Instant Pot Thai Tom Yum Soup with Shrimp

Name: Instant Pot Thai Tom Yum Soup with Shrimp
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: thai
Ingredients: 1 pound raw shrimp. Shells, heads, and tails are best for making stock.; 5 cups shrimp or chicken broth, unsalted; 4 large lemongrass stalks. Cut each stalk into 4-5 inches pieces. It’s ok to use some of the top parts of the lemongrass. We will not be eating the stalk so the tougher upper middle parts are ok to use for making soups.; 2-3 shallot, julienned. (2.5 oz); 1/2 oz fresh galangal, cut into large pieces. If using dried galangal, double up on the amount used.; 3 large double kaffir lime leaves, torn into large pieces; 1/4 cup cilantro stems, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 1/2 cups tomatoes. Cherry or Roma or whatever you have available. I combined a few golden tomato pieces from my garden.; 5 oz mushroom, about 1 1/2 cups; 1/4 cup Tom Yum paste; 2 tablespoon fish sauce; 3 tablespoon lime juice

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Instant Pot Thai Tom Yum Soup with Shrimp is full of bright, bold flavors of sour, salty, and spicy. This famous Thai soup is the perfect comfort food for cooler weather. Plus, it’s super easy making it in an Instant Pot!

For more delicious Thai food, try a stovetop method with this Easy Tom Yum Soup recipe with chicken and Creamy Tom Yum soup with shrimp. If you are feeling adventurous, make your own Authentic homemade Thai Tom Yum paste and Nam Prik Pao for an even more flavorful taste!

While at it, make a taste comparison of another popular and easy recipe and make the Tom Kha Gai recipe (authentic). Both are restaurant-quality recipes that keep you warm and cozy on and off soup seasons!

Jump to:

What is Tom Yum?
What does Thai Tom Yum Taste Like?
Why This Recipe Works
Ingredient List for Tom Yum Soup
How To Make This Recipe
Helpful Kitchen notes And Expert Tips
Tom Yum Variations
Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
FAQs
More Thai Recipes You’ll Love!
Instant Pot Thai Tom Yum Soup with Shrimp

What is Tom Yum?

Thai Tom Yum soup, or Tom Yum Goong, is an incredibly delicious soup bursting with bold and herbaceous herbs. The soup broth is typically made with shrimp heads, shells, and tails or a simple chicken broth. It’s then seasoned with fragrant herbs of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind, and fish sauce.

It is Thailand's most famous soup in and outside of Thailand. Especially here, where I live in the United States, Tom Yum soup is extremely popular in Thai restaurants.

What does Thai Tom Yum Taste Like?

Tom Yum soup has a bold and intensely addicting taste. It’s extra tangy from the tamarind or lime juice, the salty, savory umami taste from fish sauce, and sometimes a dash of sugar to balance the bold taste. These flavors are instantly memorable and addictive from all the uses of tropical herbs of Southeast Asia.

Once you taste the soup, be prepared for a never-ending craving for more. It is one of the best soups in Thai cuisine!

Why This Recipe Works

Tom Yum is an incredibly tasty and HEALTHY Thai sour soup!
This instant pot recipe is super easy to make. Just throw everything in a pot and let the pressure cooking do most of the work for you!
Add jasmine rice or noodles for a more hearty soup!
You can add more vegetables if you want healthier and meatier soup.
It’s the perfect comfort food in the winter. It’s warming and tasty!

Ingredient List for Tom Yum Soup

Raw large shrimp. Shells, heads, and tails are best for making stock. For a meatier soup, use thinly sliced chicken breast or chicken thighs instead but add the chicken in the first part of the cooking process in step 3.
Broth Use unsalted shrimp, chicken, mushroom, or vegetable broth. Chicken stock works well too. If using plain water, you'll get a more clear broth. Add extra Tom Yum paste, fish sauce, and lime juice for extra flavors.
Fresh lemongrass. Use the stalks of lemongrass and cut each stalk into 4-5 inch pieces. It’s ok to use some of the top parts of the lemongrass. We will not eat the stalk, so the tougher upper middle parts are okay for making soups. Though I've never used lemongrass paste yet, the paste can work, too, if you can't find fresh lemongrass.
Shallot. Substitute purple or any onion.
Fresh galangal. Do not use fresh ginger as a substitute. Visit your local Asian market or buy this essential herb for Tom Yum soup. If using dried galangal, double up on the amount used.
Kaffir lime leaves. They are also called Makrut lime leaves. The leaves add a citrusy and slightly bitter but pleasant flavor. Use lime or lemon zest as a substitute if unable to find kaffir leaves.
Cilantro stems. Authentic Tom Yum soup uses cilantro roots. They are extremely difficult to find in the US. Use the largest stems of the cilantro possible.
Tomatoes. Cherry or Roma or whatever you have available. I combined a few golden tomato pieces from my garden.
Mushrooms. Enoki, Shitake, and Enoki and oyster mushrooms are my favorites, but white button mushrooms and straw mushrooms work great too.
Tom Yum Paste. Mae Ploy is the best brand for Tom Yum paste found in most Asian markets, but use any brand available. Adjust the flavors until you find the taste you love at the end of the cooking steps.
Fish sauce. I used Thai fish sauce brands, Squid or Tiparos. They are saltier than most brands. Adjust the amount as needed by starting with a little bit and adding more later.
Tamarind pulp or lime juice. Tamarind paste or juice is typically used in authentic recipes in Thailand and in some good Thai restaurants. Lime and lemon juice work well too. If using tamarind, you’ll need to add a little extra because tamarind is sweeter and less sour than lime juice.
Sugar. This is optional. Use a little white, monk, palm, or brown sugar to help balance out the sour and salty flavors. If using palm sugar, you'll need just a little extra because it's not as sweet as the other sweetener.
Fresh Thai chilies. Use fresh or dried Thai chili peppers. Use whole peppers rather than crushing or slicing. The spices will be too much if the peppers are sliced. Jalapeños are excellent for this Thai soup.
Thai chili paste. Nam Prik Pao Thai chili oil, or an authentic Tom Yum soup recipe, usually calls for this chilis. I'm keeping my recipe simple, but if you can find some, use it for extra spicy flavors. Adjust the amount of fish sauce and chilis used if using chili paste. See the image below for reference.

Make your own Nam Prik Pao with easy step-by-step photo instructions here.

How To Make This Recipe

Let's get started on making the world's best-tasting soup! Get ready to be addicted! (:

Step one. Prep the shrimp to make broth. Peel off shrimp shells and tails to make a shrimp stock.

shrimp with shells in colander for tom yum soup

Step two. Place in a large saucepan and fill with 6 cups of water. On medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Drain the stock into a medium bowl over a strainer. Discard the cooked shells.

Step three. Add tom yum paste, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir leaves, shallot, cilantro stems, tomatoes, and the stock in an instant pot. Stir until the paste breaks apart.

Instant pot tom yum goong with vegetables and herbs

Step four. Turn the instant pot setting to the soup or pressure cook for 5 minutes. Prepare your bowls, garnish, and seasoning for when the soup is ready. After the instant pot is done cooking, we will quickly release the pressure by carefully turning the valve to quick release and letting them out. Again, use extra caution when using an instant pot.

Step five. Once the pressure is all released, open the lid, be careful with the condensation and high heat, then add the shrimp, mushroom, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar and stir well together.

wooden spoon stirring tom yum soup in an instant pot

Step six. Turn the instant pot setting to “Sautéed” for 3 minutes at medium temperature. It doesn't take long for the shrimp and mushroom to cook. The lid stays off. (I removed the lid for the sauteeing function after I took the photo!)

Step seven. Once the instant pot is done, stir the soup well. Carefully taste the soup's flavor and adjust it with more fish sauce, fresh lime juice, or sugar. If the flavors are too strong, add ½-1 cup of water of stock to help reduce the strong taste. Remember, Thai Tom Yum Soups are traditionally known for their strong tasty flavors that lean on the sour/tangy side. But adapt as needed!

Step eight. Remove the lemongrass stalks before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro, chilis, or slices of jalapeños for extra heat! That's it for this easy recipe! Enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

vegetables and herbs in tom yum broth in instant pot

Helpful Kitchen notes And Expert Tips

You can remove the lemongrass stalks, galangal, and the larger pieces of kaffir lime leaves before serving. I like to leave mine in the pot to squeeze out any extra flavors and nutrients. (: Especially if I have leftovers, they all stay put until the next serving. The pieces are large and hard to miss.
When using tougher (or brown) mushroom-like shiitake or portobello, you can add the mushroom to the broth-making part in step 3.
Add veggies of choice for more texture and taste. Great ones for Tom Yum soups are zucchini, sweet ell peppers, onions, sliced cabbage, pea pods, and baby corn.
Use firm white fish instead of shrimp if desired. Add the fish in step 3 when making the broth.
Tom Yum, freeze well. Freeze in small batches for easy thawing and serving.

Tom Yum Variations

Here's a twist. Some Tom Yum can be made into a creamy tom yum version too. There is also Tom Yum noodle soup which uses rice noodles as the base for a hearty soup. There are also recipes with Tom Yum paste for Tom Yum fried rice, pizza, pasta, and stir-fries. The Tom Yum flavors are expanding beyond just the soups!

Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe

Instant pot. A must for this recipe. It is a useful kitchen tool for several recipes for Thai cooking using high-pressure methods. But if you don't have one, check out my stovetop method for an Easy Tom Yum Soup recipe with chicken.

FAQs

Is Tom Yum Kung soup healthy?

Yes. Tom Yum soup is extremely healthy. It contains aromatic herbs like lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and cilantro roots. All have medicinal healing properties for the body.

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

The main difference between the two soups is using coconut milk in the recipes. Tom Yum soup is a sour, salty, and spicy soup made with broth and seasoned with abundant fresh Thai aromatic herbs. On the other hand, Tom Kha is a more mild and creamy soup with similar herbs, but it uses coconut milk as a base rather than chicken or shrimp broth like Tom Yum Soup.

Are you supposed to eat lemongrass in Tom Yum soup?

No. Lemongrass stalks are only for seasoning and flavoring the soup. Its tough fibrous texture is not easy to digest, so it’s typically left untouched in the soup pot or taken out before serving.

Can Tom Yum soup be kept overnight?

Yes. Tom Yum soups are tasty the next day as leftovers. Though if making Shrimp Tom Yum, the shrimp can turn tough and chewy. It’s still tasty and quite edible. However, fish, chicken, or vegetable Tom Tum are the best for the next meal.

instant pot next a bowl of tom yum soup with shrimp

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