Lip-smacking coconut curry noodle soup or the vegetarian khao soi made in Instant Pot! Here is my version of Northern Thai coconut curry noodle soup!
Recently I have been sharing quick vegetarian weekday lunch/dinner recipes that you can easily make in your Instant Pot. Earlier I shared chakalaka, the South African vegetable relish, and then zucchini chili, and now it’s time for the Thai coconut curry noodle soup or the khao soi.
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Khao Soi
Khao soi is a noodle soup dish that is quite popular in Myanmar, Laos, and Northern Thailand. According to Wikipedia, it’s a Chin Haw dish meaning this khao soi was created by the Chinese people who migrated to Thailand via Myanmar or Laos.
Khao or Kao means rice. And soi means “cut.” So khao soi means cut rice or rice noodles dish. But the Northern Thai Khao soi is made with egg noodles, so instead of egg noodles, I went with wheat noodles here. Also, I used a green-curry paste instead of red. So I am not calling mine as authentic khao soi but one variation of khao soi. (There are several variations, folks. :-) )
Store-bought Thai curry paste
While I love to make spice pastes and powders from scratch, sometimes I resort to store-bought ones. And for this noodle soup, that’s what I did. I used vegan store-bought Thai green curry paste, and it makes your life super easy. You don’t need to worry about the exotic ingredients like galangal or kaffir lime etc. The curry pastes make it all easy. (PS – this is not a sponsored post)
If you are curious to make your curry pastes, then check out my Thai yellow curry, green curry, and red curry posts for the recipes. I have used authentic Thai ingredients to make the curry pastes.
Now, if you are looking for an accessible version with substitutes, then do check out the Thai watermelon rind curry post.
Noodles Used
I tested this recipe with regular wheat noodles that we use for the Hakka noodles and also with Japanese dried udon noodles. For this particular recipe, I went with dried udon noodles. (Made it a Thai/Japanese fusion recipe) Traditionally this recipe calls for rice noodles, but I went with what I had in hand.
The same goes for the curry paste also. As mentioned before, I used green curry paste, but you can very well use red curry paste. This recipe is very forgiving (make sure to check the Instant Pot cooking time), and you can customize it according to your needs. Check the recipe notes for all the ingredient substitutes and variations.
My vegan version of khao soi
I used a lot of vegetables in the soup. The noodles I used makes it a non-gluten-free dish, but you can use rice noodles instead. Also, udon noodles are usually vegan, but some brands might have different ingredients. So make sure you check the ingredients.
As the recipe goes, you first saute the onions and garlic and then cook the curry paste for a couple of minutes and turn off the heat. Then add all the veggies and water and the noodles. Let the Instant Pot do its magic, and then stir in the coconut milk and basil. Let it simmer and done. Sounds easy, right?
Watch me make vegetarian khao soi
Serving details
I highly recommend serving this soup immediately. As the noodles soak more, it becomes thick and slightly mushy. In that case, cook the soup without noodles and add cooked noodles before serving. You can add fried tofu or tempeh for added protein.
Call it khao soi or Thai Coconut Curry Vegetable Noodle Soup, or simply vegetable noodle soup, this noodle soup is a crowd-pleaser recipe for sure. Now without any further ado, let’s see how to make this coconut curry noodle soup in the Instant Pot.
How to make Thai Coconut Curry Vegetable Noodle Soup in Instant Pot
- Set Instant Pot in the saute mode and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, onion, and green onion. Saute for two to three minutes.
- Now add the Thai green curry paste and water. Mix well and make sure you scrape the bottom. Let it cook for 30 seconds, and then add the salt and sugar and mix well. Next, add the chopped vegetables and mix well. Now turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add the remaining 2.75 cups of water and the dried udon noodles. Make sure you immerse the noodles well inside the water.
- Close the Instant Pot. Make sure the vent is in the sealing position. Select manual/pressure cook and set the time to 3-minutes at high-pressure mode. When the cooking is complete, quickly release the remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid after releasing the pressure, and this how the noodle soup will look.
- And mix the noodles gently. Set the Instant Pot in saute mode again.
- Now add 1 cup of coconut milk, the basil leaves, and the scallion’s green part. Simmer it for two minutes, and that’s it. While simmering, you can check for the seasoning, and if required, you can add more curry paste, the remaining ½ tbsp measure. I did add it. And if you feel the curry is spicy, add brown sugar and salt as needed. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes | Ingredient Substitutes | Variations
- Cook for three mts at high-pressure mode and release the pressure quickly or 2 minutes and do 10 minute NPR. Do not go beyond that as noodles will become mush. Also, serve it right away.
