Add butter and olive oil to a Dutch oven or 6-quart stockpot. Sauté the carrots and celery in the butter and olive oil until tender, about 3 minutes.: The pan will gently hiss as the butter melts into the olive oil , releasing a warm, nutty aroma that signals the start of building flavor. Your goal here is a glossy fat surface that will lightly coat the vegetables, helping them release their sweetness. If the butter begins to foam aggressively or darken, lower the heat to prevent a bitter, burnt note which will carry into the broth. A common slip is starting at too high a temperature; keep it moderate so you develop flavor without scorching.
Pour in the chicken stock or broth and water. Add the chicken. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165º F when checked with a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken from the pot, shred and return to the pot. (If using cooked and shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken, add to the pot and stir to combine.): As you stir, you will notice the vegetables soften and their aromas bloom, the kitchen filling with an earthy sweet scent. The celery will turn translucent and the edges of the carrots will glisten, signs they are ready for the next stage. This step unlocks sugars that balance the savory broth, and rushing it will leave sharp, vegetal notes. If your veggies brown rather than soften, reduce the heat and add a splash of water to deglaze and soften.
Add the noodles to the pot and cook according to package directions. Add seasonings and serve.: When the liquid hits the pot, you will hear a comforting rise in activity as tiny bubbles form along the edges. This is the extraction phase where flavors intermingle, the broth beginning to gather depth. Stir to lift any browned bits, they are flavor gold. If your stock smells flat, increasing the simmer time will concentrate it, but watch that it does not reduce too far and become overly salty.
Set your Instant Pot to the saute setting. Add your butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt. Stir in your carrots and celery and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.: As the chicken enters the simmering liquid it will produce a deeper savory scent and a faint steam that tastes like comfort. Keeping the heat at a gentle simmer preserves clarity in the broth while allowing flavors to meld. Cooking too vigorously makes the broth cloudy and can make meat tougher, so avoid rolling boils. Use a thermometer to confirm the internal temperature reaches 165º F for safety.
Add your chicken broth, water, chicken, thyme, and Stone House Seasoning. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set on the Manual setting for 12 minutes.: The moment the thermometer reads 165º F, you will feel confident to remove the meat; the juices will run clear and the flesh will be tender. Resting briefly off heat makes shredding easier and keeps the meat juicy. Overcooking dries the chicken , so err on the side of checking a little earlier and testing several spots.
Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release and then carefully remove the lid of your Instant Pot. Using tongs, carefully remove the chicken from the Instant Pot. Place the chicken into a large bowl. Remove the skin and shred chicken into small, bite-sized pieces using two forks. Discard the skin and bones.: After transfer, the cooled chicken benefits from gentle shredding, producing tender ribbons that soak up broth. The act releases a warm meaty scent and a perception of body returning to the pot. Discard skin and bones if present to keep the broth clear and refined. A common issue is shredding while meat is too hot or too cold; warm but manageable meat shreds most cleanly.
Add your noodles to your soup and return the Instant Pot to the saute setting, bringing the soup to a boil to cook the noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.: When you stir in pre cooked chicken , you will feel the texture integrate immediately and the bowl's protein content becomes satisfying quickly. This shortcut preserves tenderness since the meat is already cooked, merely heating through. Avoid prolonged simmering after adding pre cooked meat or it can become stringy and dry.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.: As the pasta goes in, you will hear a gentle bubbling and soon smell the enriching starches entering the broth. Watch the visual change as noodles swell and plump, softening to tender bites. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Overcooking will yield a gummy texture and cloudy broth due to excess starch, so aim for al dente and test early.
Add seasonings and serve: When you season, the aroma sharpens and the finished bowl settles into cohesion. Freshly chopped parsley sprinkled at the end lifts the soup with a green, bright note. Tasting at this point is crucial because flavors concentrate as it cools slightly; adjust salt and pepper gradually. A typical pitfall is adding all salt too early, which can lead to an over salted result after reduction.
