Buzz
One frequent complaint about the Instant Pot is its tendency to produce huge portions. While that’s great for families, those of us living solo can find the surplus overwhelming. This is especially true when making soup.
I enjoy soup, but most recipes yield too much, and I’m not the kind of person who can eat the same soup for days without grumbling. As a result, I rarely made soup—until I stumbled upon this Food52 article. In it, Eric Kim, writer of the stellar Table for One series, prepares just the right amount of chicken soup by stuffing a Cornish game hen with rice and garlic, then simmering it with onion and ginger for an hour. The result? A perfectly portioned, comforting bowl of soup for one.
It’s a fantastic recipe, but it does require some stovetop attention while basting the hen in broth. If that’s not your thing, let the Instant Pot handle it. The “Soup” function makes it effortless, and the small size of the poultry speeds things up. You can toss in your favorite aromatics and veggies—I opted for a carrot for sweetness, a shallot instead of onion, five garlic cloves, fresh ginger, and herbs. A splash of apple cider vinegar helps extract collagen while adding a gentle, tangy note.
Did I add a dash of MSG? Absolutely. It was a nod to the cans of Campbell’s I devoured as a sick kid, but also because it enhances flavor—especially when you're congested and struggling to taste anything. Just an eighth of a teaspoon is enough to give the broth a deep umami boost. Combined with the meat’s richness, the vinegar’s acidity, and the carrot’s natural sweetness, it creates a perfectly balanced broth for your pressure-poached hen.
Here’s what you’ll need:
3 cups water
1 medium carrot, cut into 4 large chunks
1 shallot, quartered
5 garlic cloves, smashed
3 thin slices of ginger (about 1 1/2 inches long)
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 Cornish game hen
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon MSG
Pour the water into the Instant Pot insert, then add the vegetables and ginger. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen twine and toss them in. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Holding the hen over the pot, sprinkle salt and MSG evenly on both sides, letting any excess fall into the broth below.
Place the hen in the Instant Pot, breast side up, secure the lid, and select the “Soup” function. Press “Adjust” until it’s set to “Less,” then use the “+” and “-” buttons to set the timer for 10 minutes. Once cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Move the hen to a large soup bowl, then strain out the vegetables and herbs from the broth. Pour the broth over the hen, adding rice or perfectly cooked vegetables if desired. You can also shred the meat on a cutting board and return it to the broth, but I prefer pulling it off the bone with a fork as it soaks in the soup. Garnish with green onion, Italian parsley, lemon zest, or all three. Eat and feel comforted.
