How to make authentic Laksa Soup! This Malaysian Coconut Curry Noodle Soup can be made with your choice of chicken, shrimp or tofu (or all) with rice noodles in the most fragrant coconut broth. Learn how to make authentic Laksa Paste from scratch, or use store-bought laksa paste– either way, you will love this!
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Meet one of my favorite meals on the blog! This recipe for Laksa Soup – Malaysian Coconut Curry Soup is full of amazing flavor and surprisingly simple to make. The secret to this soup is its flavorful base, and rich coconut broth enhanced with Laksa paste -which you can make from scratch or buy.
Add your choice of protein to the flavorful coconut broth, then ladle it over fresh rice noodles, top with a handful of crunchy bean sprouts, fresh cilantro, and mint, and serve with lime wedges. So much flavor here friends!
It’s a soup that takes you far, far away, and it has been a hit at home when the temperatures are cooler.
How to make Laksa Soup | 2-min video
What you’ll need to Make Laksa Soup:
- peanut oil or coconut oil
- Homemade Laksa Paste (see recipe) – or buy 1-2 jars (7-ounce) of store-bought Laksa Paste – ( I like this brand- see notes)
- chicken stock or broth
- lime leaves
- salt
- brown sugar or palm sugar
- chicken (breast or thigh meat) or sub fish or crispy tofu
- raw large shrimp (or more chicken or veggies)
- coconut milk. Do not use “lite” – and if you like an even richer broth, add a third can.
- lime juice
- fish sauce
- ice noodles
- Garnishes: bean sprouts, lime wedges, cilantro or Vietnamese mint, scallions, sambal chili paste, fried shallots (available in jars at an Asian market)
- OPTIONAL ADDITIONS or Substitutions: Fried tofu cubes, fish balls ( frozen), scallops or other firm fish, clams, mussels, and veggies like snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper, chopped spinach or greens
What is Laksa Paste made of?
Laksa paste is a blend of lemongrass, dried chilies, shallots, galanga, turmeric, spices, dried shrimp and shrimp paste, all blended up in the food processor, then sautéed in a little oil to deepen the flavor.
It will take you on a fun adventure to your local Asian market, perhaps introducing you to new ingredients and can be made authentically from scratch.
Or if you prefer, I’ve included an easier, fast “cheater version” as well, using store-bought laksa paste.
Like I said, the easy “cheater version”, is simply to purchase pre-made Laksa Paste in a jar. I like this brand!
Or if you want to make the laksa paste from scratch – it’s actually not that hard and has no preservatives or msg.
If making laksa paste from scratch, just make sure you have all the ingredients before you start.
Laksa Paste Ingredients:
- dried red chilies
- dried shrimp (available at Asian Markets) optional photo above
- shallots
- garlic cloves
- galanga
- lemongrass
- fresh turmeric (ground turmeric is OK, too)
- candlenuts or substitute soaked cashews, brazil nuts or macadamia nuts (soak in hot water 15 mins- optional- you can leave the nuts out)
- shrimp paste (or shrimp sauce) optional, but elevates
- coriander
- cumin
- sweet paprika
- peanut oil or coconut oil olive
How to make Laksa Paste
Step 1:
Soak dried red chilies and dried shrimp in boiling water for 20 minutes. You can leave out the dried shrimp but it will lack its beautiful authentic depth. The dried really shrimp elevates this soup. Use 3 chilies for a milder version. 5-6 for spicy!
Step 2:
While they are steeping, chop up the rest of the Laksa paste ingredients- shallot, lemongrass, garlic, turmeric, and galanga, and place them in a food processor.
Be sure to finely chop galangal root, turmeric root and lemongrass.
If you can’t find fresh turmeric, ground is fine.
Tip: For catering, I go through a ton of lemongrass – so I buy it pre-chopped and frozen at the Asian Market. I divide it up and keep it in the freezer, pulling it out whenever I need it.
Step 3:
Add the shrimp paste or “shrimp sauce,” for added depth.
Needless to say, if you are not a fan of fishy dishes you may not love this. But if you are like me, and love anchovies and fish sauce . . . you will love this, too. 😉 It really adds depth and elevates!
Step 4:
Add the drained chilis, soaked dried shrimp, and nuts and blend it all up until it becomes a vibrantly colored paste.
