Lebanese chicken soup is ready in no time thanks to the instant pot. Filled with chick peas, lemon juice, cinnamon and spinach, this chicken soup recipe is naturally gluten free.
While I enjoy my mom’s chicken soup all year round, it is most definitely soup season right now in Michigan so I’ve been making this Lebanese version regularly lately!!
My husband got me an Instant Pot for Christmas so I’ve been having fun playing around with it. Do you have one? If not, check out my Slow Cooker Chicken Soup.
So far I’m still not an expert but one thing is for sure: cooking soup in an Instant Pot is a sure fire way add depth of flavor and richness to the soup.
Similar to the slow cooker, it’s truly a one pot meal – you just dump everything in and press “SOUP!” While it does still take a good amount of time (30 minutes to cook plus 30 minutes for the steam to release, plus time for warming up) it is fairly hands off and easy.
Whether you make this soup on the stove top, with a slow cooker or in the Instant Pot, just make this soup! You’re going to love the warm cinnamon, hearty chickpeas and bright lemon juice in each bite.
Your spoon is waiting.
Instant Pot Lebanese Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large carrots diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 15 ounces cooked chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 six-ounce chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 8 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 8 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Place the carrots, onions, celery and chick peas in the bottom of the liner pot. Top with chicken breasts then add cinnamon, garlic powder, salt, pepper, lemon juice and chicken broth.
- Close the lid, make sure the vent is closed then press “SOUP”. Once the timer goes off, release the pressure naturally using NPR. This may take up to 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid then carefully shred the chicken breasts using two forks. Stir in the spinach before serving, stirring it for 1-2 minutes or until it’s wilted. Check for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice to taste.
Chef’s Notes
Nutrition
I have so many more Lebanese recipes on my Pinterest board. Check them out for yourself!
annie
93% of the daily recommended sodium intake in EACH BOWL?!?!? Seriously??? Where is all this sodium coming from?? This is a deal breaker and I hope it’s a mistake.
Liz DellaCroce
Hi Annie – If you can source chicken without added sodium water that will help. Also try using salt-free/homeade chicken broth and dried chickpeas. :)
Jenn
Is this timing with fresh or frozen chickem?
Liz DellaCroce
Fresh!
Sarah
I made this today, followed the recipe exactly, and it did not come out well. I highly suggest you greatly reduce your cooking time. Pressure cooking is stove-top cooking on crack, so if you look at your recipe with that it mind, the cooking time is far too long. It takes 10-15 minutes to poach chicken breasts on the stove-top. Here, they are pressure cooking for thirty minutes (plus the time it takes to pressurize) + sitting in that very hot environment for thirty more minutes. Both breasts shrunk and lost all texture and the vegetables were very mushy. There’s no rice or noodles, only COOKED chickpeas, so why the long cooking time? It would actually be faster and taste better if you made it on the stove-top. Otherwise, I think it should be ten minutes max, and even then maybe use quick release on the pressure. The soup button on the Instant Pot is a lot like the popcorn button on a microwave. You shouldn’t ever use it. The soup is still edible but not good.
Liz DellaCroce
Hi Sarah,
I’m so sorry to hear you didn’t have success with this recipe. I wonder if you made any changes at all to the quantities of the recipe? We’ve had lots of other readers succeed following the recipe so I would love to figure out where it went wrong for you! Either way I’m so sorry it didnt turn out. Be sure to try my other stovetop soup recipes: https://thelemonbowl.com/soup/
Cindy
Wow. Wow. Wow. Loved it. I didn’t change a thing. 30 minutes of pressure and about 30 to depressurize. I ate 3 bowls and want more. Even my kids liked it. The only difference is it took me about 30 minutes to prepare, because I’m a slow chopper and my “chopper aid” is broken.
Liz DellaCroce
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!!
Amy Baht
I want to try, this looks great – I don’t have a “soup” button on My Instant Pot
How long to cook, and at what pressure level ?
Liz DellaCroce
It depends on your instant pot – can you check the manual or look it up online? It varies!
Sherrie McMichael
Made this tonight and it was absolutely amazing! So fresh tasting. I will totally make this again along with some authentic stuffed grape leaves and a huge bowl of yummy tabouli. My mother in law was Lebanese and she would have given this 5 stars if she was with us today. The cinnamon & fresh lemon are the stars in this dish. Thank you for such a great recipes!
Liz DellaCroce
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Grape leaves are my favorite!!!
Leo Muro
Just to be clear. It’s 30 minutes under pressure and 30 minutes natural release?
Liz DellaCroce
Yes!
Emma Schmidt
Just made this recipe. Turned out awesome. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Liz DellaCroce
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Emma!!!
Sarah Davis
I just made this soup for dinner. Wow! The cinnamon and citrus make this soup delicious.
Liz DellaCroce
I’m so glad you liked it!!!