What’s more comforting than noodle soup? Nothing. A fragrant coconutty broth and sprinkling of bright toppings have made this my favorite laksa since the one I had in Singapore.
You can make the laksa paste, fry the crispy shallots, and cook the chicken ahead of time so that the final soup assembly is a breeze. Finally, good laksa at home.
For the laksa paste:
- 3 medium shallots, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 4 lemongrass stalks, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 small dried red chiles (deseeded if you like your laksa less spicy)
- 3 large garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 cup chicken stock, divided
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 2 teaspoons minced anchovies
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 10 ounces dried rice noodles
- 2 8-ounce cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 4 green onions, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup fried shallots
- 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
- Make the laksa paste: combine shallots, lemongrass, oil, ginger, red chiles, garlic, and 1/2 cup stock in a blender; process until mixture forms a thick, smooth paste, about 30 seconds. Add peanuts, anchovies, turmeric, coriander, sugar, and remaining 1/2 cup stock to blender; process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Make the soup: heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add laksa paste, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes. Whisk in stock and coconut milk; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in fish sauce, and add more to taste, if desired.
- While stock mixture simmers, cook rice noodles according to package directions. Divide rice noodles evenly among 4 bowls. Arrange sliced chicken evenly on noodles. Ladle hot stock mixture evenly into bowls. Top evenly with bean sprouts, green onions, mint, cilantro, fried shallots, and lime wedges.