This easy vegan Thai Noodle soup is sheer comfort on a cold night. Honestly, tell me what is there to not like about a bowl of warm noodle soup with Thai flavors? Plus, it takes less than 20 minutes to make. Win-win, right?
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These days, I am all up for easy weeknight dinners. My bet is always on a quick Chili or some soup. Since my daughter is still adjusting to the concept of soup as dinner, I always find ways to make it appetizing for her.
This Thai inspired soup is one such humble attempt. There are many recipes out there that call for using curry paste. But not all of us have access to that kind of stuff.
So, I chose to keep this soup very simple. It does not use curry paste but it does call for Thai herbs like lemon grass and lime leaves. Please read the “Ingredients” column for substitute ideas.
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Ingredients
For making this soup, we will need noodles, lots of veggies, some herbs and spices along with coconut milk. Most ingredients are available easily. I have added substitutes for those that may be hard to come by.
- Asian sesame oil or any neutral flavored vegetable oil. I love coconut oil too!
- Shallots, garlic and green Chili.
- Vegetables– Carrots, baby corn, snap peas, Bok Choy, mushrooms is what I used. You can also use seasonal produce like zucchini, butternut squash, pumpkin, asparagus and green beans. Even peas, cauliflower and spinach work well here.
- Tofu– The regular firm tofu is my choice. I do not recommend using silken tofu because they disintegrate easily in this soup.
- Noodles- You can use ramen noodles here. Soba noodles also work well here. Use rice noodles for a gluten-free version.
- Herbs– Lemon grass, lime leaves and Thai basil lend their Asian flavors to this soup. You can use dried versions of all these herbs. If you are using dried herbs, you will need 1 tsp dried lemon grass, 3 lime leaves and 3/4 tsp crushed dried Thai basil.
- Light soy sauce – you just need a splash of it. Swap with Tamari if you want a gluten free version of this soup.
- Curry powder- Use any curry powder that you have on hand.
- Coconut sugar or raw cane sugar
- Coconut milk- All hail canned coconut milk! Truly, the convenience they bring is unparalleled. You will need thin coconut milk for this recipe. If you have thick coconut milk, dilute it by mixing 1 part coconut milk and 2 parts water.
- Lime juice
- Ground white pepper and salt to taste
Make ahead, shelf life and storage
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 2 days when stored in a clean and air tight container. Before serving, allow the soup to come to room temperature.
Since the noodles tend to absorb the liquids as they sit in the fridge, I recommend adding 1 cup of coconut milk to it and then reheating them gently.
This soup tastes best when made and served fresh. So, I do not recommend making this ahead of time.
Dietary Specifications
This recipe for Thai inspired noodle soup is naturally vegan and nut-free. You can make it gluten free by swapping the noodles with rice noodles and the soy with Tamari.
Recipe Notes
- Chop all the vegetables into evenly sized pieces for uniform cooking.
- Use only thin coconut milk for this recipe. Thick coconut milk causes the BURN signal to pop up and the result is undercooked noodles.
- If you simmer the coconut milk on high heat or for a longer duration, it tends to curdle. So, always keep the heat on low, especially if you are making this on stove top.
- Once the cooking process is complete, do a Quick Pressure Release without the slightest delay to avoid overcooked and mushy noodles.
- This recipe is made in the Instant Pot. Please note that if you change the variety of noodles, the timings will also differ.
Please take note of the timings I have shared here for different variety of noodles-
- Ramen Noodles- 1 minute – High Pressure followed by QPR.
- Indian Hakka Noodles- 4 minutes – High Pressure followed by QPR
- Soba Noodles- 2 minutes- High Pressure followed by QPR
- Rice Noodles- 1 minute – High Pressure followed by QPR
Variations
- Stir in 2 tbsp peanut butter or almond butter for a creamier version of this soup.
- Add 1 tsp miso paste for an enhanced Umami factor.
- If you cannot find all the herbs mentioned in the ingredients, substitute with 1.5 tbsp canned Thai green curry paste. Please note that when you do so, the soup will be a pale green.
- To make this a low carb soup, skip the noodles entirely and make it with just the vegetables.
- You can also red curry paste instead of green curry paste here.
Method
Prep work
First, measure the noodles and set aside. I recommend using a weighing scale for precise results.
Next, gather, clean and prep the remaining fresh vegetables and herbs. Similarly, assemble the remaining ingredients before you get started.
Instant Pot Thai Noodle Soup
Insert the inner pot into the Instant Pot and plug in. Press SAUTE- NORMAL and set the timer to 8 minutes.
When the display reads hot, add the oil and after 30 seconds, tip in the shallots, green chili and garlic. Saute till shallots turn pink and garlic begins to brown.
Tip in the lemon grass stalks and lime leaves. Saute for 20 to 30 seconds.
Spread the noodles evenly over this. If your noodles are long, break them into shorter sticks and spread them evenly into a uniform layer.
Next, add the veggies and tofu and arrange them into a single uniform layer. Now, top this with the basil leaves.
Pour in 13 oz of thin coconut milk. DO NOT STIR.
Tip in the curry powder, lime juice, soy sauce, coconut sugar, ground white pepper.
