In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the chicken, onion, garlic, wild rice, carrots, celery, poultry seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour over the broth and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Quick release the steam.: When you first layer the pot you should notice a cool, herbaceous smell from the raw onion and poultry seasoning , and the surface of the broth will look clear and slightly scented by the spices. The pressure cook step softens the wild rice and cooks the chicken through while concentrating the broth flavors. A common mistake is overfilling or failing to deglaze the pot first if you seared anything; that can cause a burn warning. After pressure cooking, the broth should steam warmly when you release the valve, and the vegetables will be tender enough to pierce easily with a fork.
Switch the instant pot to sauté. Remove the garlic cloves and set aside. Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Stir in the spinach and orzo. Cover and cook 6-8 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the cream and parsley. If the soup needs more liquid, add additional water.: At this stage you will smell the concentrated chicken aroma and notice steam rising as the pot returns to temperature in sauté mode. Removing the whole garlic keeps it from turning bitter when later crisped in butter; it has given the broth a mellow, roasted garlic note. Shredded chicken should pull apart easily and look moist, not stringy. As you add orzo and spinach , the greens will visibly wilt within seconds and the orzo will mellow the broth as it releases starch. If the liquid absorbs too much, the texture can become thick, so the trick is to watch for orzo tenderness and add water a little at a time to reach your desired soup density. Avoid overcooking the orzo, which makes it mushy and dulls the contrast with the wild rice.
Add the butter, garlic, and sage to a skillet set over medium heat. Mash the garlic into the butter, allowing the butter to brown and some of the garlic to get crispy. Remove from the heat.: When the butter melts and starts to foam, hear a gentle sizzle and watch it shift from pale yellow to deep golden brown, releasing a nutty aroma that is irresistible. Using a small skillet encourages even browning, and mashing the softened garlic releases concentrated, toasty bits that crisp quickly in the butter. The crispy sage leaves will darken slightly and smell intensely herbal. Be vigilant here because browned butter can go from fragrant to burnt in moments, producing a bitter note. Once removed from heat, the butter will continue to color in the residual pan warmth, so pulling it off at the right time preserves that toasty, caramelized flavor which becomes the soup's finishing flourish.
