Chicken Soup With 40 Cloves of Garlic Can Be Yours in 20 Minutes

By Anna Monette Roberts

Updated on 1/19/2019 at 7:40 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts and Erin Cullum
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts and Erin Cullum

One of the coziest chicken preparations on the planet has to be 40 cloves of garlic chicken, but could you turn this classic dish into soup? You sure can! Even better, you can cook it in under 20 minutes if you're equipped with an Instant Pot ($100 on Amazon). The soup features all the classic ingredients found in the dish, including exactly 40 cloves of garlic.

POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts and Erin Cullum

Here's how the Instant Pot is able to cook the soup so quickly. The sauté setting on the Instant Pot caramelizes the garlic in record time (five minutes!), while the pressure cooker setting zaps the chicken and softens the garlic cloves in minutes (less than 10).

POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts and Erin Cullum

I whisked in a little flour at the end to emulsify the broth, giving it a rich, creamy feel without the addition of milk. A little fresh parsley brightens the soup's flavor. Now, time to dig into your "hard" work. The chicken and garlic broth will warm you right up. The most surprising aspect you'll discover is the garlic cloves melt in your mouth. They also break down slightly in the soup to create what feels like a cream of garlic broth. There will be no such thing as leftovers with this recipe, so you may want to double or triple it (don't worry, your Instant Pot can handle it).

POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts and Erin Cullum

Please note, if you don't have a Instant Pot, have no fear! I've provided instructions in the recipe notes section for making this recipe over a stovetop so all can rejoice in it.

POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts and Erin Cullum

Chicken Soup With 40 Cloves of Garlic

Yield4 servings

From Anna Monette Roberts, POPSUGAR Food

INGREDIENTS

    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • 40 cloves of garlic (prepeeled to make life easy or 3 whole heads garlic, peeled)
    • 1 pound (about 2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    • 1/4 cup white wine
    • 2 sprigs of thyme
    • 1 quart chicken broth
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • Salt, to taste
    • Parsley leaves, to garnish

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Press [Manual] button and use the [+] or [-] buttons to choose 8 minutes of cook time. Once Instant Pot has finished the cook time, unplug Instant Pot. Use the "Quick Release" method of opening the cooker by carefully turning the pressure release handle to the "venting" position to let out steam until the float valve drops down. Carefully open the lid.

    2. Remove chicken breasts and place on a cutting board. Shred using two forks.

    3. In a small bowl, add about 1 cup of broth. Slowly whisk in flour to form a smooth slurry with no lumps.

    4. Remove and discard thyme stems. Pour the slurry into the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Salt to taste (I used about 2 teaspoons).

    5. Spoon into bowls and garnish with parsley.

    Notes

    Read all the instructions of the Instant Pot before cooking with it! This recipe may not contain all of the specific safety instructions as they appear in the manual. To make this gluten-free, sub flour with arrowroot starch. If you don't have an Instant Pot but you want to make this recipe over a stovetop, you can sauté the garlic cloves over medium-high heat. Follow the instructions in the recipe, but instead of pressure cooking the soup, simmer the soup (covered) for about 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the breasts and shred them on a cutting board. Continue cooking cloves until they are easily pierced with a fork. Return chicken to pot and follow the rest of the recipe as it appears.