Instant Pot

Instant Pot Coconut Shrimp Soup (Tom Kha)

by:
July  8, 2021
4.5
17 Ratings
Instant Pot Coconut Shrimp Soup (Tom Kha)
Photo by Ghazalle Badiozamani
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 10 minutes
  • Serves 4
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

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3 cups chicken broth or water
  • 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled (tails left on) and deveined
  • 1 cup canned 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 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh lemongrass
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Grated zest of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup fresh 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.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Marie Yogini Savundranayagam
    Marie Yogini Savundranayagam
  • Urvashi Pitre
    Urvashi Pitre
  • Scott Lewis
    Scott Lewis
  • Erinfett
    Erinfett
Urvashi Pitre
Dr. Urvashi Pitre is the President of a global marketing consulting firm, as well as the author of several best-selling cookbooks.

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12 Reviews

Erinfett
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
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
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.
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
melanie November 1, 2020
Thank you!
 
Marie Y.
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
Krystallynne January 7, 2020
Do you need an instant pot to cook this?
 
Urvashi P.
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
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
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.
Scott L. October 3, 2020
Simpler? It’s one pot to clean either way. It’s be slower. To each their own though.
 
Patti
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