This Malaysian-inspired vegan laksa is an aromatic and spicy noodle soup that is creamy, rich, and packed with flavors. Featuring homemade laksa paste, it's surprisingly easy to prepare and comes together in 30 minutes.
We are huge fans of Asian noodle soup. Other than this vegetable laksa, we also love making our tofu pho and vegan miso ramen.
Like my fried rice vermicelli and Siamese noodles, curry laksa is one of my favorite dishes growing up. Since it's hard to find good vegan laksa in my area, I decided to recreate this recipe at home!
This plant-based version has all the flavors and texture of the traditional recipe, just without the meat. It is especially great served with cold lemon barley water to contrast the heat.
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✨Why you will love vegan laksa
- Aromatic, rich, and incredibly comforting
- A comforting noodle soup perfect for chilly evenings
- Simple to prepare and ready in 30 minutes
- Homemade laksa paste for the best flavors
🍜What is laksa
Laksa is an iconic Malaysian spicy noodle soup. This noodle dish varies from region to region - in fact, there are over 10 types of laksa that can be found in Malaysia, each with slightly different ingredients, flavor, and texture. Read more about it from this article, 'Types of Laksa in Malaysia'.
In this recipe, we will be recreating curry laksa, the most common one found in the central region. It is traditionally made with wheat or vermicelli noodles, protein (shrimp, chicken, or tofu puffs) cooked in a spicy coconut milk broth.
🌶What you will need
- Galangal - Optional, but highly recommended. You can find it in groceries or local Asian markets. Or replace with a teaspoon of galangal powder.
- Lemongrass stalks - Only use the tender white core. Peel away the tough outer layers and slice off 2 inches from the lower bulb. Alternatively, substitute with two tablespoons of lemongrass paste.
- Red chilies - De-seed for less heat.
- Candlenuts - Add richness to the laksa. Can be substituted with ¼ cup macadamia or cashew nuts.
- Canned coconut milk - Either full-fat or light coconut milk will work.
- Tofu puffs - Deep-fried pockets of tofu. Find them in groceries or your local Asian market. Omit if you can't find it.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✨Laksa variations and add-ins
Noodles - Vermicelli noodles are usually used. However, you can substitute it with other kinds of noodles, such as Chinese wheat noodles, ramen, or thicker rice noodles.
Other vegetables - For a veggie-loaded laksa, top with other blanched vegetables. My go-tos include broccolini, green beans, and bok choy.
Adjust spice levels - For a milder laksa, use about 3 deseeded chilies. For more heat, increase to 5 chilies or add 3-4 dried chilies (soak them in hot water first to soften before blending the paste).
Using store-bought laksa paste - For a more convenient option, you can use store-bought paste, starting from ⅓ cup, adding more if needed. Laksa paste is not inherently plant-based as it contains shrimp paste; Hence, I recommend getting this Mekhela vegan laksa paste.
Other toppings - You could also do pan-fried tofu or tempeh, chunks of vegan chicken, fried shallots, and a squeeze of lime juice for extra tanginess.
🔪How to make vegan laksa
Step 1: Make the paste by blending all ingredients needed in a food processor.
Step 2: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Fry the paste for 4-5 minutes, or until aromatic.
🥣Why use a food processor
A food processor's wider base makes it better for thick mixtures like laksa paste. A blender can work too, but you may need to add extra water, which can make the paste splatter during cooking.
Step 3: Add broth and coconut milk. Allow to simmer and reduce for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Add tofu puffs, cooking for another minute. Stir in soy sauce, sugar, and salt to taste.
Step 5: Cook vermicelli noodles per package directions while your soup is simmering.
Step 6: Divide noodles into 4 bowls, and ladle over laksa broth. Top with tofu puffs, sliced chilies, bean sprouts, and cilantro. Enjoy vegetarian laksa immediately.
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✅Helpful tips
- Batch make the paste - To reduce the prep time the next time making laksa, you can batch make the laksa paste. Portion them out and freeze them in souper cubes. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to use.
- Use a food processor to make the paste - I highly recommend using a food processor to make your laksa paste. A blender will work, but you might need to add water to keep things going. This might cause it to splatter while cooking.
