Laksa

5 from 17 votes

Laksa is spicy, fragrant noodle soup found across Southeast Asia. Our recipe doesn't shy away from strong, authentic flavors while also being easy to make.

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Noodle Soup

Cuisine: Southeast Asian

Servings:

Calories: 979kcal

Author: Sarah

Ingredients

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 1/2 tablespoons ginger (minced)
1 stalk lemongrass (tough woody parts removed, minced)
2 Thai chilies (minced)
1/2 cup laksa paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk (13.5 ounces/400 ml)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (or to taste)
1 package soy puffs (halved)
4 portions noodles (Hokkien egg noodles, rice vermicelli, or fresh/dried wheat noodles)
1-3 limes (for juicing, and additional lime wedges for serving)
3 large shallots (thinly sliced)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
12 large shrimp
2 cups mung bean sprouts (trimmed and cleaned)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper (we used white pepper, but you can also use black pepper), and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
While the chicken is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large saucepan or medium pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the minced lemongrass and chilies, and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the laksa paste and brown sugar. Fry for another 3 minutes, letting all the flavors meld together. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil. Add the soy puffs, cover, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse the noodles in warm water (for cooked hokkien noodles or rice vermicelli) or prepare according to package instructions (for fresh or dried wheat noodles). Distribute among four large noodle soup bowls.
Shred the cooked chicken and skin and distribute among the bowls. Pour any juices from the roasting pan into the broth. (You can even use a little bit of warm water to scrape any lingering tasty bits off the parchment paper).
Season the broth with lime juice and more fish sauce to taste, until your broth has reached your desired levels of saltiness/sourness. If you would rather not use fish sauce as your salting agent (it can be quite pungent to some palates), season with salt instead.
Meanwhile, toss the thinly sliced shallots in flour until they’re lightly coated. In a cast iron pan, heat an additional 2 tablespoons oil. Fry the shallots until crispy and set aside.
Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and sear them in the same oil you used to cook the shallots, just until they’re cooked through.
To assemble the laksa, pour the broth over the noodles and chicken, and add a couple pieces of soy puff to each. Top with the cooked shrimp, bean sprouts, cilantro, and fried shallots. Serve with extra lime wedges, and enjoy!

Notes

Note, this recipe makes 4 large servings (which is how the nutrition info was calculated), but could also make 6 smaller servings!

Nutrition

Laksa by The Woks of Life. 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