PRESS CANCEL. Ensure that the sealing ring has been fitted properly into the lid. Now, close the Instant Pot and turn the VALVE to SEALING.
PRESS PRESSURE COOK-HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer to 2 minutes. Allow the cooking cycle to complete. Once done, do a QUICK PRESSURE RELEASE immediately without any delay. Press CANCEL.
Open the lid, add in the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk (8 oz). Stir gently. Let the soup sit for 2 minutes before serving.
Garnish with chopped cilantro or more fresh Thai basil leaves if desired before serving.
Stove top instructions
Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain in a colander and set aside.
Heat a 5 quart Dutch oven or a similar heavy bottomed pan with sesame oil. Tip in the shallots, garlic and lemon grass along with the green chilis.
When the shallots are pink and the garlic begins to brown, add the veggies along with the lime leaves, soy sauce, curry powder, coconut sugar, salt and ground white pepper.
Add the basil leaves and stir to combine. Continue to saute the vegetables on medium heat till they are fork tender.
To the pan, add the coconut milk along with lime juice. Stir once and reduce the heat to the lowest.
Now, add the cooked noodles and stir gently. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes on low flame till the noodles have warmed through.
Easy Thai Noodle Soup
Equipment
- 1 chopping board
- 1 set of knives
- 1 set measuring cups and spoons
- 1 six quart Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Asian sesame oil or virgin coconut oil
- 12 shallots peeled and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped roughly
- 2 green chilies slit
- 4 fresh lime leaves torn
- 2 inches lemon grass chopped roughly
- 8 oz Soba Noodles any variety will work. Pls refer the blog post for other noodle varieties.
- 10 Button mushrooms both brown and white work
- 1 Bok Choy chopped
- 2 oz chopped carrots
- 2 oz baby corns sliced
- 1 oz snap peas chopped roughly
- 3 oz firm tofu chopped into small cubes
- 10 Thai basil leaves
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 21 oz thin coconut milk divided (please read instructions)
- 1.25 tsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1.25 tsp ground white pepper
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
Prep work
- First, measure the noodles and set aside. I recommend using a weighing scale for precise results.
- Next, gather, clean and prep the remaining fresh vegetables and herbs. Similarly, assemble the remaining ingredients before you get started.
Instant Pot Thai Noodle Soup
- Insert the inner pot into the Instant Pot and plug in. Press SAUTE- NORMAL and set the timer to 8 minutes.
- When the display reads hot, add the oil and after 30 seconds, tip in the shallots, green chili and garlic. Saute till shallots turn pink and garlic begins to brown.
- Tip in the lemon grass stalks and lime leaves. Saute for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Spread the noodles evenly over this. If your noodles are long, break them into shorter sticks and spread them evenly into a uniform layer.
- Next, add the veggies and tofu and arrange them into a single uniform layer. Now, top this with the basil leaves.
- Pour in 13 oz of thin coconut milk. DO NOT STIR.
- Tip in the curry powder, lime juice, soy sauce, coconut sugar, ground white pepper.
- PRESS CANCEL. Ensure that the sealing ring has been fitted properly into the lid. Now, close the Instant Pot and turn the VALVE to SEALING.
- PRESS PRESSURE COOK-HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer to 2 minutes. Allow the cooking cycle to complete. Once done, do a QUICK PRESSURE RELEASE immediately without any delay. Press CANCEL.
- Open the lid, add in the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk (8 oz). Stir gently. Let the soup sit for 2 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro or more fresh Thai basil leaves if desired before serving.
Stove top instructions
- Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain in a colander and set aside.
- Heat a 5 quart Dutch oven or a similar heavy bottomed pan with sesame oil. Tip in the shallots, garlic and lemon grass along with the green chilis.
- When the shallots are pink and the garlic begins to brown, add the veggies along with the lime leaves, soy sauce, curry powder, coconut sugar, salt and ground white pepper.
- Add the basil leaves and stir to combine. Continue to saute the vegetables on medium heat till they are fork tender.
- To the pan, add the coconut milk along with lime juice. Stir once and reduce the heat to the lowest.
- Now, add the cooked noodles and stir gently. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes on low flame till the noodles have warmed through.
Video
Notes
- Chop all the vegetables into evenly sized pieces for uniform cooking.
- Use only thin coconut milk for this recipe. Thick coconut milk causes the BURN signal to pop up and the result is undercooked noodles.
- If you simmer the coconut milk on high heat or for a longer duration, it tends to curdle. So, always keep the heat on low, especially if you are making this on stove top.
- Once the cooking process is complete, do a Quick Pressure Release without the slightest delay to avoid overcooked and mushy noodles.
- This recipe is made in the Instant Pot. Please note that if you change the variety of noodles, the timings will also differ.
- Ramen Noodles- 1 minute - High Pressure followed by QPR.
- Indian Hakka Noodles- 4 minutes - High Pressure followed by QPR
- Soba Noodles- 2 minutes- High Pressure followed by QPR
- Rice Noodles- 1 minute - High Pressure followed by QPR
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
Nutrition
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Interesting recipe. Would the same quantity work in a 3 quart instant pot ?
Hey Krithika, yes, it will but keep an eye on the level of liquid that you add. If you are going to half the recipe, then it will definitely work.