- Cook noodles separately - As noodles absorb liquid when cooked, you will have a little broth left.
- Adjust the heat levels - You can reduce the chilies added by half for a milder curry. I would also recommend deseeding the chilies.
- Get creative with the toppings - Add cilantro, bean sprouts, blanched Chinese greens, crushed peanuts, seared tofu, or even chunks of seitan chicken.
✨Variations and add-ins
Quicker method - Use a store-bought paste. This Mekhala laksa paste happens to be vegan.
Dial up the heat - Add some dried chilies to your laksa paste if you love spice. Soak up to 5 dried chilies in hot water for 15-20 minutes until soft. Then, blend them with the other ingredients needed to make the paste.
Or, you could top laksa with some chili oil before serving.
Lower fat version - Use light instead of full-fat coconut milk.
Tofu puffs - You can substitute it with pan-fried or baked tofu instead. For a higher protein option, I recommend using some seared seitan chunks.
Noodles - Almost any noodles will work in this recipe! Chinese wheat noodles, ramen, and rice sticks are some of my go-to's for this vegan laksa.
❄️Storage and meal prep tip
Storing leftovers - Keep noodles and broth separated, and they can be refrigerated that way for 3-4 days. Reheat broth on the stove or in the microwave, then pour it over noodles. Finish off with desired toppings before serving.
Batch make laksa paste - Multiply ingredients needed for paste. Then portion them up using souper cubes or containers. Allow to thaw overnight, and you will have vegetable laksa paste ready to go.
❔Commonly asked questions
Laksa is generally quite spicy. However, the spice level varies depending on the types of laksa and the recipe used. Heat mainly comes from the laksa paste, which is made from a combination of fresh and dried chilies.
If making it at home, you can adjust the level of spiciness by increasing or reducing the number of chilies used in your laksa paste.
Laksa broth can be frozen. However, the coconut milk might curdle, causing a grainy broth. Hence, it is recommended to batch make the laksa paste and freeze it instead.
When ready to serve, fry the paste, add broth, coconut milk, and tofu puffs, then ladle it over cooked noodles. Serve with your favorite toppings, and it is ready to enjoy!
Although laksa is inherently not free from gluten, you can make it gluten-free at home. Use rice-based noodles like rice vermicelli and use a certified gluten-free soy sauce.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Malaysian Vegan Laksa
Equipment
Ingredients
For laksa paste*(see notes)
- 2 stalks lemongrass (or 2 tablespoons lemongrass paste)
- 4 candlenuts or ¼ cup raw macadamias/cashews
- 3-4 chilies roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 medium red onion roughly chopped
- 1 inch ginger roughly chopped
- 1 inch galangal roughly chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
For curry
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 tofu puffs sliced
- 4 servings rice vermicelli (or rice noodles/lo mein noodles)
Instructions
For laksa paste
- Preparing lemongrass - Peel away the tough outer leaves using your fingers, then slice 2 inches off the lower bulb to get the inner white core. Roughly chop them into smaller pieces before using them.
- Place all ingredients needed to make the paste in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
Making laksa broth
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Fry laksa paste for 10-15 minutes to reduce and brown it, stirring frequently.
- Add broth and coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 15 minutes.
- When the time is up, add tofu puffs to the pot and cook for another minute.
- Stir in soy sauce and sugar, and add salt to taste.
For noodles
- While the soup is cooking, cook your noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse them under cold water.
To assemble
- Divide the noodles into 4 bowls, and add tofu puffs, bean sprouts, cilantro, and sliced red chilies. Ladle soup over noodles. Serve your vegan laksa while warm.
Notes
- A food processor's wider base makes it better for thick mixtures like laksa paste. A blender can work too, but you may need to add extra water, which can make the paste splatter during cooking.
- Avoid overcooking noodles to prevent them from turning soggy in laksa.
- Only combine noodles with broth when ready to serve. This prevents noodles from going soggy.
- Batch make laksa paste by multiplying the ingredients needed for paste. Then portion them up using souper cubes or containers. Allow to thaw overnight, and you will have laksa paste ready to go.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Bett says
Can homemade cashew or other nut milk replace the coconut? I can't have coconut milk due to the high saturated fat – doctor's orders.