Instant Pot Chicken Cock-A-Leekie Soup is a Scottish twist on your favorite chicken soup.
Considering the winter winds in Scotland, it’s no wonder this warm and wonderful dish is considered their national soup. If you’re looking for an easy dinner for a cold day, look no further!
If your family loves soup as much as mine, then you’ll want to check out my entire collection of Instant Pot Soup Recipes too!
Instant Pot Chicken Cock-A-Leekie Soup
Chicken Cock-A-Leekie Soup has a unique taste, but it’s not too different, which makes it a great option to add to your family’s dinner rotation. Instant Pot Chicken Cock-A-Leekie soup is much like traditional chicken soup – comforting chicken and vegetables in broth. This version includes barley to beef it up, though, and is topped with diced prunes.
A few surprise ingredients
If I lost you at “prunes”, hear me out – there’s a reason this is a Sottish favorite! The prunes add a unique but delicious depth of flavor here. Definitely try it before you knock it!
The other thing that adds a lot of flavor to this Instant Pot Chicken Cock-A-Leekie Soup is the chicken itself. I use bone-in chicken for this recipe. It’s a little more work since you have to remove the chicken from the bones and shred it after cooking, but the payoff is definitely worth it. The chicken broth becomes so much more flavorful when you cook with the bones!
And a few versatile options
This recipe for Chicken Cock-a-Leekie soup is also incredibly versatile. The Instant Pot version is largely dump-and-go, meaning you’ll be hands off rather than standing over the stove. It reheats well, too, so it’s ideal for leftovers.
If you need to prep ahead, you can also add all the ingredients, except for the chicken broth, to a gallon-sized freezer bag, label, and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before, then cook according to the directions below, adding the chicken broth at cook time. If your day includes more time in the morning than the afternoon, then you may prefer this Slow Cooker Chicken Cock-A-Leekie Soup recipe.
Once you have it cooked up, pair it with some veggies and dip alongside bread and butter and you’ll have a perfect cold-weather dinner on the tables in no time. And with the time you saved, take a few minutes to check out my free Instant Pot School. You’ll have instant access to PDF lessons, videos, recipes, a meal plan, and plenty of tips and tricks. And a few very worthwhile perks too!
Instant Pot Chicken Cock-A-Leekie Soup
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in chicken breasts
- 3 leeks, sliced and cleaned
- 3-5 carrots, chopped
- ⅓ cup barley
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 2 - 32 oz. boxes chicken broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Dried prunes, diced, for topping, optional
Instructions
- Place chicken in the Instant Pot.
- Add leeks, carrots, barley, onion, bay leaf, and thyme to the Instant Pot.
- Pour chicken broth over all ingredients.
- Set manual cook time for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release remaining pressure.
- Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and shred. Return the shredded meat to the soup.
- Serve topped with dried, diced prunes, if desired.
I made this soup and it’s delicious and easy. I did use bone-in chicken breast as suggested. Not a fan of barley so just added cooked brown rice. Otherwise followed recipe. The prunes do add a nice flavor! Will definitely make again.