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 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

Description

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!

Ingredients

Scale

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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Instructions

Prep the shrimp to make broth. Peel off shrimp shells and tails to make a shrimp stock.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Turn the instant pot setting to “Sautéed” on medium heat for 3 minutes. 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!)
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 1/2-1 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!
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.

Notes

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.

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Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 30
Category: soups
Method: instant pot
Cuisine: thai

Keywords: instant pot tom yum soup with shrimp, shrimp tom yum soup instant pot, tom yum soup, tom yum shrimp, tom yum goong