When your plate is naturally as colorful as a rainbow, you know you're feeding your body good. This colorful Instant Pot Thai Soup is lovingly called Rainbow Soup at my house and the bright, bold flavors are exactly what we all expect to have in a big bowl of Thai food!
Not to play favorites, but Rainbow Thai Soup, you just might be my favorite soup of all time.
When you can fork swirl your way through a myriad of colors in one bowl, it's as if your body just knows it's loved and you can feel it like a big ol' hug from the inside out – know what I mean?
I've made this recipe countless times over the years. Its first appearance was in my cookbook, Master the Electric Pressure Cooker, then at my InstaFreeze Freezer Meals class, and now it's finally found its way to TIDBITS where I can share it with hundreds and thousands of people who all need to experience a hug from their own body.
If you're a passionate food lover, I know you understand. If you're not, you're thinking I'm crazy pants – and that's okay! Make this soup and you will 100% get me.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT THAI SOUP
- LOVE SOUP: Yep, it's full of love and nutrients and everything your mind, body, and soul need to know that everything's okay and you can stop gripping the steering wheel so tight.
- EASY: This is a “throw it all in the pot and walk away” kind of soup. The chicken, the pasta, the veggies . . . throw it all in and set it to cook for two minutes – that's how close heaven is today – TWO MINUTES!
- CROWD PLEASER: I've had enough people rave about this recipe, that I'm 100% confident in saying it's gonna please the masses. My kids even love this soup as long as I remove the scary bell peppers which happily fall right back into my bowl.
HOW TO MAKE THAI SOUP IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
- Cut chicken into bite-size pieces
- Add all of the ingredients into the pot, making sure to scatter the pasta around so it's not in one giant clump
- Top with the bell peppers; pressure cook
- Quick release the pressure and stir to break up any pasta that might have stuck together
- Add remaining broth for a thinner soup
- Stir in cilantro and green onions
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST RAINBOW THAI SOUP
- DON'T ADD ALL THE BROTH: I only add half of the broth at the beginning to allow the pot to come up to pressure quicker. Once it's cooked, you can decide if you want to add more to make it thinner. I don't suggest using cold broth from the fridge since that will take longer to come to pressure and will likely overcook the pasta and peppers.
- CHOOSE PASTA WISELY: I highly recommend a whole grain pasta for this recipe. For one, whole grains are better for you, and two, it comes out perfectly cooked where a white pasta might overcook.
- THAI CURRY PASTE: The curry paste is a major flavor component to this dish, so use one you like. The Thai Kitchen brand is easy to find in most grocery stores and typically isn't very spicy. My favorite curry pastes of all time are Thai and True. They pack a lot of flavor without overwhelming the dish with heat.
- AMP UP THE FLAVOR: The flavor of the broth is mild, which I did intentionally so that the flavor bomb lovers (what's up!) could amp up their own bowl and allow others to enjoy lighter flavors. If you want your taste buds to party, I suggest adding an extra squeeze of lime, a splash of soy sauce, and a few dots of sriracha (or 30). If you want it extra spicy, take a scoop of green curry paste straight from the jar and stir it into your bowl (now we're talkin'!)
- THE PEPPERS: Okay, pep talk before anyone gets mad at me. Yes, they are gonna be soft – not falling apart soggy mess – but soft. If you're gonna be unhappy about the peppers not being “tender-crisp” go ahead and cook them on the stovetop while the soup cooks. For me, when I can swirl a pepper onto a fork along with the pasta – I'm just happy, ya know.
- CHICKEN TENDERLOINS: You've heard me talk about this before, but tenderloins just seem to cook more reliably in the pressure cooker. In recipes where I can't get the chicken breast to stay tender, I go for tenderloins. For this recipe, I suggest using tenderloins. Thighs also work if you like the texture.
- BRING ON THE CRUNCH: I don't know what it is, but this soup just tastes so good with a handful of roasted peanuts on top. My husband refuses this garnish, and it makes me crazy. TRY IT!
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE THAI SOUP
- Store: Cool soup and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Note: The pasta will soak up a lot of the broth as it sits.
- Reheat: Reheat soup in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot, adding extra broth if needed. Be careful not to simmer it because it may overcook the pasta and peppers.
- Freeze: I do not suggest freezing this soup. When it thaws, too many of the elements fall apart.
