Instant Pot Chicken Quinoa Veggie Soup

Name: Instant Pot Chicken Quinoa Veggie Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp oil; 1 onion (chopped); 4 garlic cloves (minced); 2 carrot (diced); 1 tomato (chopped); 2 chicken breast; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1.5 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp salt; 2/3 cup white quinoa (rinsed and drained); 4 cups chicken stock; 1 can(540ml) white kidney beans (drained and rinsed); 2 cups baby spinach; 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper

This delicious and comforting Instant Pot chicken quinoa vegetable soup comes together in under 10 minutes. A filling and hearty meal in no time!

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instant pot chicken quinoa veggie soup in bowls

Chicken Quinoa Vegetable Soup

You know you have a keeper when you resort to making this soup as soon as you make a fresh batch of homemade chicken stock. I have made this soup several times and I absolutely love it. It's hearty, filling and everybody gets to eat quinoa. Win, win!

Truth be told, not everyone in my household likes to eat boiled quinoa. It's an acquired taste. I first bought quinoa to replace rice in my diet. And it seemed easy to cook and pack for an office lunch for my husband. Then I was giving him a quinoa lunch regularly. He politely let me know he was not a fan. There goes the ease of making lunch out the door!

My kids didn't like them either. They'd have a few mouthfuls of the quinoa and ask for something else at dinner. In the end, I was the only one in the household eating quinoa.

When I came across a quinoa soup recipe I marveled at the idea. The quinoa cooked in a spiced delicious soupy broth seems more inviting than a plate of quinoa in front of you, right? I could get my kids to eat any soup with chicken in it. So why not try adding chicken to a quinoa soup. They didn't go berserk over it but they didn't ask for any other meals either. You get the idea! This mom can live with that.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Quinoa Soup

This is the kind of soup that you eat sitting on a comfy couch, a warm cozy blanket around you and you finish reading that book from cover to cover. It's filling, warm, and keeps you satisfied.

It has

Shredded chicken
Beans
Veggies
Greens
Quinoa
Homemade spiced chicken stock

Instant Pot to the rescue

I have made this on the stove and the Instant Pot. I like the Instant Pot version better. It needs less stock and the Instant Pot locks in the flavor. And it's fast, you guys! If you have all the ingredients in hand you can get this soup on the table in no time. Trust me!

How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Quinoa Vegetable Soup

It's so easy to make this soup in the Instant Pot.

Once you heat the Instant Pot, add oil. When the oil is heated saute the chopped onion and garlic.

When it's fragrant you add the carrot, tomatoes, coriander, cumin, salt, and saute until the tomatoes become soft.

Add the chicken that's cut into three large chunks. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the quinoa and broth.

Cover the instant pot with the lid and cook in high pressure for 7 minutes. Once the time is up, manually release the pressure.

Remove the chicken, shred and add it back to the pot. Add the beans and spinach. You can either press the "Saute" button and heat up the soup or let the residual heat warm up the beans and spinach. I do the latter.

Best Tips

White quinoa - for fast cooking.
Rinse the quinoa - on a strainer under running water to get rid of the saponins which cause the bitterness. I used organic white quinoa which isn't bitter at all.
Chicken thighs or breasts - I used chicken breasts. Cut the breast to at least 3 pieces to cook evenly with everything else.
Let it rest - for a few minutes. Quinoa absorbs water like crazy. If you still want a brothy soup after that you can add more stock.

How To Store and Reheat

To store the soup, ladle it into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3 days.

Reheat in the stovetop or microwave until warm through.

Can You Freeze Instant Pot Chicken Quinoa Veggie Soup?

Yes, you can freeze this soup. They are great for meal prep. Simply pour it into freezer-safe containers or zip lock bags and place it in the freezer. Don't forget to write the name and date on the container.

Freeze it for 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight. You can reheat it in the microwave or stovetop.

What Can You Substitute White Beans With?

If you don't have any white beans on hand, you can use canned chickpeas. Black-eyed peas will work as well. Or any bean medley or use your favorite beans. Rinse the canned beans and drain well before using them.

To use freshly cooked or home-cooked beans instead of canned, use about 1 cup of drained beans.

Recipe Variations

You can use turkey instead of chicken in this recipe.

Use zucchini instead of carrot.

To increase the spiciness, add half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

More Soup Recipes You'll Enjoy

Instant Pot Thai Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted Broccoli Soup

Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Keto Pumpkin Soup

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