This quick and easy Instant Pot Indian chicken soup is truly my own adaptation of what amma used to make at home. Back then, it was never written down—just a pot on the stove, a handful of spices, and the quiet understanding that this soup was meant to heal as much as it was meant to nourish. It showed up on cold winter evenings, on days when someone was down with a fever, or when comfort was needed without explanation.
This version is very much a dump-and-go recipe, made for busy days and tired bodies, but it loses none of the depth or warmth of the original. The Instant Pot does the heavy lifting, drawing out rich flavors from simple ingredients, filling the kitchen with that familiar, reassuring aroma. It’s light yet deeply satisfying, gently spiced, and incredibly comforting—perfect for winter nights, recovery days, or anytime you want a bowl of something that feels like being taken care of.
This chicken soup is perfect for winter and is one I make often, just like many of the other wholesome soups I’ve shared on this blog like okra soup, broccoli soup, mushroom soup or even the moringa leaves soup.
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Ingredients
The ingredients to make this instant chicken soup recipe are
- Sesame Oil
- Cumin seeds or Jeera
- Garlic cloves
- Ginger
- Red Onion
- Tomatoes
- Chicken
- Chicken broth
- Turmeric
- Salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Why should you make this recipe?
- Light, nourishing, and easy on the stomach.
- Warm and comforting, especially for cold days or recovery.
- Simple dump-and-go Instant Pot recipe.
- Naturally dairy-free and gluten-free.
How to make this quick Indian chicken soup
Prep the ingredients for making this recipe as shown. Dice the garlic cloves. Peel the ginger and cut them to small pieces and crush them on a mortar and pestle.
In the instant pot, in saute mode, add sesame oil and once hot add in the cumin seeds, garlic and ginger. Saute until they give off a fragrant aroma.
Add onions and saute till they become translucent. Do not brown them.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and saute till mushy.
Add the diced chicken,salt and saute.
I was taught to saute the chicken till they turn white as shown in pic.
Add in the chicken broth or the chicken bone broth along with turmeric. Mine was frozen but it still did not matter since I was pressure cooking them.
Close the lid and turn off saute mode. Pressure cook on high for 10 mins and let the pressure release normally.
The final soup looks like this when we open the instant pot. I like to garnish with ground black pepper and finely chopped cilantro leaves. I did not have fresh cilantro leaves that day. Hence uses the freeze dried version.
Hint: If you find that the soup is thick for your liking, you could add water to the soup and cook for few more minutes.
Substitutions
- Chicken bone broth - You can substitute with just chicken broth.
- Garlic cloves - substituted with garlic granules or powder.
- GInger - if you are averse to chewing the fresh ginger that we add the soup, we can always use ½ teaspoon of ginger powder to the soup.
- Cumin seeds substituted with cumin powder.
Variations of the Dairy free Mushroom Soup
On days that I feel bored of the same recipe and try to add in different variations within the realm of mushroom soup.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to add more heat into the dish.
- Herb-infused : Add fresh or dried herbs like mint or cilantro when cooking, to enhance the flavor.
- Add masala: Add ½ teaspoon of my chicken masala powder for a superior punch.
- Lemon squeeze after it finishes cooking for added flavor. You can squeeze half a lemon when you open the instant pot.
Storage Instructions
This Indian chicken soup keeps well in the refrigerator for 2 days. After that, it lacks flavor and zest.
The recipe freezes well for upto 2 weeks when kept in a freezer safe container.
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Quick and Easy Instant Pot Indian Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Equipment
Notes
- Prep all the ingredients as shown. Dice the garlic cloves. Peel the ginger, cut it into small pieces, and crush it using a mortar and pestle.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add sesame oil, and once hot, add the cumin seeds, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until fragrant.
- Add the onions and sauté until they turn translucent. Do not brown them.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté until they become soft and mushy.
- Add the diced chicken and salt. Sauté the chicken—I was taught to cook it until the pieces turn white, as shown in the picture.
- Pour in the chicken broth or chicken bone broth and add the turmeric. My broth was frozen, but that’s perfectly fine since it will be pressure cooked.
- Turn off Sauté mode, close the lid, and pressure cook on High for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Open the Instant Pot once the pressure has released. Garnish the soup with freshly ground black pepper and finely chopped cilantro. I didn’t have fresh cilantro that day, so I used freeze-dried cilantro instead.
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