This healthy recipe for instant pot pesto chicken soup is low carb, keto, gluten free, and paleo friendly. It's easy to make from scratch and loaded with vegetables. I love a simple soup recipe like this one when I want something nutritious without a lot of fuss.
Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Soup combines savory chicken and vibrant basil pesto for a comforting, hearty bowl. With the addition of spinach, peas, and celery, it's a flavorful twist on traditional chicken soup that's ready in about 20 minutes.
I've been making this green chicken soup for a few of years now, and it never disappoints. It has great flavor and comes together easily in the instant pot.
If you are looking for more chicken recipes try my Gluten Free Instant Pot Chicken & Dumplings, my Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan Pasta Casserole, my The Best Old Fashioned Chicken Salad or my Gluten Free Instant Pot Chicken and Mushroom Soup.
You can find all of my soup recipes here: Gluten Free Soup Recipes
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 20 minutes
- Low carb, keto, gluten free, and paleo friendly
- Loaded with spinach, peas, and celery
- Easy to make entirely in the instant pot
A Note on Choosing Your Pesto
Not all jarred pesto is created equal. Carb counts, sugar content, and ingredients can vary quite a bit by brand, so check the label if you're following keto or paleo closely. If you want this soup to be dairy free, you'll need to skip the parmesan and use a dairy free pesto as well, since traditional pesto and parmesan both contain dairy.
Ingredient Notes
- Basil pesto: use a jarred pesto you trust, or make your own if you want full control over the ingredients. Gluten Free Homemade Walnut Pesto
- Chicken breast: cubing it before cooking helps it cook evenly and break apart easily once the soup is done.
- Dried fennel: this adds a subtle, slightly sweet depth that pairs well with the basil in the pesto.
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To freeze, let the soup cool completely, then store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stovetop or in the instant pot.
Top Tip
Cube the chicken breast before it goes into the pot rather than after cooking. It breaks apart easily with a spoon once the soup is done, so you get evenly sized, bite sized pieces without any extra cutting board work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Stir in about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken after the soup finishes cooking, then let it warm through for a few minutes before serving.
Yes. Any basil pesto you like will work here, whether store bought or homemade. Just know that flavor and thickness can vary a bit between brands.
Yes. It reheats well, making it a great option for meal prep. Store it in the fridge and reheat individual portions as needed throughout the week.
Yes. Let it cool completely, then store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
A simple green salad or a piece of crusty gluten free bread both pair well with this soup for a complete meal.
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Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Soup
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This healthy instant pot pesto chicken soup is low carb, keto, gluten free, and paleo friendly. It comes together easily from scratch and is loaded with vegetables for a nutritious, flavorful dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
- 1 medium White Onion, chopped
- 4 stalks Celery, diced
- 2 cups Frozen Peas
- 5 cups Spinach, chopped
- 32 ounces Chicken Stock
- ½ cup Basil Pesto
- 2 tsp. Dried Fennel
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- ¼ tsp. Coarse Ground Black Pepper
- 3-4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cubed
Parmesan Cheese for serving
Instructions
Place all ingredients into the bowl of your Instant Pot. Seal the lid per the instructions. Lock the steam setting. Using the manual setting cook the soup for 10 minutes.
Let the steam slow release naturally from the Instant Pot. Stir the soup breaking up the chicken chunks.
Serve the soup hot with grated parmesan cheese on top.
If you made this recipe please leave a star rating and comment below. It helps other readers find this recipe and means so much to me.
Notes
You can use other cuts of chicken, but I like the hearty chunks of chicken breast best.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
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If you make this instant pot pesto chicken soup, I would love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and a star rating below, and snap a photo to tag me on Instagram @smallfarmbiglife. Looking for more easy instant pot dinners? Check out my other gluten free soup recipes for more inspiration.
Instructions
Place all ingredients into the bowl of your Instant Pot. Seal the lid per the instructions. Lock the steam setting. Using the manual setting cook the soup for 10 minutes.
Let the steam slow release naturally from the Instant Pot. Stir the soup breaking up the chicken chunks.
Serve the soup hot with grated parmesan cheese on top.
Rita Y says
Elaine, thank you for posting this recipe for Pesto Chicken Soup. Just what I was looking for. Love the addition of the fennel seeds. I have a couple of questions. I assume you are calling for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, not bone-in chicken breasts.
I'm puzzled about the 24-minute cooking time. Chicken breasts normally take 3 to 4 minutes to cook at High Pressure and the vegetables (spinach & peas) would also normally be cooked in 3 to 4 minutes. The chicken and any vegetables would be way overcooked at 24 minutes. Could the 24-minute cook time be a typo?
Rita
smallfarmbiglife says
Hi Rita! Yes, I just updated the recipe. It should be boneless skinless chicken breast cubed. I also updated the cook time. You're right this is a typo that even though I've made this recipe three times this fall alone I haven't noticed. I cook this soup for 10 minutes. Thank you for the comment. I know I need to go back and proof read some of these really old recipes from when I first started this website. It's on the list for 2024. ~Elaine