Instant Pot chicken and vegetable soup

This is the pot to keep going all the time. Chicken, carrots, celery, leeks, and broth, scaled to make about 2.5 quarts, the kind of soup you ladle from for days. On elimination, having something safe and ready in the fridge takes a real decision off your plate when you are tired and hungry.

Carrots are a source of beta-carotene, the leeks and celery add their own spread of plant compounds, and the chicken brings protein to keep you steady. None of it is fancy. It is the kind of broth-based meal that feels like care, especially on the days you need something steady and simple.

It freezes well, so make the full batch and tuck some away. A hard week later already has its dinner.

Ingredients

• 1.25 lb carrots, chopped
• 1 lb celery, chopped
• 1 lb leeks, white and green, sliced
• 1 lb chicken breast, cut in half-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp sea salt
• a few sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 quarts chicken broth

Method

Set the Instant Pot to Saute and warm the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Chicken breast can dry out at pressure, so if that has happened to you before, cut the pieces larger, shorten the saute, or use boneless thighs instead.

Add the carrots, celery, leeks, salt, thyme, and broth. Stir once.

Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, then do a quick release. Lift out and discard the thyme sprigs, taste, and adjust the salt. Expect the pot to take roughly 25 extra minutes to come up to pressure before the cook time begins.

Slow cooker variation

To make this in a slow cooker, brown the chicken first in a skillet if you like, then add everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for about 8 hours. This conversion comes from the source comments and is untested here.

*Adapted from asquirrelinthekitchen.com*