Instant Pot Coconut Shrimp Soup (Tom Kha) Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Instant Pot

by: Urvashi Pitre

July8,2021

4.5

17 Ratings

  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 10 minutes
  • Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

From Instant Pot Fast & Easy: "This Thai-style soup is brothy, fragrant, and delicately flavored. While tom kha is typically made with chicken (in which case it’s known as tom kha gai), I like making it with shrimp as a change of pace. This soup reheats very well, and I find the flavors deepen over time. If you plan to serve it a day later, don’t add the shrimp until you’re just about ready to serve the soup. Instead, reheat the soup and add them for the last few minutes of cooking." —Urvashi Pitre

Test Kitchen Notes

COCONUT SHIRMP SOUP (TOM KHA) is excerpted from INSTANT POT FAST & EASY © 2019 by Urvashi Pitre. Photography © 2019 by Ghazalle Badiozamani. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 3 cupschicken broth or water
  • 1/2 poundmedium shrimp, peeled (tails left on) and deveined
  • 1 cupcanned straw mushrooms, undrained
  • 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 6 to 8 thin slices fresh ginger
  • 2 whole red Thai chiles (optional)
  • 2 tablespoonsfish sauce
  • 1 tablespoonminced fresh lemongrass
  • 1 teaspoonhoney
  • 1/2 teaspoonsalt
  • Grated zest of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cupfresh lime juice (from 2 or 3 limes)
  • Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
  • Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
  1. In the Instant Pot, combine the broth, shrimp, mushrooms and their liquid, half the coconut milk, the ginger, chiles (if using), 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce, the lemongrass, honey, and salt.
  2. Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve. Select MANUAL and set the pot at LOW pressure for 1 minute. At the end of the cooking time, quick release the pressure.
  3. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, remaining coconut milk, the lime zest, and lime juice.
  4. Divide the soup among four serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges alongside for squeezing.

Tags:

  • Soup
  • American
  • Coconut
  • Lemongrass
  • Lime
  • Shrimp
  • Weeknight Cooking
  • Instant Pot
  • One-Pot Wonders
  • Pressure Cook
  • Sunday Dinner
  • Entertaining

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Marie Yogini Savundranayagam

  • Urvashi Pitre

  • Scott Lewis

  • Erinfett

Dr. Urvashi Pitre is the President of a global marketing consulting firm, as well as the author of several best-selling cookbooks.

Popular on Food52

12 Reviews

Erinfett December 4, 2021

Thoughts on sautéing the shrimp before putting it in the instant pot to get a little more flavor? Is this a bad idea haha?

neenagoswamy January 4, 2021

Really great and SO easy! We followed everything as said and it turned out great. I would like to add more vegggies but not sure what the INstant pot timing should be in that case given the shrimp? Would love to know!

melanie October 30, 2020

Just as described - light, very flavorful, delicious! How would you modify cooking time if using chicken? (Also wondering if you’d throw in the raw chicken at the same time as the other ingredients). Thank you!

Urvashi P. October 31, 2020

So cut up the chicken into bite size pieces and then cook for 2 mins under pressure and 5 mins NPR and it will be delicious!

melanie November 1, 2020

Thank you!

Marie Y. January 7, 2020

Tried this recipe but it requires adjustments. I sauteed one sliced onion, sliced mushrooms (around 8 oz), lemongrass, and two teaspoons of red curry paste prior to adding the other ingredients. It turned out really well.

Krystallynne January 7, 2020

Do you need an instant pot to cook this?

Urvashi P. January 11, 2020

Fair question. Need? Maybe not. Does it infuse the broth with a lot more flavor with a lot less work and faster? Indeed it does.

liliana December 23, 2020

I fully agree. Do not really understand the hot trend for the instant pot.
It takes up space while stove-top results are lovingly tastier.

Cindy January 4, 2020

Why would you use an instant pot for this? Wouldn't it be simpler to just cook it on the stove and let it simmer a while?

Scott L. October 3, 2020

Simpler? It’s one pot to clean either way. It’s be slower. To each their own though.

Patti May 26, 2019

We loved this. 2nd time I made it with bunch of shredded gai lan added after opening the instant pot and before the lime, fish sauce,etc. Let it sit covered 5 min and then added final ingredients: one pot deliciousness

Instant Pot Coconut Shrimp Soup (Tom Kha) Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Tom Kha and Tom Kha soup? ›

Tom Kha vs.

Perhaps you have seen “Tom Kha Gai” on the menu at Thai restaurants- “Tom Kha” means galangal (flavorful relative of ginger) soup and “Tom Kha Gai” refers to the chicken version of the soup. And “Tom Yum” refers to a different Thai soup that has a tomato base instead of coconut milk.

How long to simmer soup in Instant Pot? ›

The time it takes to boil soup in an Instant Pot can vary depending on the specific recipe and ingredients used. However, on average, it usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and then an additional 15 to 30 minutes for the soup to boil and cook adequately.

Which is healthier, Tom Yum or tom kha? ›

Best: Tom Yum Soup

Tom yum has fewer than 100 calories per cup. It also has shrimp, veggies, and fragrant spices, such as lemongrass. Tom yum and other broth-based soups, like tofu-vegetable or wonton, are usually lower in fat and calories than soups made with coconut milk, such as tom kha.

What does tom kha mean in English? ›

Now that we've established that “tom” means “boiling a broth”, knowing that “kha” means galangal will quickly help us understand that this soup's main ingredient is the galangal (don't confuse it with “king” or ginger now!).

Does soup get better the longer you simmer? ›

Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes. The longer the stock cooks, the more flavorful your soup will be.

How long do you can soup in a pressure cooker? ›

Process:
  1. For weighted gauge pressure canners at 0-1000 feet, process at 10 pounds pressure - 60 minutes for pints and 75 minutes for quarts. ...
  2. For dial gauge pressure canners at 0-2000 feet, process at 11 pounds pressure – process 60 minutes for pints and 75 minutes for quarts.

What are the two types of tom yum soup? ›

There are two different types of Tom Yum soup. The original Tom Yum is a clear soup called Tom Yum Nam Sai. The later version, which is commonly seen and widely adored, is a vibrant-coloured, richer and creamier soup called Tom Yum Nam Khon as it has roasted chilli paste, evaporated milk or coconut cream added to it.

Why is it called tom kha soup? ›

Take for example the dish Tom Kha Gai (or Tom Kha Kai): A hot and sour soup with chicken and coconut milk popular in Thai and Laotian cuisine, the name of the dish quite literally translates into cooked chicken galangal (tom = cooked, kha = galangal, gai = chicken).

What is the best Thai soup called? ›

Tom Yum soup is the most popular Thai soup. In Thai, “tom” translates into “boiled” and “yum” refers to the traditional sour, salty and spicy flavor found in lots of Thai dishes.

Is Tom Yam and tom yum the same thing? ›

Thai soups are some of the most well-known dishes of Thai cuisine. If you've had any exposure to Thai food, you'll likely recognize tom yum (also spelled tom yam) or even tom kha. And, if you want to learn how to cook Thai food, soups are some of the easiest recipes to start with.

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