This is not your average pressure cooker chicken vegetable soup. We've upped the ante, gone southern, and added the beloved collard greens! And in doing so, we've come across something truly special. The flavor is rich and mild, but definitely not bland! We found that adding a spoonful of pesto to the top of each bowl was pretty mind-blowing too!
Could you sub different chicken?
On the day we began developing this pressure cooker chicken vegetable soup recipe, the intention was to use a whole chicken for the meat and broth. But, that day, chicken leg quarters were on sale (almost half the price of whole chicken). So I decided to go with it, and it was a good choice! Because of the higher fat content of dark meat, the broth ended up being more rich and flavorful than when using a whole chicken.
I'm pretty sure using any combination of chicken pieces (or even a whole chicken) would work for this recipe with one exception: boneless, skinless chicken breasts. In my opinion, they just don't have enough flavor to season the broth properly. However, if your goal is to create this dish as guilt-free as possible, and using breasts is a must, I would also use store-bought chicken broth (or stock) instead of water. Then cut the chicken cook time to 8 minutes with a natural pressure release.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup with Collard Greens
More Collard Greens Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Pressure Cooker Chicken Vegetable Soup with Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. chicken leg quarters
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 garlic bulb cut in half horizontally
- 8 thyme sprigs
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
- 3 bay leaves
- 8 cups water
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onions diced
- ½ cup celery diced
- ½ cup carrots diced
- 3 tsp. sea salt divided
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 4 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds optional
- 1 lb. collard green leaves stems removed
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup basil pesto optional
Instructions
- Add chicken, chopped onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves to pot. Then add water and lock lid. Set manual timer for 30 minutes at high pressure.
- Remove stems from collard green leaves and separate leaves into 2 pieces. Discard stems. Cut leaves into 1-inch pieces so that they are easily spoonable. This is easiest by stacking several leaves at a time.
- Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally for about 30 minutes. If there is any pressure left at that point, go ahead and quick-release remaining pressure.
- Remove leg quarters and transfer them to a large bowl. Pour broth through a fine mesh strainer and set aside. Discard cooked aromatics.
- Add olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, and 1 teaspoon salt to pot. Sweat vegetables for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add broth to pot, along with 2 teaspoons salt, tomatoes, rinds (if using), collard greens, brown sugar, and black pepper. Mix well, lock lid, and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.
- Meanwhile… remove all chicken meat from bones in large pieces. Discard all skin and bones.
- Once cook time is complete, quick-release pressure. Then add chicken and gently mix well. Serve each bowl topped with a spoonful of basil pesto (with cornbread dumplings) & enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Cindy Jackson Morton
This recipe is very labor intensive. The total cook time, is 1 hour 40 minutes. 30 minutes to get to pressure twice is one hour. First cook time is 30 minutes, second is 10.
Without the basil pesto, there is very little flavor.
The stock was very good.
Gary White
This recipe is indeed a bit labor intensive because it involves making stock from scratch, but that's why the stock is so incredible. You could sub store bought broth and use previously cooked chicken to save on time, but the flavor of the broth would not be the same. And yes, while the basil pesto is optional, I highly recommend it as it enhances the flavor.
Katie
My family loved this recipe. It will be on our repeat list for sure. Thanks for the great recipe!
Becky
I loved that you used chicken leg quarters, they go on sale quite often. I used a bag of pre-chopped collards which cut down the time to prepare. Overall a great and tasty recipe. We love soup and this is in our rotation for winter.
John
This is such a hearty and filling recipe that it really hits the spot on cold winter nights. But we've been known to make this in the summer too! My wife usually prefers chicken breasts but we now always use leg quarters, it does make a difference in the taste.
Erica
Holy moly that soup is divine!!!!! Just added extra salt and i didn’t have parm rinds or carrots but even so it was the best soup EVER!!
Sara Liebel
Excellent soup! Great broth. Not difficult to make. It's not a fast supper but it's worth the time! Great way to get "non-greens eaters" to eat their greens! I mixed a couple of tablespoons of pesto into the soup at the very end before I served it. I served soup with grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Jrose
I didn't see a link for the cornbread dumplings that it said to serve with. Do you have that recipe too?