Instant Pot Cream of Chicken Soup is such a simple recipe that there’s no reason to use the canned version! This creamy chicken soup recipe is great for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey or rotisserie chicken. Add rice, pasta, or even more vegetables to make this a substantial meal.
Table of Contents
Introduction
I also refer to this Instant Pot Cream of Chicken Soup as Thanksgiving Soup because you can add leftover Thanksgiving turkey instead of chicken. It’s a great recipe to use leftover rotisserie chicken too.
I freeze leftover chicken or turkey into 2-cup portions and when I’m ready to use it, I thaw and add to this and other soup recipes.
This creamy chicken soup is made with leeks, which are a milder version of onions. I find that pressure cooking the leeks gives the soup a nice creamy texture.
This is such a simple and quick recipe – the soup is made by sauteing the vegetables and herbs, pressure cooking them with the broth and then adding chicken and cream. That’s it.
Here are some more Instant Pot soup recipes:
– Instant Pot Pork Soup with Hatch Chiles
– Instant Pot Thai Coconut Soup
– Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup
– Instant Pot Chicken Curry Soup
– Instant Pot Chipotle Shrimp Soup
– Instant Pot African Peanut Stew
Tips and Substitutions
Substitute Chicken with Thanksgiving Turkey Leftovers
Replace the cooked chicken with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. If you have leftover Thanksgiving stuffing, form them into 1-1/2 inch balls and bake them on a tray in a 350 degree preheated oven until lightly browned, and serve as dumplings in the soup!
Use Uncooked Chicken
If you want to use uncooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces and add with the mushrooms, pressure cook for 3 minutes, quick release and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
White Wine
Here’s another tip for you that I use all the time. Since white wine really doesn’t keep for more than a few days, I substitute dry white vermouth. It works really well if you don’t want to open a new bottle of white wine. See my Kitchen Hacks and Tips for more tips.
You can substitute broth for the white wine.
Leeks
Be sure to clean the leeks really well because there can be grit between the layers. I use all of the white and light green parts and save the dark green parts to make chicken stock. If you’re not able to find leeks, substitute about 1 cup of chopped onions.
Vegetables
I sometimes add frozen peas to the soup at the same time I add the cooked chicken or turkey and let it cook in saute mode for a couple of minutes.
You can do the same with your choice of frozen vegetables including spinach and corn. If you’re using raw vegetables (unfrozen), add them with the mushrooms and pressure cook them for a minute.
Spice
Spice up this creamy soup by adding chopped or sliced jalapenos when you’re sauteing the vegetables at the beginning, or add diced chipotle peppers at the end, when adding the cream.
Thyme
Substitute 1 to 1-1/2 tsp fresh thyme for the dried thyme.
Burn Message and Sealing Issues
This recipe was made in a 6 quart Instant Pot Ultra and I’ve have had no sealing issues or burn errors.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Cream of Chicken Soup Ingredients
- Garlic
- Nutmeg
- Flour
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Thyme
- Wine
- Cream
- Carrots
- Leeks
- Broth
- Mushrooms
- Celery
- Chicken
How to Make Creamy Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute mode
- Add vegetables
- Saute vegetables and spices
- Deglaze and add broth
- Pressure cook
- Release pressure
- Add chicken and garnish
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Add Vegetables
- Once the Instant Pot has pre-heated, add butter and let it melt but not brown.
- Stir in leeks, celery, and carrots.
Saute Vegetables and Add Spices
- Saute vegetables until leeks are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, thyme, pepper, salt, nutmeg and saute for about a minute.
- Add flour and stir constantly for about a minute. *
* At any point, if you find the Instant Pot is getting too hot, press Cancel and allow it to cool down a bit and then resume cooking.
Deglaze and Add Broth
- Press Cancel and add wine to deglaze the pot. Stir to completely remove brown bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- If not completely deglazed, add a few tablespoons of broth.
- Stir in remaining broth and mushrooms.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 1 minute
- Close the lid and make sure the steam release handle is in the Sealing position.
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads 1 (1 minute).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 1 minute
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 1 minute (00:01).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00 or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to do a 10-minute Natural Release of Pressure
- Allow the Instant Pot to stay in Keep Warm mode for 10 minutes.
How to Release any Remaining Pressure on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Any remaining steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Release any Remaining Pressure on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and any remaining steam will come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Add Chicken and Garnish
- Stir in cooked chicken and cream.
- Select Saute mode and cook for a couple of minutes until heated through, stirring gently.
- Serve garnished with green onions, chopped parsley, and bacon.
Instant Pot Cream of Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 cups leeks sliced thin
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 3/4 cup carrots diced
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup dry white wine or sherry
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth plus up to 1/4 cup more for deglazing
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced or quartered
- 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey diced
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Garnish: scallions parsley and crumbled bacon
Instructions
- Select the Saute function.
- Add butter to the inner pot and allow it to melt for a few seconds.
- Add leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic.
- Saute till vegetables have softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add thyme, pepper, salt, nutmeg and saute for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- At any point, if you find the Instant Pot is getting too hot, press ‘Cancel’ and allow to cool down and then resume cooking.