Step 5
In a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, sauté the Laksa paste in a little oil for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, to release all the flavor. Turn your fan on- it will smell fishy- but trust me it will all balance out at the end!
Then continue on with the soup recipe.
Laksa Soup Variations:
Other traditional things to toss into the Laksa Soup are:
- fried puffy tofu (above) available at Asian markets (refrigerated)
- thinly sliced chicken
- fresh fish and seafood
- fish balls (available at Asian market, frozen)
- vegetables!
If using fresh fish take a look at this list.
The best firm fish for soups or stews:
You generally want to use firm white fish for most stews and soups, because they will hold their shape and not disintegrate in the liquid. Here are 10 of the best fish (and seafood) to use in soups and stews.
- sea bass
- halibut
- black cod
- haddock
- escolar
- ono
- red snapper
- salmon
- scallops
- shrimp
Expert Tips:
- Cook dry rice noodles according to directions on the package or use fresh rice noodles that can be purchased at the Asian market -just dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds to heat them up before serving.
- Do not add the noodles to the soup– rather, ladle the soup over the noodles in the bowl.
- Be sure to use a rich, full-fat brand of coconut milk. I love Mae Ploy, for its thickness and extra-large size.
- Taste the soup and adjust lime and fish sauce to your taste.
- Garnishes are everything! Lime wedges, chili sauce (like Sriracha or sambal) bean sprouts and lots of fresh herbs – cilantro and mint. Crispy shallots add nice texture and can be found at the Asian market in a jar.
Divide the fresh rice noodles among bowls and ladle the soup over top. Top with bean sprouts and herbs, a squeeze of lime and a sprinkling of crispy shallots (which I forgot to take a picture of).
Or make this Peanut Chili Crunch (Seroendeng)to sprinkle over top!
Either way you choose to make it, this comforting Laksa Soup will warm you to the bones.
I hope you like this Laksa Soup Recipe as much as we have! It is one of my personal favorite meals on the blog.
More recipes you may like:
- Peanut Butter Ramen
- 15 MINUTE THAI COCONUT NOODLE SOUP (KHAO SOI)
- Sinigang (Filipino Sour Soup)
- Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup
- Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
- Ginger Sesame Soba Noodle Soup
- Peanut Chili Crunch (Seroendeng)
More from feasting at home
- Pad Thai Noodle
- Healthy Eggplant Recipes
- Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe Instant Pot
- Best Black Bean Soup
- Chicken Pozole Verde
- Best Vegan Chili Recipe
Laksa Soup – A Malaysian Coconut Curry Soup
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: malaysian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Comforting Laksa Soup Recipe – A Malaysian-style coconut curry noodle soup, that can be made with chicken or shrimp and rice noodles with fresh bean spouts, lime and cilantro. Makes 10 1/2 cups broth
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil or coconut oil
- 1 recipe for Laksa Paste (see notes below) – or sub 1–2 (7-ounce) jars of store-bought Laksa Paste – ( I like this brand- see notes)
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth
- 8 lime leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or palm sugar
- 1 1/2 pounds raw chicken (breast or thigh meat) cut into thin, bite-sized pieces (or sub fish or crispy tofu)
- 1 pound raw large shrimp (raw, peeled, or sub firm fish, or more chicken or veggies )
- 2 x 13.5–ounce cans full-fat coconut milk. Do not use “lite” – and if you like an even richer broth, add a third can.
- Juice from 1–2 limes
- fish sauce to taste ( I use 1 tablespoon)
- 1 pound dry rice noodles (2 ounces per person) (or 1 1/2 – 2 lbs fresh rice noodles from the refrigerated section of the Asian market).
- Garnishes: bean sprouts, lime wedges, cilantro, Vietnamese mint, scallions, sambal chili paste, fried shallots (available in jars at an Asian market)
- OPTIONAL ADDITIONS or Substitutions: Fried tofu cubes, fish balls ( frozen), scallops or other firm fish, clams, mussels, and veggies like snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper, chopped spinach or greens etc….
Homemade Laksa Paste
- 3–5 dried red chilies, ( 3 is medium spicy), soaked in hot water
- 2 tablespoons dried shrimp, soaked in hot water (available at Asian Markets) optional see notes
- 3–5 shallots (about 1 cup) roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons galanga – finely chopped
- 2 large lemongrass stocks – finely chopped (1/2 cup chopped) – feel free to use frozen chopped lemongrass at the Asian market.
