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    Home » Soups

    Published: Jan 11, 2022 · Modified: Jan 19, 2023 by Smruti · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Instant Pot Tom Yum Soup

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Ditch the Thai restaurant take-out soups for this delicious homemade Vegetarian Tom Yum Soup in under 45 minutes.

     Hot, sour and slightly sweet this warm broth based soup is FULL of vegetables and tofu.

    Instant Pot Tom Yum Soup in a white bowl with a white plate against dark background.

    Soups are perfect for cold days. A warm bowl of soup with a delicious side is our favorite for dinner.

    We are big fans of soups and stews and Asian soups TOP the list of favorites! We make a lot of them from scratch and get them for take-outs too. Vegetarian Hot Pot, Instant Pot Manchow Soup and Miso Ramen are amongst the top picks.

    My favorite part is that these soups are generally easy to make at home and taste super amazing with only a handful of ingredients. It is all in the flavoring ingredients we use here, so get the BEST ingredients for these soups.

    Most of these soups are broth based and FULL of vegetables and can become protein rich by adding tofu or paneer. Noodles blend in with these really well too. I like to make the broth/stock from scratch and always use this Quick and Easy Instant Pot Stock Recipe.

    This is the Vegetarian version of a Thai classic; Tom Yum Soup. It is made with vegetables, tofu and a super flavorful lemongrass and lime based broth. 

    Jump to:
    • What is Tom Yum Soup
    • Why this Recipe works
    • Ingredients and Substitutions
    • How to make this recipe
    • Expert Tips and Notes
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Pairings
    • More Soups to try
    • Instant Pot Tom Yum Soup

    What is Tom Yum Soup

    A super flavorful broth based Thai soup, Tom Yum is very popular all over the world.

    Served in Thai restaurants and made at home, this soup is hot and sour with a slight sweet taste and great with all the vegetables added to it.

    Per Wikipedia, Tom means the process of boiling and Yum is mixed. So the soup can easily be understood as a preparation made using flavorful ingredients that are boiled together.

    In order to replicate the flavors of boiling it for hours, we pressure cook the aromatics, hardy vegetables and broth using the Instant Pot. It extracts all the flavors from the aromatics and cooks the vegetables as well.

    Tom Kha is another popular soup that can be made from this Tom Yum soup. It is essentially this soup with some coconut milk or coconut cream. The addition of cream makes it thicker and rich tasting. 

    Why this Recipe works

    • This soup is Vegetarian and Vegan friendly. Once you ensure your Tom Yum paste is Vegan, there is nothing that is non-vegan here.
    • It is a one pot recipe and it comes together in under 30 minutes. Hello busy weeknights!
    • It is super flavorful from all the aromatics and spices used. The paste has a lot of spices and we are adding some whole ones too. Together they make the broth and the soup amazing!
    • This is a broth based soup. Convert it to a thicker and more fuller Tom Kha soup by adding some coconut milk to it.

    This soup is perfect for a cold winter dinner with a great mix of vegetables, aromatics and broth.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    Ingredients for Instant Pot Tom Yum Soup; vegetables, broth and tofu on a gray background.
    • Vegetables: For this soup we use a mix of vegetables. While I like to add carrots, baby corn, broccoli, cucumber and mushrooms to the soup; adding spinach, bamboo shoot, green beans, cauliflower and cabbage is an option too.
    • Pick vegetables and divide them into quick cook and those that need some time. Add the ones that need time to the broth while cooking and the rest later. 
    • Aromatics: Given that the soup is a super flavorful one, some ginger or galangal, lemongrass, kaffir like leaves and green onions are used. We cook the aromatics with the vegetables and the broth to get the maximum flavor from them.
    • Vegetable Stock: Making this soup is best with vegetable broth. It adds so much more flavor to the soup compared to just water. Store bought stock, Homemade Stock or better than bullion works here.  
    • Tom Yum Paste: Available at Asian stores and on Amazon, this paste is perfect for the soup. It is full with flavor and perfectly umami. I like to use this tom yum paste as it is Vegetarian friendly (no shrimp, fish etc.).
    • Tofu: To add some protein to the recipe I have added firm tofu as it makes a great vegetarian protein source. Paneer, tempeh or a protein of your choice will work for the recipe; however it can be skipped if you want only a vegetable based soup.
    • Tomatoes: As tomatoes add a lot of taste and sourness to the soup I would strongly recommend not skipping them. They do not have an absolute substitute but adding lots of lemon juice and some zest does help.
    • We also use salt, pepper, a hint of sugar and some soy sauce.

    See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

    How to make this recipe

    1- Add vegetable stock to the Instant Pot. 

    2- The aromatics go in next; add the lemongrass, green onion whites, lemon leaves and ginger. 

    Add broth and veggies to the base of the Instant Pot.

    3- Then add in chopped baby corn, carrots and mushrooms.

    4- Finally some salt, sugar and black pepper powder. Mix well.

    Add veggies, salt and pepper to the stock and aromatics in the Instant Pot.

    5- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the mode to pressure cook. Turn the valve to sealing and time to 5 minutes. Once the cooking is complete, wait for 2 minutes and then release all the pressure in small successions till the valve drops.

    6- Then open the Instant Pot and fish out the lemongrass and lime leaves. Discard them.