- Press Cancel and add wine or sherry to deglaze the pot. Stir to remove brown bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot. If not completely deglazed, add a tablespoon or two of broth.
- Stir in remaining broth and mushrooms.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 1 minute.
- Do a 10-minute Natural Release of Pressure (NPR). If you're in a rush, a quick release (QR) would also be fine. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Stir in chicken and cream.
- Select Saute and allow the ingredients to simmer for a few minutes.
- Garnish each serving with scallions, parsley and/or crumbled bacon.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped leeks, minced garlic, cubed carrots, etc.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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More Instant Pot Chicken Soup Recipes
Coconut Chicken Curry Soup
Instant Pot African Peanut Stew
Instant Pot Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)
Marian
Is it possible to use half and half in lieu of heavy cream? I always have 1/2 and 1/2 on hand but rarely heavy cream. Not sure if it would curdle.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Marian, yes you could use half and half. It would be a bit thinner and less rich but I think it would be fine.
Skeezix
It’s important to know which kitchen tools are the best choice for any given task. An Instant Pot works well for ingredients that need long cooking in order to be tender, such as beans or a rump roast. The downside of using a pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot) is that it takes extra time to bring the pressure up and then to bring it back down again so the lid can be opened. Since there’s nothing in this recipe that needs long cooking or tenderizing, that’s adding a lot of extra time and busywork for no valid reason. It will be faster to simply cook this soup on top of the stove.
Paint the Kitchen Red
This recipe is one option for people who are looking to make a delicious cream of chicken soup. Of course, a stove is always an option. I do have readers who don’t have access to a stove and some readers (elderly) who don’t feel comfortable using a stove.
Cathy Ajeman
Can I use my 3 quart pot?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Cathy, the rule of thumb is you need to make sure the contents don’t go past the 2/3 mark. Unless you have food that expands e.g. rice, beans, in which case don’t go past the 1/2 mark.
Amanda
Hi Neena,
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. It has become my favorite soup! I didn’t really cook with leeks before (they seemed costly), but after trying this soup, I am now a big fan. My husband doesn’t like mushrooms so I had to leave it out, but even without it, this is the best comfort food without being too heavy. By the way, I’ve also tried your red beans and rice recipe and it was also a big hit. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful IP recipes and tips!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Oh, thanks Amanda! I’m glad you’ve discovered the joy of leeks. Thanks for taking a moment to leave a comment and for sharing your experience.
Laura
This soup is amazing! I’m making it now a second time, doubling everything and the house smells so good! Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Laura – I’m so glad to hear it. It’s the definition of comfort food 🙂
Laura L. Murphy
Super (sooper?!) tasty! Only thing I did different was evaporated milk instead of cream. Thanks for this great recipe, so full of flavor, will be making this again and again – and doubling!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Laura – it’s very kind of you to take the time to comment. It’s such a simple and comforting soup!
Sandra
My husband I really enjoyed the soup and how you write the recipe is so bread. I am 77 and just wish someone could do chopping for me.lol
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sandra, I’m with you – I’d love a sous chef just to chop chicken, onions and garlic, haha! Thanks for taking the time to comment on the recipe!
Michelle Welle-Countiss
Holy cow! I just bought my first Instant Pot Duo and have been looking for recipes that I could “learn” on. This is fantastic! I used broth instead of wine. It is creamy, full of flavor, and perfect for a quick meal. Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Michelle, you are very wise to try out a recipe like this to introduce yourself to the Instant Pot (or is it vice versa?) I love this recipe for thanksgiving leftovers!
Cynthia
Thank you so much for detailing this recipe. My husband and I love it,in fact I have made it twice in the last two weeks. I only came across your site recently and want to thank you for your lovely recipes, the little videos and the detailed instructions. I have printed out several more of your recipes this morning and tonight I am making the Morrocan soup.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for taking a moment to comment and rate the recipe, Cynthia! I am so excited for you to try the Instant Pot Moroccan Stew. I think you’re going to love it – but do let me know what you think 🙂
Ben
Great soup for a cold winter day. The family loved it….
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Ben, it’s such a simple soup but so comforting in the winter. Thanks for taking a minute to comment!
John
If I wanted to add some cut up potatoes, rice, or pasta to this soup, when would be the best step to do so?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi John, you can add diced (1/3 inch cubed) potatoes with the mushrooms, etc and cook for the same amount of time. You can pressure cook some orzo with the soup ingredients, but you’ll need to increase the cooking time to 3 minutes or so (no potatoes though – they would overcook unless you cut them into larger chunks). You can add cooked rice or cooked pasta at the end and heat in saute mode. Enjoy.
Lynn Woods
I, perhaps mistakenly, bought an 8 qt IP. What would the formula be to convert a 6 qt recipe to an 8 qt? Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Lynn – you should be able to make most 6 quart recipes in an 8 quart without much change. The only exception is recipes that have very little liquid, in which case you’ll need to increase the liquid by a bit. I’ve made most of my 6 quart recipes in my 8 quart with no problems.