Heat the coconut oil in the Instant Pot on the saute setting on "normal." Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. You can also brown the chicken in a separate skillet.
Add all remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the quinoa, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Use the quick release to release the pressure.
Add the quinoa and pressure cook on high for 1 minute. let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then use the quick release to release the rest.
Serve garnished with Thai basil.
Notes
Cook's Tips:
I use a homemade chicken bone broth for this soup, though store bought bone broth or stock can easily be substituted.
I always use full fat coconut milk in my recipes. The lite just doesn't have the same richness and consistency we look for. I will rarely, if ever, call for lite coconut milk.
Adjust the amount of Thai chilies according to your desired spiciness level.
The lemongrass and ginger paste are much easier to work with than fresh ginger or lemongrass, and I find the flavor to be very close so I use these in this soup for convenience. Feel free to use fresh if you'd like, just reduce the amount by about ½ as the fresh will be more potent.
Substitute lime juice for the tamarind concentrate if absolutely necessary. Use 1 tbsp. of lime juice.
If you are very pressed for time, you can skip browning the chicken, however, I recommend it if you have the time. It adds a deeper flavor to the soup.