Shrimp and Chicken Laksa soup- A Malaysian style soup with a creamy coconut milk base and incredible depth of flavors thanks to ginger, fish sauce, lemongrass and other spices. A true favorite. Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free too.
My mom has always raved about the laksa soup that she used to get in Sydney, Australia at a small pub around the corner from her work. The first time I heard her mention it I had never even heard of laksa before, let alone try it.
Nowadays, being a seasoned traveler and having spent over a month in Malaysia I know exactly why she fell in love with laksa soup so many years ago. It’s creamy, dreamy and just oh so full of flavor. The ultimate comfort soup. It’s hands down one of my favorite Asian soups.
Over the yearsย she has requested that I make it for her – naturally not knowing anything about the ingredient list that her laksa consisted of.ย This made it rather tricky for me, seeing as how there are hundreds of laksa recipes out there and all are slightly different.
The first few times I made laksa soup for her she complained there was something missing. Something not quite like the laksa soup she had in Sydney.
After many (and I mean many) attempts, I think I’ve finally nailed it.
A good laksa starts with a proper laksa paste. Of course if you are willing to put in the work and make your own laksa paste from scratch you will be rewarded in flavor but for time savings and simplicity’s sake I opted to use a laksa paste as my base. This is the best laksa paste I’ve found and you can find it in Asian supermarkets or online. While at that Asian supermarket be sure to pick up the other staples — fresh lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce, bean sprouts – you name all the amazing Asian style ingredients that truly impart a world of scent and flavor into everything.
ย The smell of this laksa soupย alone is so aromatic it is intoxicating. With one whiff you instantly are transported into a world of Asian spices, where the chilies are ground by hand in a mortar and pestle and the curry pastes take hours to make.ย On my cooking to do list is to make all sorts of Asian from scratch — I really must get on this.
Don’t be intimidated by the lengthy ingredient list in this laksa soup recipe. It might look like a lot, but it will all be worth it in the end. This is the kind of recipe you want to make an enormous batch of so you can eat it as leftovers for days or share it with everyone you know at a dinner party.
I have made this laksa soup recipe for multiple dinner parties and it is always a hit – the super creamy and fragrant broth blends perfectly with the soft noodles, meaty chicken + shrimp and then the fresh cilantro, lime juice and bean sprouts just elevate this to the next level.
ย I love to serve my laksa soup with boiled eggs too, I just love the taste when the cooked egg yolk mixes with the broth – this part is optional though – feel free to omit this if you prefer.
If you know me well you know I love all soup recipes but this laksa soup is hands down one of my favorites. While not quite a traditional recipes – as always I’ve taken a few liberties – I truly believe you are going to love my version and spin on the classic Malaysian laksa soup.
For some of my other favorite soup recipes be sure to check out:
ย Vegan Pumpkin Soup –> PIN for Later
Quinoa Black Bean Pumpkin Soup –> PIN for Later
ย Vegan Zucchini Soup –> PIN for Later
ย Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Soup –> PIN for later
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 small red onion finely diced (1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh lemongrass
- 1-2 teaspoons red chili chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 jar Por Kwan Laksa Paste
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste optional
- 1 tablespoon chunky peanut butter optional
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can clam juice optional, if omitting, replace with more chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cans coconut milk
- 1 pound chicken thighs thinly sliced
- 1 pound shrimp peeled, deveined and halved
- 8 oz sugar snap peas thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 8 oz vermicelli thin rice noodles cooked according to package directions and rinsed with cold water
- 4 green onion thinly sliced
- handful of fresh cilantro chopped,
- sriracha to taste
- handful fresh bean sprouts
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- 4 hard boiled eggs peeled halved
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Heat coconut oil and cook onions over medium heat for 3 minutes and then add lemongrass, red chili, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
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Add the laksa paste and shrimp paste and mix. Add the peanut butter to the pot, stirring until smooth.
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Add the fish sauce, chicken broth, clam juice and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, add chicken and shrimp. Cook for a few minutes until chicken and shrimp are cooked through.
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Add sugar snap peas and red pepper. Cook until vegetables have cooked a little but are still crunchy.
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Divide soup among 8-10 bowls, adding in the noodles and garnish with Sriracha, green onions, cilantro, bean sprouts, eggs and a squeeze of lime juice.
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Min says
I LOVED this soup! So glad I found the recipe!
Min
The Bad Girl’s Kitchen
dixya @food, pleasure, and health says
i have not tried laska soup but looking at all the ingredients, i know i will love this!
Vicky says
I am sure you will! It’s one of my favorites!
Valentina says
This looks and sounds amazing! And I bet it would be lovely to have in a pub in Australia! Beautiful!
Vicky says
Thanks!
Jovita @ Yummy Addiction says
This soup looks heavenly! So much goodness in one plate. Yum!
Vicky says
Thanks! Definitely one of my favorites!
jane @ littlesugarsnaps says
Loving all of those goodies you’ve piled into your bowl of laksa – those sprouts must add great texture and crunch.
Vicky says
Yes the sprouts in it are the best part!
Shashi at Savory Spin says
Until today I had no clue about laksa soup or paste – so thank you for teaching ,e something new this morning. The color of that soup looks amazing – and what a wonderful depth of flavors!
Vicky says
You’ve got to try laksa soup sometime! It’s the best : )
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
This dish looks so healthy, A perfect lunch or dinner recipe
Vicky says
Thanks!
Linda says
This looks so good!
Kirby says
Hi, so may I ask if you know whether that brand of laksa paste is GF? I want to make it someone with celiac, and I just want to be sure. I am not finding much online out there.
Thanks ๐
Vicky says
The brand that I use is https://www.amazon.com/Laksa-Paste-7oz-Pack-1/dp/B009I0UGWA/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1539721751&sr=8-2&keywords=laksa%2Bpaste&dpID=31DBVUBr0dL&preST=_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1 with the ingredients listed as: Soybean oil, onion, garlic, galanga, salt, coconut milk, shrimp paste, lemon grass, tartaric acid, sugar, chili, peanut, msg, citrus acid, paprika so it seems like it is gluten free, but it is not strictly labeled that way.