- Instead of green curry paste, you can use red curry paste.
- Also, I went with dried udon noodles. But I have tried this recipe with regular wheat noodles as well, and that’s what I shared on my IG. The same timing works well for that. You can use rice noodles, but I haven’t tested the recipe with rice noodles, though.
- I am sure the thick brown rice noodles should work with the same timing, but I need to test the thin rice noodles.
- Adjust the curry paste, salt, and sugar as per your taste.
- For this noodle, you can use up to 500 grams of vegetables. The vegetables need to have a bite, so this timing works perfectly.
- Instead of plain water, you can add vegetable broth for enhanced flavor.
Browse other vegetarian noodle recipes
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📖 Recipe
Thai Coconut Curry Vegetable Noodle Soup | Vegetarian Khao Soi | Instant Pot Noodle Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped. Approx 15 grams
- 1 onion chopped into petals/wedges
- 3 green onions chopped (reserve the green part to add later)
- 2 tbsp Thai green curry paste plus ½ tbsp if needed. Adjust the curry paste to taste
- 3 cups water divided (¼ cup and 2.75 cups)
- 1.25 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 425 grams vegetables I used some canned bamboo shoots, canned baby corn, fresh carrots, potatoes, and zucchini
- 100 grams udon noodles dried ones, one block
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsp Thai basil or sweet Italian basil
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot in the saute mode and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, onion, and green onion. Saute for two to three minutes.
- Now add the Thai green curry paste and water. Mix well and make sure you scrape the bottom. Let it cook for 30 seconds, and then add the salt and sugar and mix well. Next, add the chopped vegetables and mix well. Now turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add the remaining 2.75 cups of water and the dried udon noodles. Make sure you immerse the noodles well inside the water.
- Close the Instant Pot. Make sure the vent is in the sealing position. Select manual/pressure cook and set the time to 3-minutes at high-pressure mode. When the cooking is complete, quickly release the remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid after releasing the pressure, and this how the noodle soup will look.
- And mix the noodles gently. Set the Instant Pot in saute mode again.
- Now add 1 cup of coconut milk, the basil leaves, and the scallion’s green part. Simmer it for two minutes, and that’s it. While simmering, you can check for the seasoning, and if required, you can add more curry paste, the remaining ½ tbsp measure. I did add it. And if you feel the curry is spicy, add brown sugar and salt as needed. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Cook for three mts at high-pressure mode and release the pressure quickly or 2 minutes and do 10 minute NPR. Do not go beyond that as noodles will become mush. Also, serve it right away.
- Instead of green curry paste, you can use red curry paste.
- Also, I went with dried udon noodles. But I have tried this recipe with regular wheat noodles as well, and that’s what I shared on my IG. The same timing works well for that. You can use rice noodles, but I haven’t tested the recipe with rice noodles, though.
- I am sure the thick brown rice noodles should work with the same timing, but I need to test the thin rice noodles.
- Adjust the curry paste, salt, and sugar as per your taste.
- For this noodle, you can use up to 500 grams of vegetables. The vegetables need to have a bite, so this timing works perfectly.
- Instead of plain water, you can add vegetable broth for enhanced flavor.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Submitting this post for the Blogging Marathon #117. You can check out the participant details and their recipes at this link.
Ron says
I made this soup today and it is brilliant! Very well balanced and the noodles are great in it. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Looking forward to trying your others! Thanks
Srividhya G says
Great. Thanks so much for the feedback.
Penelope says
Dried Thai Basil, or fresh?
Srividhya G says
fresh works the best. You sub it with dried too but reduce the amount.
Anu says
Made this for lunch and was very tasty. Quick and simple recipe.
Just felt needs some more spice, so will probably add some green chilies next time.
Srividhya G says
Thanks for the feedback. You can add more curry paste also.
Harini says
My older one is a fan of these coconut milk based curries/soups. I am sure she will like this one.
Srividhya G says
Please do make. She will love it.
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says
That bowl of soup looks like exactly what is needed for a cold night. We still don’t have cold nights, but I guess I will save this up to try during the cooler month…Looks so good…
Srividhya G says
Thanks. It’s perfect for any season actually.
Srivalli Jetti says
The pictures are awesome Srividhya..very nicely done!
Srividhya G says
Thanks Valli. :-)
Suma Gandlur says
I haven’t yet tried this and the noodle soup sounds like a flavor loaded one. Bookmarked. :)
Srividhya G says
Thanks. I am sure you will love it.
Radha says
Its very tempting. We are a great fan of the Thai soups and will bookmark your recipe.
Srividhya G says
Thanks Radha.