Creamy Malaysian Vegan Laksa
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.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 534kcal
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
*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.
Helpful tips
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1423mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 502IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg
