Cut spaghetti squash in half (long ways or short ways! I’ve done it both ways and it turns out just fine!) and remove the seeds. Add the squash and 1 cup of water to the instant pot. Cover, seal, and cook for 12 minutes (smaller squashes can cook in as little as 8 minutes) on high pressure – then do a quick release.
You can cook your squash in the microwave or the oven. Whatever you prefer!
Once the squash is finished cooking, remove from the pot. Clean/rinse out your instant pot and set the squash aside to cool slightly so it’s easier to handle.
To the instant pot, add the chicken, diced onions, spaghetti sauce, broth, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, and all of the seasonings.
Attach the lid, seal, and set for 15 minutes on high pressure.
While the soup cooks, use a fork and remove the “noodles” from the inside of the spaghetti squash. Be careful to not shred into the skin of the squash. It’s hard and just not fun to bite into in the soup!
Once the soup has finished cooking, hit ‘cancel’ and do a quick release to release the steam.
Shred chicken pieces – you can do this directly in the pot with a couple of forks or by removing them and shredding them separately on a plate or in a bowl.
Add the squash noodles to the soup and mix. Your soup should be hot enough to heat the noodles through within a minute or two. If not, you can hit the saute button and cook it for a couple minutes.
Once the noodles are heated through – serve and ENJOY!
Recipe Notes
For stovetop option:
Saute onions in a large soup pot over medium heat (I usually add a tbsp or two of oil too) until they are slightly softened – about 5 minutes.
Add in chopped chicken breasts/thighs and saute for 5-6 minutes, just until slightly cooked on the outside. Smaller pieces will help them to cook quicker.
Add in spaghetti sauce, broth, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, and seasonings.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce to med-low heat, and cook for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and shreddable.