Chicken Noodle Soup

The world’s best chicken soup is made with dark-meat chicken on the bone. But it sure isn’t the quickest. For this convenient and still-delicious classic chicken noodle, we’ve opted for chicken tenders because they cook quickly. No, they don’t dry out in this technique because they’re thawing as they begin to cook— and are then done in a flash. If you’ve bought a large bag (say, 4 pounds) of fresh chicken tenders, you must first freeze 1 1/2 pounds of it in a clump (in a sealed plastic bag, of course) to make this soup. It’s very hard to break a giant block of frozen chicken tenders into a chunk that’s the right weight. Trust us: We cracked the edge of a sink breaking a block apart.

Cuisine

Modern

Course

Soup

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

30-60 min

Diet

Dairy Free

Cooking Technique

Max Pressure Cook, Pressure Cook

Keywords

30-60 min, 4-6 people, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, chicken broth, contributed, cook 30 min, dairy free, dried dill, easy, frozen chicken tenders, frozen chopped onions; or, frozen sliced carrots, max pressure cook, modern, no‑yolk, or gluten-free dried egg noodles, peeled and minced garlic, prep 5 min, pressure cook, regular, soup, stemmed and minced fresh dill fronds, stemmed fresh thyme leaves, table salt

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Servings

4-6 people

Ingredients

1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
1 cup frozen chopped onions; or
2 tsp peeled and minced garlic
2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp stemmed and minced fresh dill fronds
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp table salt
1 1/2 lbs frozen chicken tenders
10 oz frozen sliced carrots
6 oz regular, no‑yolk, or gluten-free dried egg noodles

Instructions

Stir the broth, onion, garlic (if using), thyme, dill, and salt in a Instant Pot. Set the block of frozen tenders in the pot (it maypartially rest against the side of the insert). Lock the lid onto the pot.
Option 1 : Max Pressure Cooker
Press Pressure cook on Max pressure for 6 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
Option 2 : All Pressure Cookers
Press Soup/Broth, Manual or Pressure Cook (The valve must be closed) for 8 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
Use the quick-release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker.
Break up the chicken in the pot. For the neatest pieces, use poultry or kitchen shears to cut the tenders into spoon-sized pieces. Or use the edge of a metal cooking spoon to break up the tenders (although this method requires wrist strength and a little sweaty determination.) Stir in the carrots and noodles. Lock the lid back onto the pot.
Option 1 : Max Pressure Cook
Press Pressure cook on Max pressure for 3 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
Option 2 : All Pressure Cookers
Press Soup/Broth, Manual or Pressure Cook (The valve must be closed) for 4 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
Use the quick-release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Stir the soup well beforeserving

Notes

• For a heartier soup, add up to 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables with the frozen carrots.
• For a more complex flavor, use 5 cups chicken broth and 1 cup dry white wine.
• Ginger is a nice touch (especially if you’ve got the sniffles): Add up to 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger with the onion.
• Ever tried a ham bone in chicken noodle soup? It adds a distinct meatiness. Add a thawed ham bone with a little bit of meat (not gobs) on it when you add the chicken. And omit the salt, since most hams are salty.

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