Make this fuss-free Sweet Potato Kale & Chicken Instant Pot Soup in under 30 minutes! Minimal prep required and made with basic ingredients you probably have on hand or can easily find in the store. | Gluten Free + Paleo + Whole30
This soup, or at least variations of this soup, has been my go to all winter.
Whenever I find myself in a pinch for a meal and in need of a grocery shop I can usually scramble enough together to make some sort of chicken instant pot soup. It takes next to no prep time and requires only a handful of basic ingredients so it’s a win all around.
This is the type of recipe that allows for a lot of flexibility when it comes to adding/swapping extra veg. Instead of sweet potato you can use carrots or squash. If you’ve got any odd bits and ends of veggies that need using – throw them in. Stray leeks and celery stalks make for a nice addition here. Just make sure not to fill your pot more than 2/3 of the way full.
And then of course you can just keep it simple as it’s written here and you can’t go wrong!
How to Make: Sweet Potato Kale & Chicken Instant Pot Soup
All together you can make this soup in about 30 minutes or less. The actual hands on time here is very minimal. Most of this time will be just waiting for the instant pot to come up/down in pressure.
Once you’ve prepped your ingredients, start out by warming up the instant pot and sautéing your onion. Gently frying your onions first does two things for you in this recipe:
- They add depth of flavour.
- They speed up the warming up process your instant pot so that it will take less time for it to come up to temperature later to cook.
Simply fry the onions in a little olive oil for a few minutes to soften and that’s pretty much all the work done. Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the kale and then just seal, cook and wait.
Quick Pressure Release or Natural Pressure Release?
After the timer has gone off you can use the quick pressure release method (just switching the valve from sealing to venting) after about 5 minutes or let it come down in pressure naturally. If you let it depressurise without any interference it could take up to 20-30 minutes so I usually just cut it short early unless I’m busy.
Just keep in mind that your pot will hiss and steam more with the the earlier your switch your valve from sealing to venting. I usually just throw a kitchen towel over the valve to keep it from spitting water droplets everywhere.
Finishing Up
Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and transfer to a plate or cutting board. Use a couple of forks to shred the chicken into smaller chunks. Once shredded add the chicken back to the pot along with the chopped up kale. Stir and fully submerge the kale into the soup and let sit for a couple of minutes. The soup should still be hot enough to wilt/soften the kale for consumption.
Finally, just taste the broth and season with a little salt, pepper and lemon juice as needed and that’s it. Serve along side a slice of gluten free bread or paleo friendly dinner rolls to soak up the broth and enjoy!
Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
- Yes. If using frozen chicken breasts adjust cook time to 10 minutes.
- If your chicken pieces are frozen together, place them in a bowl of cold water until you can pry them apart. If you try to cook this using frozen chicken breast in one giant chunk it won’t cook fully or evenly.
Other Instant Pot Soups You Might Enjoy:
- Easy Tomato Instant Pot Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Wild Rice Soup
- White Bean Chicken Chili Soup
- From Scratch Instant Pot Chicken Soup
Sweet Potato Kale & Chicken Instant Pot Soup
Make this fuss-free Sweet Potato Kale & Chicken Instant Pot Soup in under 30 minutes! Minimal prep required and made with basic ingredients you probably have on hand or can easily find in the store. | Gluten Free + Paleo + Whole30
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks, (can sub with carrots or squash)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cups packed or 1 bunch lacinto kale stems removed and sliced
Instructions
- Press the sauté button on the instant pot and wait for it to heat up. Add the oil. When the oil is simmering add the onion. Cook and stir for a few minutes to soften.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the kale. Stir to combine.
- Secure the lid on the instant pot and make sure the dial on top is set to 'sealing'. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. (Press 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' and set the timer to 6 minutes.)
- When the time is up you can use the quick release method after five minutes or let pressure come down naturally.
- After removing the lid carefully remove the chicken breasts from the soup and transfer to a cutting board or a plate. Using a couple of forks shred the chicken into small pieces and then add back into the soup along with the kale. Give the kale a couple of minutes to soften in the hot broth. Taste and season with a little more salt and lemon juice if desired and serve.
Notes
Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
- Yes. If using frozen chicken breasts adjust cook time to 10 minutes.
- If your chicken pieces are frozen together, place them in a bowl of cold water until you can pry them apart. If you try to cook this using frozen chicken breast in one giant chunk it won't cook fully or evenly.
Quick Release or Natural Release?
After the timer has gone off you can use the quick pressure release method (just switching the valve from sealing to venting) after about 5 minutes or let it come down in pressure naturally. If you let it depressurise without any interference it could take up to 20-30 minutes so I usually just cut it short early unless I'm busy.
Just keep in mind that your pot will hiss and steam more with the the earlier your switch your valve from sealing to venting. I usually just throw a kitchen towel over the valve to keep it from spitting water droplets everywhere.
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