Soup season is still going very strong and I’m pretty happy about that. I love a good noodle soup, especially a full flavored noodle soup with a kick, so our Spicy Chicken Laksa is very high on my list of cozy soups. I know laksa is one of those special foods people can get sensitive about, so i’m just going to start by saying, no this probably isn’t a super authentic recipe for laksa or even laksa paste, yes I know baby corn isn’t commonly found in laksa nor are bean sprouts, but ya know what? This is a damn tasty noodle soup that you guys will hopefully enjoy! :)
I made my own paste so I could control the spices and overall flavor. Plus, although it seems like a lot of ingredients everything is really just blended together in a food processor, so its super easy to make! This recipe also makes more paste than you’ll need for the soup, but the paste will stay good for a few weeks and it’s really great as a wet run and marinade for other proteins, like grilled fish or braised chicken. If you’re still not convinced making your own paste is worth it, you can totally grab yourself a jar of pre-made paste at your local asian market, I just recommend looking for a paste that doesn’t include any additives or unnecessary ingredients like salt (the paste should be plenty salty already from the shrimp paste, etc). Enjoy! xx, Jenny
Here are some other Asian Inspired recipe favorites:
- Garlic Noodles
- Chili Oil Garlic Noodles
- Mongolian Beef
- Szechuan Beef
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Spicy Thai Red Curry Soup
Also check out this post for our Best Soup Recipes!
Spicy Chicken Laksa
INGREDIENTS
laksa paste
- 10 dried red chilies, stemmed
- 8 raw cashews
- 6 dried shrimp
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 8 shallots, peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 inch piece lemongrass (white part only), chopped
- 2 inch piece of galangal, peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons shrimp paste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
assembly
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 (15 ounce) can baby corn, drained and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock
- 15 ounces coconut milk (1 can)
- 2 makrut lime leaves plus zest or juice and zest of 2 regular limes
- 6 ounces dried rice stick noodles, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken heaping
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnishes
- green onion
- cilantro leaves
- fried shallots
- bean sprouts
- lime wedges
- sliced jalapeno or serrano peppers
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place dried chilies, cashews and dried shrimp into a mixing bowl and top with boiling hot water until completely submerged. Allow mixture to steep for 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a food processor.
- Place coriander, paprika, cumin, and turmeric into a small saute pan and toast over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly fragrant. Pour spices into food processor.
- Add remaining paste ingredients to the food processor and process until paste is smooth. Transfer paste to an airtight jar and refrigerate (paste should stay fresh for about 2 to 3 weeks).
- Pour oil into a pot and place over medium heat. Add baby corn and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add ¼ cup laksa paste and toast for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in stock, coconut milk, lime leaves (lightly crushing them in your hand first to release the oils), and zest (or juice and zest) and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in soaked noodles and shredded chicken and continue to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with loads of garnishes of choice. Serve.
NOTES
- *Makes 2 quarts Laksa
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If I were to make this without dried shrimp or shrimp paste, would you recommend adding something in there place? Miso paste?
OMG…this looks delicious.