There’s nothing better than a warm, delicious bowl of chicken soup on a cold winter day—especially here in the Midwest—or on days when you’re feeling under the weather. This super-easy chicken soup recipe is a favorite among my family and friends!
Growing up, I absolutely loved a chicken soup recipe from a family friend. It was so creamy and delicious that, as a teenager, I occasionally made it for my family. But, true to the ’90s, the base of the soup was a rich mix of chicken broth, milk, and Velveeta cheese. While I don’t want to hate on Velveeta, I was eager to create a healthier version of this beloved soup. Coconut milk has been my go-to for adding a creamy texture to soups.
First, prepare your vegetables: carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes. This is also the perfect moment to rave about one of my favorite kitchen gadgets—the Vidalia Chop Wizard. I first saw an infomercial for this miraculous veggie chopper about 15 years ago and knew I had to have it. I’ve been using it ever since! I think I’m on my second or third one, and it remains one of my most-used kitchen tools, making an appearance at least two or three times a week. I love how uniform it makes everything, especially for soup, and how much it speeds up prep time.
Make sure you have pre-cooked chicken ready to go. In the past, I’ve used leftover rotisserie or grilled chicken, or I’ve simply cooked a few small to medium-sized chicken breasts in the air fryer or Instant Pot ahead of time. I’ve even used leftover Thanksgiving turkey, and it turned out amazing!
Once your vegetables are chopped and your chicken is prepped, you’re ready to start cooking! Set your Instant Pot to the ‘sauté’ setting and add the butter or ghee.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot and are wondering about the right size, I use my 6-quart model the most. I also have a 3-quart version, but I only use it when my larger one is already in use.
Once the butter or ghee has melted, add the chopped carrots, celery, and onions. Stir and sauté until the vegetables are slightly tender.
Next, add the chicken stock along with all the seasonings—thyme, sage, salt, and pepper—and stir to combine. Then, add the chicken and potatoes, stirring again to incorporate everything evenly.
Place the Instant Pot lid on securely with the steam valve set to ‘sealing.’ Switch the cook setting from sauté to manual pressure cook for 10 minutes. The pot will take about 10 minutes to build up pressure, and once it’s ready, the timer will start counting down.
When the time’s up, let the soup sit for another 10–15 minutes so some of the pressure can release naturally. Then, carefully turn the steam valve to ‘releasing’—and watch out for that hot steam! Once the steam is fully released, take off the lid (carefully, since it’ll be super hot).
Next, stir in the coconut milk and give the soup a taste. If it needs a little more salt or pepper, now’s the time to add it. At this point, it’s ready to eat! But if you’re not quite ready to serve, keep the Instant Pot on warm and cover it with a regular saucepan lid. Letting it sit for another 20–30 minutes really deepens the flavors, and the coconut becomes more subtle—totally worth it if you have the time!
If you love noodles in your chicken soup, feel free to toss in some pre-cooked ones after it’s finished. My kids always ask for noodles, so I add gluten-free ones to their bowls right before serving.
This soup also freezes beautifully. One of my go-to tricks is freezing individual portions—perfect for quick meals when someone’s under the weather or when we need an easy lunch or dinner.
No pressure cooker? No problem! You can make this on the stovetop just as easily. Follow the same steps, minus the pressure cooking. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and let it simmer for 1–3 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the flavors have had time to develop.
I hope you love this soup as much as my family and friends do!
The Best Paleo Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Soup
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
- 3 Tbsp grass-fed butter or ghee
- 1 32 oz carton of chicken stock or broth
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rubbed sage
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1 1/2-2 pounds chopped chicken, pre-cooked
- 3 cups chopped potatoes (about 3 small-medium potatoes)
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk, full fat
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting.
- Add grass-fed butter or ghee.
- Once melted, add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery.
- Sauté the vegetables until slightly tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock, then add the sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the chopped potatoes and pre-cooked chopped chicken. Stir again to mix everything together.
- Secure the pressure cooker lid and set the Instant Pot to “manual” pressure cook for 10 minutes, ensuring the pressure valve is set to “seal.”
- When the timer goes off, let the soup sit for another 10-15 minutes.
- After 10-15 minutes, carefully switch the pressure valve to “releasing” to release the steam. Watch out—it’ll be hot!
- Remove the lid with caution, then stir in the coconut milk.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve and enjoy!
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