- 2 teaspoons fresh turmeric (ground turmeric is OK, too)
- 6 candlenuts- optional (or substitute 12 soaked cashews, brazil nuts or macadamia nuts -soak in hot water 15 mins) AND you can leave the nuts out!
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste (or shrimp sauce) optional
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil or coconut oil.
Instructions
- Make the Laksa paste- see the notes below (or use store-bought laksa paste).
- Cook rice noodles according to directions. Set aside. See notes for fresh noodles.
- In a large heavy-bottom soup pot or dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add all the homemade Laksa Paste (or the 7-ounce Jar), and saute, stirring constantly until it becomes very fragrant and deep in color about 2-3 minutes. (Turn stove fan on- it will smell strong- don’t worry.). Add the chicken broth, scraping up all the brown bits. Add the lime leaves, salt and sugar and bring to a simmer.
- Add chicken and simmer 4-5 minutes. Add shrimp, cook for 2-3 minutes, add coconut milk. Simmer until heated through. Do not boil this too long or you will lose the lovely sweetness from the coconut milk- just gently warm.
- Add lime juice, starting with a 1 lime, and add more to taste. Add fish sauce to taste, adding a teaspoon at a time. The broth should taste rich and deep, and slightly salty (the noodles will mellow the salt out) and just a little limey. If it tastes, too “fishy” add more lime juice. Guests can squeeze more lime to taste. If you want more heat, add chili flakes or chili paste.
- Divide the cooked rice noodles among bowls. Ladle flavorful soup over top of noodles. Top bowls with a handful of fresh bean sprouts, fresh cilantro and/or mint. Serve with chili sauce and lime wedges.
- For rice noodles, calculate two ounces ( dry rice noodles ) per person.
Notes
- To make Laksa Paste: Soak dried chilies and dried shrimp in a small bowl of boiling water for 20 minutes. Chop and place all the other ingredients, except the oil in a food processor. Chop Well. Drain shrimp and chilies and add to food processor. Blend until very finely chopped, scraping down sides as needed. The finer, the better. Add oil and continue blending until it becomes a fine paste. (Don’t let the smell or taste scare you. It will all balance out in the end when you add the lime juice.)
- If using store-bought laksa, use one or two 7 ounce jars, or one 14 ounce jar. You could start conservatively ( 1 jar) if unsure of the brand- some brands are much spicier than others and add more paste to the final broth, to taste.
- If using fresh rice noodles, just give them a quick dip in boiling water. They don’t need to “cook”.
- You can also keep cooked shrimp, tofu, or chicken on the side- for guests- to add to their own individual bowls as they choose. Leftover rotisserie chicken or baked chicken breast ( lightly shredded) work well here. Even leftover turkey.
- If in a pinch, you can make this without the shrimp paste or dried shrimp- adding more fish sauce to taste and understanding you will lose the lovely depth and authenticity. That being said, it will still taste pretty good. 😉
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 2.2 g
- Sodium: 1023.5 mg
- Fat: 20.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.9 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 25.1 g
- Cholesterol: 66.7 mg
Currently eating the laksa soup and writing this review… I cannot stress how amazing this is. I used store-bought laksa, so the whole recipe took about 15 minutes to make. My husband, two friends, and I can’t stop eating. This is going to be in heavy rotation. Make this. Seriously.
Yes it’s pretty fast and easy with the store-bought Laksa paste. Glad you enjoyed this!
This recipe was delicious! Thank you! Can you freeze the soup (without the noodles)? Thank you
Thanks Sarah- yes it should freeze fine without the noodles!
This came out yum!! Thanks!
Great to hear!
I have never rated a recipe before – this was so delicious I had to say thank you. I prepared the paste from scratch and without substitutions. Absolutely amazing!!
Great to hear Heather- glad you enjoyed it!
I kept the shrimp heads and boiled them in the broth with some lemongrass, cilantro, and galangal to give it some more flavor.. then drained the broth before adding it to the paste.
Love it Gayle! Perfect use for those heads!
Loved it!
