Instant Pot chicken soup with tomato

Type: Main meal — lighter · Typical slot: Dinner · Time: 45 min (instant pot; ~20 min active) · Lunch-friendly: yes (reheats well, better day 2) · Batch: yes (keeps well, good for 2 nights)

A lighter, brothy soup made with what you have on hand. The tomatoes add body and a gentle tang; ginger and garlic bring the healing warmth for a complete one-pot meal. No starch built in — pair with bread on the side if a bigger meal is needed that day.

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 500g chicken breast
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 4 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns (or freshly ground)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric (optional but lovely)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (for searing)
• 1½ tsp fine sea salt (adjust at the end)
• 1.5L water, cold
• 1 lemon, for squeezing at the end

Method

1. Prep. Chop the onion and tomatoes, smash the garlic, slice the ginger. Cut the chicken into 3–4 large chunks so it cooks evenly.
2. Sauté. Instant Pot on Sauté (high). Oil, then onion, garlic, ginger — 3–4 min, stirring, until fragrant and softened. This step boosts flavor with a leaner broth — don’t skip it. ⏱ 4m
3. Tomatoes. Add tomatoes, cook 2 min, stirring, until they start to break down and release juice. ⏱ 2m
4. Pressure cook. Turn off Sauté. Add chicken, bay leaves, peppercorns, turmeric, salt. Pour in the cold water — chicken should be fully submerged. Seal the lid, valve to Sealing, High Pressure 15 min (~10–12 min to come to pressure first). ⏱ 15m
5. Release. Natural release 10 min (keeps the chicken tender), then vent the rest. ⏱ 10m
6. Shred. Fish out the chicken, shred with two forks, return to the pot. Remove the bay leaves.
7. Finish. Squeeze lemon over just before serving.

Macros (per person, per serving — no starch)

Notes

• Genuinely brothy and light — if it’s a hard training day, pair with bread or rice on the side rather than expecting the soup alone to hit target.
• Fish is not involved here, so no fresh-only constraint — freezes fine for a second night.