Laksa Soup

The first time I ate Laksa soup, it was in London, England, about 25 years ago…I still remember that unique taste….I will never forget it! It was a flavor that I wasn’t familiar with—totally new to me at the time. I was so obsessed with it! Back then, I wasn’t vegan, and this dish wasn’t vegan.

Last week, I decided to try and recreate this dish, vegan, and it turned out amazing! It tasted just like what I remembered!

The secret is in the paste. If you have the paste, the soup will be ready in no time! So easy!

You can prepare a batch of the paste ahead of time and freeze it.

Ingredients for the Laksa Paste:

4 shallots or one medium onion

3 tablespoons galangal or ginger, grated

5 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 lemongrass stalks, only the white part, chopped

1/4 cup of cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes

3-4 red chilies

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons ground coriander

Directions

Add all the ingredients to the food processor and mix until you reach a paste consistency.

Ingredients for the soup - 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons laksa paste

2 cups of water

2 cans of light coconut milk, 27 oz / 800 ml (total)

2 tablespoons vegetable base

2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

5 Curry leaves or Kaffir leaves

1 tablespoon monkfruit sweetener or brown sugar

1 block of firm tofu, cubed

1 lime, juiced

1 package of rice noodles, cooked according to package instructions

+Salt

Soup Toppings

1 bunch of cilantro

1 bunch of mint

Couple handfuls of bean sprouts

Lime wedges

Sambal (optional)

Directions for the soup

To a cast iron soup pot, add olive oil and laksa paste. Sauté on medium heat until it gets nice and golden, then slowly add the water and coconut milk, vegetable base, tamari or soy sauce, Curry/Kaffir leaves, monkfruit sweetener/brown sugar, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add tofu and lime juice. Cook for another 15 minutes.

Serving

Take a bowl and add a handful of cooked noodles, then 2 cups of the soup, and garnish with cilantro, mint, bean sprouts, and a lime wedge. You can also add a little sambal for an extra kick.