MAKE AHEAD TIPS FOR THAI SOUP
Having all of your vegetables chopped before the night of making the soup will make it come together very quickly. May also chop the chicken a few days ahead of time, or ask your butcher to do it before you pick it up.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THAI SOUP
This is an “all in one” kind of meal, but a few carby sides are never a bad thing.
- Whole Wheat Breadsticks
- Instant Pot Brown Rice or White Rice
- A big ol' bowl of cut up fruit
VARIATIONS OF THAI SOUP
- Low Carb Thai Soup: Leave out the pasta and double the vegetables
- Vegetarian Thai Soup: Omit the chicken and swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth
- Spicy Thai Soup: Double or triple the amount of curry paste
You know the saying, “Eat the Rainbow”? I'd say this dish nails that concept very well.
My favorite saying is “Eat Good to Feel Good” and I think we should all do that by eating more Thai food, specifically Rainbow Thai Soup.
Enjoy this one! It's a TIDBITS favorite that I'm so excited to finally place in your loving hands.
MORE INSTANT POT THAI RECIPES
- Instant Pot Thai Pork Tacos
- Instant Pot Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry
- Instant Pot Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with a Thai Twist
- Instant Pot Thai Green Coconut Curry Risotto
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT THAI SOUP
PrintInstant Pot Rainbow Thai Soup
Nourishing, flavorful Instant Pot Thai Soup. Easy, quick recipe for any night of the week!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
- 1 can lite coconut milk
- 4 cups chicken broth, divided
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins, cubed (see note)
- juice of 2 limes
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste (2 if you like it spicy)
- ½ teaspoon yellow curry powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 ounces whole wheat spaghetti pasta (or any pasta with box direction cook time of 6-7 minutes), broken in half
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into long strips
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into long strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into long strips
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 4 green onions, chopped
- For serving: lime wedges, soy sauce, roasted peanuts, Sriracha
Instructions
- Add coconut milk, 2 cups chicken broth, carrots, chicken, lime juice, soy sauce, curry paste, curry powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and pasta, stir. Note: Make sure pasta is scattered a bit instead of sitting together in a clump. This will help it not to stick together when it’s cooking.
- Add sliced bell peppers on top, do not stir. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 2 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, let pressure release naturally for 2 minutes, then use a quick release. If liquid sprays from valve, turn valve back to a sealed position and wait another 5 minutes before opening again.
- Stir in cilantro, and green onions.
- Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth if desired for a thinner soup.
- Serve in a bowl with an extra squeeze of lime juice and/or soy sauce, roasted peanuts, and a few dots of Sriracha.
Notes
- Chicken tenderloins remain tender in this recipe, while chicken breast tend to become chewy. Chicken thighs would also be a great option.
- Curry pastes can vary in heat level. I suggest starting with 1 tablespoon of green curry paste, then stirring in extra at the end if it’s not too spicy and you’d like to punch up the curry flavor.
- Any pasta will work as long as it has close to a 6 minute cook time.
- Leftovers will soak up a lot of liquid. You may want to add extra broth to reheat and serve again.
Keywords: Instant Pot Soup, Thai Soup, Healthy Soup
Welcome! I’m Marci, wife to my motorcycle dream man and mother of 3. I have a passion for creating and cooking delicious masterpieces in my kitchen and am ecstatic to share my discoveries on TIDBITS! I like my food tasty, wholesome, memorable, and always, ALWAYS followed by dark, salty chocolate.
Love this soup. I, too, have twicked it a little. I put in baby bok choy and a little more broth initially than the 2 cups. I used Cappalini but I think I will put in Asian noodles the next time. My husband said he could eat this soup every day of the week.
Ruth, I relate with your husband. This soup just makes me so happy! I love the bok choy idea. How did you cut it?
This is delicious. We loved it. I changed a couple of things as I usually do (I am that person who rarely follows a recipe exactly and enjoy “winging”it), and used extra curry paste and buckwheat upon noodles. When we ate leftovers, i threw in some fresh spinach leaves freshen it up. Very very good. Thank you!
Connie, I adore your tweeks :). I usually end up stirring extra curry paste into my own bowl and I love udon noodles so now I want to try that too. I’m glad you enjoyed it and thank you for letting me know!
Made this Monday night…it is so good! Crazy how the prep (cutting the veggies,etc.) took more time than cooking it! Can I say it was a huge hit? My husband loved it as did I. It is going into my “make it again and often” recipes. Yum!