1tablespoonfinely minced fresh garlic (about 3 to 4 cloves)
8cupslow-sodium chicken broth
8ouncepenne pasta
1(14.5-ounce) candiced tomatoes or petite diced tomatoes
1(8-ounce) cantomato sauce
1teaspoondried basil
½teaspoondried oregano
3cupschopped, cooked chicken
Topping:
1 ½cupsPanko bread crumbs
½cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese or Mozzarella cheese
1tablespoonolive oil or butter
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
For the soup, in a 6-quart Instant Pot, heat the oil using the Sauté function. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the onions turn translucent.
Add the broth, penne pasta, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, and oregano.
Secure the lid and pressure valve. Select Pressure Cook and dial the cooking time up or down using the following calculations. Take the al dente pasta cooking time from the package. Cut that number in half and subtract two more minutes. For instance, if the al dente cooking time is 12 minutes, the pressure cook time will be 4 minutes.
For the topping, while the soup cooks, heat the butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the bread crumbs and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the crumbs are lightly toasted. Remove to a plate to cool. Set aside.
Once the Instant Pot cooking time has ended, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure.
Stir in the cooked chicken. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper (important!).
Serve the soup with toasted bread crumbs, Parmesan or mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.
Notes
Stovetop Directions:in a 6-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Add the broth, penne pasta, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, and oregano. Bring to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Off the heat, stir in the chicken. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve with toppings.