Set your Instant Pot to the saute setting: The pot will hiss as the fats heat, offering a quick way to soften the vegetables. Saute mode concentrates flavors faster than gentle stovetop heat, producing a slightly deeper base. Keep an eye as the Instant Pot can heat quickly and scorch the aromatics; lower the heat if you notice darkening.
Add your butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt: The melted butter combines with the olive oil creating a fragrant pool for the vegetables, the aroma more pronounced in the enclosed Instant Pot. This rapid flavor searing is efficient, but watch the heat so you do not burn the fats, which would impart bitter notes.
Stir in your carrots and celery and cook until softened, about 3 minutes: The vegetables will release a bright, sweet scent as they soften, and the pot will look glossy. In the Instant Pot this step adds a concentrated flavor base in less time, but avoid over browning which can alter the soup's gentle profile.
Add your chicken broth, water, chicken, thyme, and Stone House Seasoning: Sealing the pot after adding these elements locks in aromatic steam and deepens the broth. The herbs and seasoning infuse the liquid rapidly in the sealed environment, bringing a full flavored foundation. Ensure seals are correct to avoid pressure loss which would extend cooking time.
Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set on the Manual setting for 12 minutes: During pressurized cooking, the pot hums and develops body in the broth, coaxing flavor from bones and meat. A controlled pressure cook extracts collagen and yields a richer mouthfeel. A common mistake is skipping a natural release which helps keep the meat tender.
Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release and then carefully remove the lid of your Instant Pot: The gradual drop in pressure is accompanied by a mellowing of aroma, and opening the lid reveals a concentrated, savory steam. Rapid venting can make meat tougher, so natural release protects texture. Use caution when lifting the lid, steam will be hot.
Using tongs, carefully remove the chicken from the Instant Pot: The chicken will feel tender and yield easily when probed. Removing it cleanly leaves the broth free to continue developing without over cooking the meat. Take care not to tear meat off bones during removal which can leave shards in the soup.
Place the chicken into a large bowl: Resting in a bowl helps the meat cool slightly so you can shred without burning your hands. This also creates a tidy staging area to remove skin and bones, giving a cleaner final soup. Let it sit briefly for easy handling.
Remove the skin and shred chicken into small, bite sized pieces using two forks: Shredding produces tender ribbons that soak up the broth and distribute protein throughout the bowl. The action releases an appealing meaty aroma as fibers separate, and shredding into small pieces ensures even bites in every spoonful. Cutting too large will make the eating experience uneven, so aim for small, uniform shreds.
Discard the skin and bones: Removing these keeps the texture pleasant and the broth clear, while also making the soup more approachable for serving. If you prefer a slightly richer mouthfeel, you can reserve a bit of skin rendered earlier, but generally discarding keeps the final bowl clean. Make sure to remove any small bone fragments to avoid surprises while eating.
Add your noodles to your soup and return the Instant Pot to the saute setting, bringing the soup to a boil to cook the noodles: The return to bubbling activity is lively, releasing a comforting steam and the scent of cooked starch. This finishing step integrates the noodles so they soak up flavor and thicken the broth slightly. Monitor closely because pasta cooks quickly and can go from perfect to pasty in minutes.
Cook until the noodles are tender, about 6 minutes: As the noodles hydrate they plump and soften, and you will see the broth take on a slightly thicker body. Taste a piece to find the right tenderness for your preference. Overcooking will cause them to break down and make the soup cloudy, so test early and often.
Stir in shredded chicken and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes: The final heating melds shredded chicken into the bubbling soup, making everything cohesive. A short heat through keeps the meat tender and preserves texture. Heating too long at high temperatures risks drying the shreds, so a brief finish is ideal.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley and add salt and pepper to taste: Fresh parsley brightens aromas and adds a visual pop, while seasoning ties all flavors together. Taste a warm spoonful to adjust seasoning, remembering that heat concentrates flavors. The mistake to avoid is over salting; add cautiously, tasting after a moment for full balance.
