When the weather is cold outside, the first thing we crave is a spicy tangy Thai soup called Tom Kha. Instead of calling for takeout, we love making our own version in the Instant Pot. With a tiny bit of preplanning for ingredients, you’ll be able to enjoy your very own soup in the comfort of your warm home!
Tom Kha Soup
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
When the weather is cold outside, the first thing we crave is a spicy tangy Thai soup called Tom Kha. Instead of calling for takeout, we love making our own version in the Instant Pot. With a tiny bit of preplanning for ingredients, you’ll be able to enjoy your very own soup in the comfort of your warm home!
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- Instant pot
- 3 cans full fat coconut milk
- 8 ounces chicken broth
- 2 lbs of chicken diced -we used tenders (can also use thighs or breast)
- 2-3 thai chilies slit (more or less depending on spice preference)
- 8 dried kaffir lime leaves
- 1 inch of galangal sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons of frozen chopped lemongrass (use fresh if available)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 15 oz can straw mushrooms-drained
- 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts- drained
- 15 oz can cut baby corn-drained
- 5 oz can sliced bamboo shoots
- 2 roma tomatoes chopped into large chunks
- 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons cilantro-washed and chopped for garnish
- Sriracha to taste
- Soy sauceto taste
- This kit contains all of the Thai herbs/spices we used
Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode
- Wait until the display reads “HOT”
- Add the chicken broth to the pot
- Add the diced chicken, coconut milk,
- Add the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and thai chilies
- Add the salt and brown sugar
- Stir well to incorporate all ingredients
- Press CANCEL on the Instant Pot
- Press SOUP on the Instant Pot
- Set timer to 8 minutes
- Close and lock the lid on the Instant Pot
- Turn the vent to sealing to prevent steam from escaping
- Once the timer goes off allow the pressure to naturally release (NPR) about 10-15 mins
- Do not attempt to manually release the pressure as soup will spew out and could cause burns
- The silver prong will drop back into the lid once the pressure has released
- Press CANCEL on the Instant Pot
- Carefully open the lid
- Run a spatula around the inside of the pot to collect the coconut milk residue and add it back to the soup
- Turn on the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode
- Add to the soup: bamboo shoots, baby corn, water chestnuts, tomato, straw mushrooms
- Squeeze fresh lime juice into the soup (use more for a tangy soup)
- Add Sriracha according to spice preference
- Add soy sauce according to salt preference
- Stir well
- Allow to simmer for 5 minutes
- Serve in a large bowl and garnish with cilantro and a lime wedge
Notes
Serving suggestion
This soup can be served with your favorite Thai dishes or as a main entree. You can also serve it with rice or noodles.
Variations
Omit the chicken and add in tofu after pressure cooking
If unable to find galangal, lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves, you can still make the soup. Use extra lime, soy sauce, sriracha and brown sugar instead to build the flavor.
NO ONION/NO GARLIC VARIATION:
You can omit the onions and garlic and add bell peppers and ginger instead.
VEGAN VARIATION: Omit the chicken, use vegetable broth and add in tofu after pressure cooking and simmer for 5 minutes with the vegetables.
This soup can be served with your favorite Thai dishes or as a main entree. You can also serve it with rice or noodles.
Variations
Omit the chicken and add in tofu after pressure cooking
If unable to find galangal, lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves, you can still make the soup. Use extra lime, soy sauce, sriracha and brown sugar instead to build the flavor.
NO ONION/NO GARLIC VARIATION:
You can omit the onions and garlic and add bell peppers and ginger instead.
VEGAN VARIATION: Omit the chicken, use vegetable broth and add in tofu after pressure cooking and simmer for 5 minutes with the vegetables.
