My best-ever tom kha soup recipe is already perfect, but it's even better when it's made in the Instant Pot! Rich, creamy, and full of incredible flavors, this Thai coconut chicken soup recipe is easy and delicious. Easily make it Whole30, paleo, or vegan, too.
Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add coconut oil and heat over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onion, garlic, jalapeño, galangal (or ginger), lemongrass, lime leaves, and red curry paste. Stir frequently, cooking for 5 minutes or until onions are softened.
Pour in chicken broth and stir. Secure lid on Instant Pot with vent in sealing position. Set to cook 5 minutes on Manual High Pressure.
When 5 minute cook time is up, carefully Quick Release pressure and remove lid. Set Instant Pot back to Sauté mode. Use slotted spoon to strain out garlic, onions, lemongrass, lime leaves, and galangal. Discard aromatics.
Add in coconut milk, chicken breasts, mushrooms, fish sauce, coconut sugar, and lime juice. Simmer in Sauté mode until chicken is just cooked through.
Taste soup and adjust as desired. Add more sugar for sweetness, more lime juice for tartness, or more fish sauce for saltiness. Ladle soup into serving bowls and top with sliced green onions and fresh cilantro. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Be sure to use coconut cream or coconut milk. Coco lopez and coconut creamer are not the same as coconut cream/coconut milk and will not work in this recipe.
To use shrimp instead of chicken: Add 1 pound of raw shrimp instead of the chicken and heat until it’s cooked through (it’ll be pink and no longer translucent).
Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: Use 2 additional cans full-fat coconut cream or coconut milk instead of chicken broth. Sub chicken with tofu. Use a 1-pound block of firm or extra firm (can be regular or silken) tofu cut into cubes. Use soy sauce to taste instead of using fish sauce.
Make it Whole30: Use 2 additional cans full-fat coconut cream or coconut milk instead of chicken broth. Use 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos instead of coconut sugar and use fish sauce without sugar (the only one I know of is Red Boat Fish Sauce).
Recipe yields approximately 6 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using ingredients listed. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 6. Result will be the weight of one serving.