Cheesy Chicken Soup with Bone Broth: Warm Soup Perfect for Chilly Evenings
Cheesy chicken soup with bone broth warm everyone up on a chilly evening – yes. This version is hearty, cozy, and packed with flavor—and thanks to the Instant Pot, it’s mostly hands-off. Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or prepping an easy dinner for the week, this soup delivers that perfect mix of rich broth, tender chicken, and melty cheese that makes everyone go back for seconds.
I love making this cheesy chicken soup with bone broth in my 6-quart Instant Pot, but it scales beautifully if you have a 10-quart model. In fact, we often double the recipe when our parents are in town so we can feed all eight of us comfortably (and still have leftovers!). It’s the kind of meal that tastes even better the next day, with all the flavors melding together. Pair it with a loaf of homemade sourdough—I’ll link my video tutorial on that below—and you’ve got a meal that feels like a hug in a bowl.
Details on Our Cheesy Chicken Soup with Bone Broth Recipe
To start, you’ll cook your chicken quarters until they practically fall apart. Three large quarters go right into the Instant Pot with a pint of chicken bone broth. Pressure cook on high for one hour, and you’ll have tender, juicy chicken that shreds effortlessly. This method infuses the broth with deep chicken flavor while keeping the meat perfectly moist. If you already have pre-cooked shredded chicken, you can skip this step and jump ahead to assembling the soup.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and take a few minutes to pull out any bones or tough bits of gristle. If you want a smoother soup, strain the broth to ensure you’ve removed any small fragments. Then return the shredded chicken to the pot, along with another pint of broth. This ensures you have plenty of liquid for the next steps without thinning the flavor.
Now comes the heartiness. Add in two cans of corn (or a quart-sized bag of frozen corn), four tablespoons of Italian seasoning, and four tablespoons of paprika. These spices create that savory, slightly smoky base that gives the soup its signature warmth. Next, add in eight medium potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces. You can dice them neatly or give them a rough chop—this recipe is wonderfully forgiving. Pressure cook everything together on high for 20 minutes to soften the potatoes until they’re melt-in-your-mouth tender.
After that second pressure cook, it’s time to make it creamy and cheesy. Stir in half a pint of heavy cream and two cups of shredded cheddar cheese. The heat from the soup will melt the cheese beautifully, creating a luscious, velvety texture. You can serve it right away or switch the Instant Pot to “slow cook” and let it stay warm until dinner. Either way, the aroma alone of this cheesy chicken soup with bone broth will draw everyone into the kitchen.
This cheesy chicken soup with bone broth is also fantastic for meal prep. You can refrigerate it for up to three days before freezing, and it freezes surprisingly well. The small amount of cream means it doesn’t separate or turn grainy when reheated. Just thaw gently and warm it on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
To serve, ladle the cheesy chicken soup with bone broth into bowls and top with a sprinkle of extra cheese (because there’s no such thing as too much cheddar). Add a slice or two of warm sourdough on the side, and you’ve got a meal that satisfies on every level—rich, hearty, and comforting.
Cheesy Chicken Soup with Bone Broth
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 3 Chicken Quarters (leg/thigh)
- 4 cups Chicken Broth (Bone broth)
- 2 cans Corn
- 4 tablespoons Italian Seasoning (or any kind of granulated garlic/dried oregano/dried parsley/dried chives combo!)
- 4 tablespoons Paprika
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Shredded Cheddar
Instructions
- Place chicken quarters and 2 cups of chicken broth to a 6-quart Instant Pot. Pressure cook on High for 1 hour.
- Remove chicken, discard bones and gristle, and shred meat. Strain the broth, if needed.
- Return shredded chicken to the pot. Add another pint of broth.
- Stir in corn, Italian seasoning, paprika, and chopped potatoes.
- Serve, or keep on Slow Cook until ready to eat.
- Top each bowl with extra cheese, if desired.
- Storing: Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before freezing. Freezes well—reheat gently to preserve the creamy texture.