While my mom’s my mom’s whole-chicken soup will always be the gold standard, this version is my “Modern Mom” essential. Using chicken thighs means you don’t have to do anything at all to prep the chicken. It simply goes into the pot with water and some aromatics. If you want the deep benefits of a traditional confinement soup, but you are navigating life with a newborn, this Instant Pot version of an herbal chicken soup extracts the vital collagen and amino acids with just five minutes of prep time and yields a thousand times more taste and nourishment than anything you can buy in a grocery store.
The Science of Pressure Cooking
As a registered dietitian, I often get asked if pressure cooking destroys nutrients. For connective tissues, it is actually incredibly efficient.
Using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs is non-negotiable for this recipe. The high pressure and temperature inside the Instant Pot rapidly break down the dense connective tissues and marrow in the thighs. This process extracts the collagen and amino acids (like glycine and proline) directly into the broth, making it profoundly supportive for tissue repair, gut health, and joint recovery after childbirth.
Instructions
1. Prepping the Pot
Place about 1.5 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs into the Instant Pot insert.
Add cold water until the chicken is submerged, leaving about one inch of water above the top of the meat. Next, add your aromatics.
Aromatics: Functional Ingredients for Postpartum Recovery
You can absolutely include all of these aromatics to mirror the functional benefits of my mom’s traditional recipe for healing chicken bone broth. However, if your pantry is bare, just ginger and scallion will still yield a restorative broth full of collagen and amino acids.
2. Set the Instant Pot
Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 45 minutes.
Now, step away and let the pot do the work. Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 to 40 minutes. This slow release keeps the chicken incredibly tender and prevents the broth from aggressively boiling and clouding up inside the pot.
When you open the lid, you will be greeted by a beautiful, shimmering golden color!
3. Debone the Chicken and Serve the Healing Chicken Bone Broth
Strain the liquid to remove the aromatics and the bones. The broth can be served immediately over several meals.
Because the chicken thighs will be fall-off-the-bone tender, you can easily shred the meat with two forks. Add it back into the broth for a protein-heavy meal, or save it separately for cold salads during the week.
Freezer Tip
If you are preparing this during pregnancy for your upcoming fourth trimester, freezing is highly recommended.
- Use wide-mouth mason jars or repurposed glass jam jars.
- Crucial tip: Always leave at least an inch of “headspace” at the top of the jar. Liquid expands as it freezes, and you don’t want your restorative broth to break the glass!
Keep a stash of these small jars in the freezer so you can easily warm a mug of pure, healing nourishment whenever you need it.
Instant Pot Herbal Chicken Soup
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker e.g., Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 3-5 dried dates optional
- 1 piece astragalus root optional, about 10 g
- 10-12 goji berries optional
- 1 slice fresh ginger
- 1 sprig fresh scallion
- water (enough to cover chicken by 1 inch)
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Prep & Aromatics: Place 1.5 lbs bone-in chicken thighs in the Instant Pot. Submerge in cold water (approx. 1 inch above meat) and add ginger, scallions, and functional aromatics (astragalus, red dates).
- Pressure Cook: Secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes.
- Natural Release: Allow a natural pressure release for 20–40 minutes.
- Finish & Serve: Strain the broth to remove aromatics. Shred the fall-off-the-bone chicken to add back into the soup or save for future protein-heavy meals. Add goji berries just before serving for an antioxidant boost.
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