I love your recipe for laksa soup. It remebers me of my first time had laksa soup in Johor Bahru.
I alread prepared it followimnhg your recipe for several times. Toda for the birthday party of my wife wit about 10 guests.
Awesome Willi! Glad you like it.
I really REALLY enjoyed this soup. I added cooked, peeled prawns just before serving. Laksa is my favourite soup and this one is even better than some I’ve had in restaurants. Thanks for sharing! This will be my go-to Laksa soup recipe in future!
Thanks so much Leisa!
Thanks for sharing this recipe so fresh light and tasty. My whole family enjoyed it,
thanks, Thush! I like this one too!
This was SO good and I love how authentic it was!! Made the paste from scratch and nothing can beat that. Add some blanched broccoli and carrots. Will definitely be making it again – my husband and son loved it too.
Outstanding! I made it with one can of laksa paste and it was just the right amount of heat. Added in snow peas, enoki mushrooms, carrots and bell pepper. Very easy and delicious!
Where is the curry?
Curry is a blend of spices, that you make here. 🙂
Delicious! Thanks for another great recipe. I loooove your website and I’m absolutely love all things Thai and Indian when it comes to food. I was born in the wrong country😏
I’m a vegan and when I make laksa paste or even by a vegan laksa paste when feeling lazy, I crush/powder down a sheet or two of toasted nori for that fishy taste. It elevates the flavour so much makes for a really authentic tasting laksa for a vegan who can’t use the shrimp paste.
I was born in the wrong country too. 😉
Made it few times and has come out excellent. Just love it. Although I did not use dry shrimps.
Thank you for your beautiful recipe – it was very tasty 😋, I have made it several times.
Thanks especially for the laksa paste recipe – I live in tropical Australia and was able to get the galangal,chilli, tumeric, lime leaves, lemongrass from the garden.
So nice! And very versatile
I would recommend the addition of some prawn shell stock to the chicken stock, and have also made it with a little fresh ginger in the paste, and LOTS of chilli😅
Best regards
Thanks Rob- glad you enjoyed!
Is the chicken added raw or cooked before being added to the soup?
Add it raw to the soup and cook in the broth.
Excellent taste . I would just add a double fish sauce and double lime for a better taste .
In addition shitaki mushrooms, bean sprouts and fine beans as toppings
Hi Sylvia, I’m originally from Cape Town, South Africa, which is a food lover’s paradise. We recently moved to Lancashire in the UK, which doesn’t have the same foodie culture. I cannot find decent laksa noodle soup here (a family favourite) so I shall have to make it from scratch. I’m struggling to find dried shrimp. Could I add in additional shrimp paste? If so, how much would you suggest? I can buy laksa paste, but I prefer making sauces & paste myself; it’s always better & healthier. Thank you.
Hi Cornelia- yes that would be fine. Maybe just start with a teaspoon or two. It can be quite strong. The other thing you could do is just leave it out and add more fish sauce to taste at the end.
Hey Cornelia,
I live in Lancashire too (in Lancaster specifically)! I have managed to find all the ingredients at the local chinese supermarket here because the owners are Malaysian 🙂 They also serve laksa curry noodles in their restaurant above the shop!
This is such a great recipe! I miss the calculator that used to be here to double or triple this recipe. Made it so easy.
Hey Jenn, I’m sorry- it was malfunctioning, I had to turn it off for a while.
What can else can replace shrimp paste? I’m vegetarian.
Hi, It will be hard to replicate this flavor, but I would try perhaps some miso paste. It will be different, but will give depth.
Great flavor!! I used the store bought Laksa paste this time, but I can’t wait to make my own next time. I bet it will take it up another notch, even though it was amazing as is. I used mushrooms and bell peppers for the veggies, chicken & shrimp for the protein. Overall great soup!
So flavorful! I loved how you left this recipe so flexible. I used up some veggies I had sitting around in the fridge and got a spectacular meal out of it. 😀 Thank you for the dinner inspiration!
Added: bok choy, mung bean sprouts, snow peas, carrots, dried and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms Yum!
Thanks so much Summer, glad you enjoyed this!
Delicious.We slow cooked some chicken legs on the bone in the broth first then added the seafood.The soup was rich and tasty.
Possibly the best recipe I’ve ever made. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
very easy to make used the store bought paste.