    Pressure cook the broth and open the Instant Pot.

    7- Next, add the tomatoes, broccoli, chopped cucumber and firm tofu.

    8- Then add in the tom yum paste and soy sauce. Mix well. 

    Add tofu, broccoli and tom yum paste to the cooked base.

    9- Turn the Instant Pot mode back to sauté and let the soup simmer for 4-5 minutes. 

    10- Turn the Instant Pot off and serve the soup immediately. Top it with chopped cilantro and green onions. 

    Season and boil the soup before serving.

    Expert Tips and Notes

    • Use homemade or store bought vegetable stock for the recipe instead of water. It adds a lot of flavor. 
    • Tom Yum paste is a great way to add all the flavoring agents together. If you do not have that, use 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste, ¼ teaspoon lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon tamarind extract.
    • Adjust the salt based on the salt in vegetable stock, tom yum paste and soy sauce. They all tend ti have some salt in them.
    • The same recipe can be made on the stove top. Cook the broth and vegetables for 10-12 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients. 
    • Adding some coconut milk or cream makes this soup into Tom Kha Soup.

    Recipe FAQs

    What is Tom Yum Soup?

    A super flavorful broth based Thai soup, Tom Yum is very popular all over the world. Served in Thai restaurants and made at home, this soup is hot and sour with a slight sweet taste and great with all the vegetables added to it. Tom means the process of boiling and Yum is mixed. So the soup can easily be understood as a preparation made using flavorful ingredients that are boiled together.

    How is Tom Yum Soup different from Tom Kha Soup?

    Tom Yum is a broth based soup whereas Tom Kha is made with coconut milk. This is the prime difference between the two soups.

    Is tom Yum soup healthy?

    In Thai culture Tom Yum Soup is believed to be beneficial to one's body.

    Pairings

    This soup pairs really well with Thai Entrees. It makes a great meal with all these or some of these for sure.

    • Vegan Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mow)
    • One Pot Vegan Thai Curry Noodles
    • Vegan Thai Red Curry
    • Instant Pot Thai Butternut Squash Curry
    Instant Pot Tom Yum Soup in a bowl on a slate platter with spoon on the side.

    More Soups to try

    • Serving manchow soup with noodles and cilantro on top with a spoon on the side.
      Instant Pot Manchow Soup
    • Instant Pot Quinoa Red Lentil Soup
    • A mix of spicy Hot Pot broth with broccoli, tofu, noodles in a bowl with chopsticks.
      Instant Pot Vegetarian Hot Pot
    • Minestrone Soup
    Tom Yum soup in bowl

    Instant Pot Tom Yum Soup

    Smruti
    Ditch the Thai restaurant take-out soups for this homemade Vegetarian Tom Yum Soup.
    Hot, sour and slightly sweet this warm broth based soup is FULL of vegetables and tofu.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Soup
    Cuisine Asian, Thai
    Servings 3
    Calories 177 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 medium Carrot chopped
    • 8-10 Baby Corn halved (canned or fresh)
    • 8-10 Mushrooms halved
    • 6-7 florets Broccoli
    • ½ Cucumber chopped
    • 2 Tomatoes quartered
    • 3-4 stalks Lemongrass green and white parts
    • 1 inch piece Ginger/ Galangal sliced
    • 3-4 stalks Green Onions chopped
    • 7 oz Firm Tofu cut into cubes
    • 3 ½ cups Vegetable Stock
    • 1 ½ tablespoon Vegan Tom Yum Paste
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ½ teaspoon Sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

    Instructions
     

    • Add vegetable stock to the Instant Pot.
    • The aromatics go in next. Add the lemongrass, green onion whites, lemon leaves and ginger.
    • Add chopped baby corn, carrots and mushrooms.
    • Add salt, sugar and black pepper powder. Mix well.
    • Close the Instant Pot lid and set the mode to pressure cook. Turn the valve to sealing and time to 5 minutes.
    • Once the cooking is complete, wait for 2 minutes and then release all the pressure in small successions till the valve drops.
    • Open the Instant Pot and fish out the lemongrass and lime leaves.
    • Add the tomatoes, broccoli, chopped cucumber and firm tofu.
    • Add in the tom yum paste and soy sauce. Mix well.
    • Turn the Instant Pot mode to sauté and let the soup simmer for 4-5 minutes.
    • Turn the Instant Pot off and serve the soup immediately. Top it with chopped cilantro and green onions.

    Video

    Notes

    • Use homemade or store bought vegetable stock for the recipe instead of water. It adds a lot of flavor. 
    • Tom Yum paste is a great way to add all the flavoring agents together. If you do not have that, use 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste, ¼ teaspoon lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon tamarind extract.
    • Adjust the salt based on the salt in vegetable stock, tom yum paste and soy sauce. They all tend ti have some salt in them.
    • The same recipe can be made on the stove top. Cook the broth and vegetables for 10-12 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients. 
    • Adding some coconut milk or cream makes this soup into Tom Kha Soup

    Nutrition

    Calories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 11gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1625mgPotassium: 737mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 6106IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 139mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    This blog is dedicated to one of my greatest passions, Cooking. I have always loved to cook, especially trying out some unconventional recipes.

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