Chicken and Lentil Soup

Another great recipe for the instant pot from Skinnytaste One & Done cookbook.  This recipe also uses sazon seasoning, so if you try this one, you should make your own sazon seasoning and make the Arroz con Pollo as well!  


1 lb dried green lentils
12 oz 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs, all fat trimmed
7 cups water
2 tbsp chicken bouillon
1 small onion, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic
1 medium ripe tomato, diced (I used one can diced tomatoes, drained)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sazon* (I used my homemade blend, you could also use paprika)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste


Place all the ingredients into the instant pot, stir and cover.  Use "Soup" button and cook 30 minutes.  When done, and the pressure releases, shred the chicken and gently stir (so you don't mash all the lentils). 


*You can purchase sazon seasoning from a store, but I made a batch of my own and have had fun finding other recipes for its use.  This is the recipe I used:

Sazon Seasoning Mix
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp turmeric
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper

Arroz con Pollo

This recipe comes from the Skinnytaste One & Done cookbook.  I'm borrowing a friend's instant pot, and the jury is still out on whether I need one of my own.  But this recipe was delicious and super easy to make.  I made several changes, which I included below.


2-3 chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sazon seasoning*
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup pitted green Spanish olives, plus 1/2 Tbsp brine
1 tsp chicken bouillon


Season the chicken with the vinegar, 1/2 tsp of the sazon, the garlic powder, and salt.

Press the sauce button on an electric pressure cooker.  When hot, add 2 teaspoons of the oil and cook the chicken until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

To the pressure cooker (still on sauce), add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, onion, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the rice, 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water, the frozen mixed vegetables, tomato sauce, olives, olive brine, remaining 1/2 teaspoon sazon, and the bouillon.  Stir well.  Return the chicken to the pot.

Seal and cook on high pressure for 27 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the chicken and rice are cooked.  Quick or natural release, then open when the pressure subsides.

To serve, place 1 cup rice on each plate, top with 2-3 chicken chunks, and garnish with cilantro and hot sauce, if you like.

*I'd never used sazon seasoning before.  You can purchase it from a store, but I made a batch of my own and have had fun finding other recipes for its use.  This is the recipe I used:

Sazon Seasoning Mix
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp turmeric
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper