Farmhouse Chicken Noodle Soup

SERVES: 8

PRESSURE LEVEL: HIGH

RELEASE: QUICK

TOTAL TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR

TIME UNDER PRESSURE: 20 MINUTES

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS With its velvety broth and deep flavor, old-fashioned chicken noodle soup is an ideal pressure-cooker candidate since the pressure cooker can extract flavor from the meat, skin, and bones of a whole chicken in just 20 minutes. We started by putting the chicken into the pot with some aromatics, carrots, celery, and water. Placing the chicken in the pot breast side up allowed the thighs and more delicate breast meat to cook though at the same time since the thighs were in contact with the pot’s bottom. After 20 minutes, the meat practically fell off the bones, making it easy to shred and stir back in. Soy sauce gave the broth even deeper, richer meaty flavor. To keep things simple, we cooked the noodles in the broth while we shredded the chicken. See the step shot and Troubleshooting that follows the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1

tablespoon vegetable oil

1

onion, chopped fine

3

garlic cloves, minced

1

teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried

8

cups water

4

carrots, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick

2

celery ribs, sliced ½ inch thick

2

tablespoons soy sauce

1

(4–pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded

Salt and pepper

4

ounces (2⅔ cups) wide egg noodles

¼

cup minced fresh parsley

1. BUILD FLAVOR: Heat oil in pressure-cooker pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in water, carrots, celery, and soy sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place, breast side up, in pot.

2. HIGH PRESSURE FOR 20 MINUTES: Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.

3. QUICK RELEASE PRESSURE: Remove pot from heat. Quick release pressure, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

4. BEFORE SERVING: Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred meat into bite-size pieces, discarding skin and bones. Meanwhile, using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of soup. Bring soup to boil, stir in noodles, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken and parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

VARIATION

Farmhouse Chicken and Rice Soup

Substitute 1 cup long-grain white rice for egg noodles and cook until tender, 15 to 18 minutes.