This vegetarian alternative to classic chicken noodle soup is made in your Instant Pot using fresh herbs and dry chickpeas. Stove-top instructions are in notes.
1cupfrozen chopped spinachcooked according to package instructions
juice ofone lemon
black pepperto taste
red pepper flakesto taste
Instructions
Set your Instant Pot to the sauté function. Once it reads "hot", drizzle in the olive oil. Add the celery, onions, and carrots and sprinkle of salt. Sauté in the olive oil for for 5-6 minutes, or until onions become translucent.
Add the garlic and sauté for a minute more, until golden and aromatic.
Add the dry rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage and paprika. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Drizzle in about ¼ cup of vegetable broth to deglaze the pot. Stir to remove any stuck on bits.
Pour in the remaining vegetable broth, water, and dry chickpeas. Lock the lid in place and set the vent to sealing.
Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Once the 35 minutes is up, allow the pressure to release naturally; this takes 15-20 minutes.
Once the pressure is released, remove the lid and add the dry pasta to your Instant Pot. Reseal the lid and place the vent to sealing.
Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes then manually release the pressure. Careful, hot steam will come out; I usually wear an oven mit when I manually release the pressure.
Stir in cooked spinach. Taste for salt and seasoning with black pepper, red pepper flakes and lemon juice. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Dry herbs can be replaced with one tablespoon chopped fresh herbs.
Pasta: If you are short for time or want to use a bigger pasta, like linguini or fettucine, I recommend cooking the pasta on the stove according to package instructions. Long pasta can be cooker in the Instant Pot but it may be unevenly cooked or need to be broken to fit in the pot.
Chickpeas not done? Older beans may need more time. Just reseal the lid and heat on high pressure for 2-3 more minutes. Release pressure naturally. Repeat as needed.
Stove top instructions: Follow steps 1 through 3, sautéing veggies over medium-high heat, adding herbs and deglazing the pot. Add two 15 ounce cans drained chickpeas in place of dry chickpeas. Decrease total liquid to 5 cups. Add in the pasta at this time as well. Bring up to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer uncovered until the pasta is cooked through. Stir in the spinach and taste for seasonings.
Freezing instructions: Let cool to room temperature before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Leave at leas tone inch of room at the top of the container. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Leftovers and reheating: Let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring to a closed container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days. Reheat individual bowls in the microwave in about 2 minutes or reheat on the stove, uncovered, over medium heat.
Gluten-free option: I recommend cooking the gluten-free pasta separately then adding it to the Instant Pot because cook times vary.