these simple steps to learn how to make comforting Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients

The first thing you want to do with most Instant Pot recipes is prepare your ingredients since they move quickly. So go ahead and chop and measure everything out. You can get all of the measurements in the recipe card (where you’ll also find the full printable recipe).

Step 2: Saute Vegetables

Next, press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot, then add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the inner pan and heat until warm. Once the olive oil is warm, add 2 cups of sliced carrots and stir until they begin changing color.

Next, add 1 ½ cups of sliced celery and 1 cup of diced onions, then keep sautéing until the onion becomes translucent. Push the Cancel button to turn off the Saute setting.

Step 3: Stir in Chicken, Stock and Spices

Pour in 8 cups of chicken stock (I use my homemade chicken stock), 4 cups of cubed cooked chicken, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Step 4: Sprinkle in Gluten Free Pasta

Sprinkle 1 ½ cups of gluten free elbow noodles into the pot without stirring (if you stir, they’ll stick). Place the lid on your Instant Pot and cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes.

Step 5: Adjust Seasoning

As soon as the cooking time is up, open the pressure valve to Quick Release all pressure, open lid and stir with a large wooden spoon or ladle. Discard by leaf. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Step 6: Serve Chicken Noodle Soup

Enjoy a big bowl of chicken noodle soup. I like to serve this hearty soup with homemade gluten free bread. You can also give it a small squeeze of lemon juice just before serving for a pop of extra flavor.

Tips for Making Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Answers to all of your questions about making homemade pressure cooker chicken noodle soup, including tips and substitution ideas.

The pasta was over or under cooked

If the pasta isn’t cooked when you open the lid, turn your Instant Pot back on Saute mode and simmer until the noodles are tender.

If you make this recipe the first time and realize you prefer your pasta more al dente, next time reduce the cook time by 1 minute. You’ll want to saute the carrots a bit longer since the pressure cooking time will be reduced.

As an alternative, you can make this Instant Pot chicken soup recipe without the noodles, then cook the noodles separately in a pot since gluten free pasta can be a bit finicky. When you serve the soup, add the noodles to each individual bowl as they’re served.

Use a whole chicken instead

Yes, it’s a great way to make this easy recipe even easier. I like to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot or buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and use shredded chicken from that for my homemade chicken noodle soup since it takes less time and effort.

You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of cubed boneless skinless chicken breast if you prefer the flavor.

And if you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, it works perfectly in this soup too.

Most flavorful chicken stock to use

I typically use my homemade chicken stock in this recipe. However, you can also use store-bought stock if you prefer.

Can fresh herbs be used instead of dried herbs?

Yes, if you prefer to use fresh ingredients, the general rule is one tablespoon of fresh herbs for every teaspoon of dried herbs, so you’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme instead of 2 teaspoons of dried thyme.
• 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley instead of 1 teaspoon of dried parsley.

Can regular pasta be used?

Yes, you don’t have to use gluten-free pasta in this recipe. Wide egg noodles make a good choice because they also cook in 3 minutes for tender egg noodles or 1-2 minutes for al dente egg noodles. Other noodles may have different cook times.

Okay to use frozen chicken?

You’ll need a longer pressure cook time if you use frozen chicken, so I don’t recommend it in this recipe or you’ll have mushy noodles.

Instead, it’s best to cook the chicken breasts in the Instant Pot first, then continue with the rest of the recipe. No one likes undercooked chicken.

Why quick release pressure?

I know a lot of people are afraid to quick release pressure from their Instant Pots. However, it’s really important to do so in this recipe. If you allow for a natural release, you’ll end up with mushy pasta because pressure cookers keep cooking while the pressure is being released.

Storage tips

Store any leftover soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container and use within 3-4 days. To reheat the next day, simply add to a small saucepan on the stove top and reheat on low. If you reheat on high heat, the noodles will cook down more.

You can also freeze this easy chicken noodle soup, but only if you prepare the noodles separately. If you try to freeze a soup with gluten free noodles in it, they will usually turn to mush when you reheat.

When freezing soups, be sure to use a freezer-safe container and leave room for expansion. About 1″ is usually sufficient head space. Chicken soup may be frozen for 4-6 months.

More easy Instant Pot soup recipes

Making soup in the Instant Pot is my favorite way to make it for my family. Here are some of our favorite recipes:

• Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
• Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
• Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup
• Instant Pot Bean Soup
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

If you want a simple soup you can make on the stovetop, try this chicken soup recipe.

More Instant Pot chicken recipes

I don’t know about you, but I usually buy a lot of chicken breasts at once (you can get 10% off at Perdue Farms with coupon code FLAVOR10) and need good recipes to use them in! Here are some of our favorite Instant Pot chicken recipes.

• Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
• Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken
• Instant Pot Jambalaya
• Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
• Instant Pot Crack Chicken
• Instant Pot Whole Chicken

More Gluten Free Instant Pot Recipes