Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Potato Leek Soup. A rustic leek and potato soup with rotisserie chicken broth.
A lot of my French cooking inspiration comes from Jacques Pepin. Today I’m using my rotisserie chicken soup technique with his idea of a rustic French leek and potato soup. This is not a vichyssoise, a smooth puree of leeks, potatoes, and cream. This is homespun potage, a chunky leek and potato soup, as Chef Pepin remembers from his youth.
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And, oh my, I can see why Chef Pepin looks back so fondly on this soup. Leeks and potatoes are a classic combination for a reason, and combining them with a homemade chicken broth results in a fantastic soup.
Why do we have to clean leeks?
Leeks are a pain, but they’re worth it for their unique flavor. (Nothing says “French soup” to me like sautéed leeks.) The useable part of a leek is the white and light green part; the dark green leaves on the end are tough and inedible. And, they are full of dirt - they’re covered with dirt (called “blanched” in gardening) to protect them from the sun and grow more of the tender white part of the leek. Unfortunately, that means dirt gets between the leaves as it grows, and needs to be rinsed out.
Cleaning leeks
To clean a leek, trim off the root end, and then cut away the dark green part of the leek - light green is OK, but any more than that is chewy and tough. Next, I split the leek in half lengthwise, and then I fan open the layers inside the leek and hold it under cold running water. (Sometimes the dirt is stuck, and I have to get in there with my fingers to rub it loose.) Don’t rush this step, and check every layer of the leek - dirt is not good eats, and we need to get rid of all of it.
Inspired by: Parisian Potage from Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen
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Instant Pot Rustic Rotisserie Chicken Potato Leek Soup
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 3 quarts of soup 1x
Description
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Potato Leek Soup. A rustic leek and potato soup with rotisserie chicken broth.
Ingredients
Rotisserie Chicken Broth
- 1 (2- to 4-pound) rotisserie chicken, breast meat removed and saved for later
- Juices from the rotisserie chicken container
- 1 onion, peeled and halved (or the dark green stems of 1 leek, cleaned)
- 1 carrot, scrubbed and cut in half (or 4oz baby carrots)
- 1 stalk celery, cut in half
- Stems from a bunch of parsley, tied together (or 2 bay leaves)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 cups water
Rotisserie Chicken Soup with Leek and Potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 leeks, trimmed and rinsed thoroughly, and slice into thin half-moons
- ½ cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, optional)
- 8 cups of Rotisserie Chicken Broth (from above)
- Breast meat from the rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ¼ cup chopped parsley leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- More minced parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Pressure cook the broth for 60 minutes with a Natural Release: Cut the chicken breast meat off of the rotisserie chicken and set aside for later. Add the rotisserie chicken carcass, onion, carrot, celery, and salt to an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, then pour in 8 cups of water. (It should just cover the rotisserie chicken – it’s OK if the knobs of the drumsticks are poking up.) Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric PC (Manual or Pressure Cook mode in an Instant Pot), or for 50 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally – about 30 minutes. (It takes a long time for all that water to cool off.) If you’re in a hurry, let the pressure come down naturally for 20 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure. Scoop the chicken carcass and vegetables out of the pot with a slotted spoon and discard; they’ve given their all to the broth. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer and set aside for later, and wipe out the pot with paper towels before the next step. (For more details, see my standalone Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Broth recipe.)
- Sauté the leeks: Melt the butter in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker set to Sauté mode. (Use medium heat for a stovetop PC). Add the cleaned and sliced leeks and sauté, stirring often, until the leeks soften, about 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of leek.
- Everything in the pot: Pour in the rotisserie chicken broth. Stir in the shredded chicken breast, potato chunks, thyme, parsley, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and black pepper.
- Pressure cook the soup for 5 minutes with a quick release: Lock the lid and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes with a quick pressure release. (Use “manual” or “pressure cook” mode in an Instant Pot.) After quick-releasing the pressure, open the lid away from you – again, be careful, the steam is scalding.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle each with a little more minced parsley, and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Make ahead broth: You can make the broth ahead of time, and refrigerate it (and the chicken breasts) for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 months. Then, when you're ready to make the soup, defrost it (if necessary) and move on to the "Sauté the leeks" step to make the soup.
Tools
6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot 6-Quart Pressure Cooker)
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: French
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What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Broth
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Gumbo Soup
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken and Lentil Soup
My other Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes
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Mike in Austin says
I haven't yet made the recipe. However, I see that you have used waxy red potatoes in the picture rather than the Yukon golds specified in the recipe. I like the way the red potatoes stand up to pressure cooking, and will probably follow the lead of the photo. Can you comment on why you prefer one over the other in terms of use in recipes type?
Mike in Austin says
Oops! I see that you used both. The questions stands.
Mike Vrobel says
For pressure cooking I find them to be about the same. Both are waxy potatoes that stand up to pressure cooking. I think you're right that red skin potatoes do a little better in the pressure cooker, but it's close enough that I view them as interchangeable in a recipe.