Made with chicken, noodles, vegetables, and spices, this easy-to-make Instant Pot Cuban Chicken Soup (Sopa De Pollo) comes together in under 30 minutes. Try my easy recipe here.
Jump to:
About Cuban Chicken Soup
Cuban Chicken Soup (Sopa De Pollo) is a comforting soup famous in Cuba and other Latin American countries. It is loaded with the goodness of chicken, vegetables, chicken stock, spices, and angel hair noodles.
It has a rich and hearty broth, and the veggies add a sweet and savory dimension.
Sopa De Pollo is popularly made in Cuban homes and restaurants and is often served with Cuban sandwiches.
My easy recipe shows how to make this hearty and flavor-packed soup in an instant pot (electric pressure cooker) in under 30 minutes. You can also make it in a pot over a stovetop.
Enjoy this Cuban style chicken noodle soup on its own for a light meal on cold days or if you feel under the weather.
Try some more Caribbean recipes at home
Here are a few more soup recipes
- Green Curry Noodle Soup
- Tom Kha Soup
- Chicken Sweet Potato Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Soup
- Chicken Clear Soup
- Pumpkin Apple Soup
- Thai Pumpkin Curry Soup
- Tomato Basil Bisque
Ingredients
Chicken – This soup is traditionally made using skinless bone-in chicken pieces. Bones make the broth very rich and hearty. I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use chicken thighs.
Onions – Red or yellow onions work best in this recipe.
Oil – Use good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Veggies – I have used carrots, potatoes, and corn cobs. You can also use other vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, celery ribs, etc.
Seasoning – To season the soup, you will need dried oregano, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, and pepper.
Chicken Stock – Make it at home or use a store-bought one.
Noodles – Use Angel Hair Pasta or Fidelini noodles (Fideo noodles) which are thin vermicelli-type noodles that come dried and coiled, usually in a bag.
Others – You will also need garlic cloves, bay leaf, and freshly squeezed lime juice.
Add some tomato paste or tomato sauce to the soup for added flavor.
You can also add some black beans to this recipe.
How To Make Cuban Chicken Soup
Press SAUTE button on the instant pot.
Add 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to the pot.
Once the oil is hot, arrange 1 pound (500 g) of rinsed boneless skinless chicken breast in the pot in a single layer.
Brown the chicken by searing for 3-4 minutes per side.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a plate.
Add ½ cup chopped onions and 2 teaspoon minced garlic to the pot and saute for 3-4 minutes until the onions start to brown.
Add
- 1 cup of cubed carrots (¼-inch cubes)
- 1 cup of cubed potatoes (½-inch cubes)
- 1 piece of corn (cut into 4 pieces)
and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add
- 5 cups of chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 whole bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
and stir until combined.
Place the chicken breasts back into the pot and close the lid.
Set the valve to the sealing position.
Press CANCEL and then press PRESSURE COOK.
Set the timer to 8 minutes at high pressure.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
Discard the bay leaf and take out the chicken breasts on a chopping board using a pair of tongs.
Shred the chicken using a fork.
Note – If using bone-in chicken, discard the bones after shredding the meat.
Add the shredded chicken back to the pot.
Press SAUTE button once again.
Add 2 oz (60 g) Angel hair pasta noodles and 1 tablespoon lime juice to the pot.
Cook for 6-7 minutes or until the noodles are just cooked (al dente).
Transfer the soup to serving bowls. Garnish with chopped scallion (green onions) or cilantro and serve hot.
Pro Tips By Neha
Add a dash of hot sauce or Sriracha for a spicier Cuban soup.
If you are not planning to serve the soup immediately, don’t add noodles. Noodles must be added just before you serve the soup; otherwise, they will soak up the broth and become soggy.
If you can access Sazon (a Cuban spice mix), add a sachet for a traditional Cuban flavor.
Replace fresh chicken with leftover rotisserie chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat to make Cuban-style chicken soup on the stovetop. Once the oil is hot, arrange the chicken breast in a single layer.
Brown the chicken by searing for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a plate.
In the same pot, add onions and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes until the onions start to brown.
Add carrots, potatoes, and corn, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add broth, oregano, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, bay leaf, salt, and pepper powder, and stir until combined.
Place the chicken breasts back into the pot and reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pot with a lid and cook until the veggies are cooked (20-25 minutes).
Once done, discard the bay leaf and take out the chicken breasts on a chopping board. Shred the chicken using a fork.
Add the shredded chicken back to the pot.
Add pasta noodles and lime juice to the pot. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until the noodles soften.
Transfer the soup to serving bowls. Garnish with chopped scallion (green onions) and serve hot.
Yes, you can. Sear the chicken breasts in a pan until browned from both sides. Now add them to a slow cooker along with all the other ingredients except the noodles. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Discard the bay leaves and shred the chicken breasts. Add the chicken back to the cooker along with the noodles and lime juice. Cook on low for 1 hour. Garnish and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the soup in a large bowl garnished with fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime. This is the classic way to enjoy Cuban chicken soup.
You can serve it with a side of white rice, crusty bread, or beans. You can add the rice directly to the soup or serve it on the side for a more filling meal.
Serve the soup with some fried plantains on the side. This classic Cuban combination adds a sweet and savory dimension to the dish.
Storage Suggestions
This Cuban style chicken soup will easily last for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat in a pan or microwave until hot before serving.
You can also freeze this hearty soup for up to 3 months. Just make sure not to add noodles to the soup if you plan to freeze it. Thaw, reheat, add noodles, and let them cook and serve.
You Might Also Like
Recipe Card
Instant Pot Cuban Chicken Soup Recipe (Sopa De Pollo)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (500 g)
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup cubed carrots (cut into ¼-inch cubes)
- 1 cup cubed potatoes (cut into ½ inch cubes)
- 1 piece corn (cut into 4)
- 5 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 whole bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 ounces dried angel hair pasta noodles
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Press SAUTE button on the instant pot.
- Add olive oil to the pot.
- Once the oil is hot, arrange chicken breast in the pot in a single layer.
- Brown the chicken by searing for 3-4 minutes per side.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a plate.
- Add onions and garlic to the pot and saute for 3-4 minutes until the onions start to brown.
- Add carrots, potatoes, and corn and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add broth, oregano, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, bay leaf, salt, and pepper powder, and stir until combined.
- Place the chicken breasts back into the pot and close the lid.
- Set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press CANCEL and then press PRESSURE COOK.
- Set the timer to 8 minutes at high pressure.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
- Discard the bay leaf and take out the chicken breasts on a chopping board using a pair of tongs.
- Shred the chicken using a fork.
- Note – If using bone-in chicken, discard the bones after shredding the meat.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot.
- Press SAUTE button once again.
- Add pasta noodles and lime juice to the pot.
- Cook for 6-7 minutes or until the noodles soften.
- Transfer the soup to serving bowls. Garnish with chopped scallion (green onions) and serve hot.
Sandra Ramirez
This doesn’t taste like Cuban chicken soup. At least not what I’m used to. The main ingredients are the same but the spices are different. That being said, this soup is AMAZING! This version is incredibly flavorful. It was a huge hit with me and my daughters. No extra salt and pepper is needed. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Neha Mathur
Hi Sandra, I am glad you like the recipe. Each home has a different recipe to make this soup and the taste might be different from home to home 🙂