Easy Vegetarian Laksa

vegetarian laksa topped with noodles, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, tempeh and fresh cilantro.

Author: Katie

This spicy and creamy soup is such a great way to pile vegetables into your next meal. The flavors and aromatics go really well with the healthy veggies and creamy base.

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5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Asian-Inspired

Servings: 2

Ingredients

Broth

2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 green onions *chopped
2 garlic cloves *minced
1 1 inch piece of ginger *minced
2 red chilies (optional) *chopped
2 tablespoon laksa paste or red curry paste
2 stalks lemongrass (dried-out layers peeled and very bottom of the stalk sliced off) *or 2 dried kaffir lime leaves
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ ground coriander
½ ground cumin
1 tablespoon miso paste or soy sauce
1 13.5oz (1 400g) can unsweetened coconut milk *use full-fat for a creamier soup
3 cups (700 ml) veggie broth

Add-ins and toppings

4-5 oz (113.4 g) shiitake/ oyster mushrooms
12 oz (340 g) tofu or tempeh *tofu drained + pressed
1-2 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) corn starch
handful of bok choy
noodles of choice

You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

Instructions

Broth

Heat some sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped green onion, garlic, ginger and chilies (optional) and fry until onion is soft.
Add the laksa (or curry) paste and fry for about 30 seconds.
Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, turmeric, coriander, cumin, lemongrass stalks and miso paste and to the pot. Stir well to combine the flavors. Bring the mixture to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add the bok choy during the last 5 minutes.
Optional: For a smoother broth, you can blend the (cooled) soup, then add it back to the saucepan and add pok choy.

Noodles

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Toppings

In a separate pan, fry shiitake mushrooms in some oil over medium until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In a shallow bowl or plate, mix cornstarch with salt. Take each piece of tofu and coat it thoroughly in the cornstarch mixture.
Heat some oil over medium heat. Fry the coated tofu pieces for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until they turn golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
Divide the cooked noodles and fried mushrooms into serving bowls. Ladle the laksa soup over the noodles. Add the crispy tofu on top.
Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, bean sprouts, and sliced red chili. Squeeze some lime juice over the top.

Video

Notes

Use fresh ingredients: Use fresh ingredients for maximum flavor and crisp textures.
Type of noodles: I recommend thick rice noodles but you can also use egg noodles too.
Vegan: This recipe is actually vegan as is, as long as the paste you're using is vegan.
Gluten-free: Use gluten-free rice noodles to make it gf.
Do not overcook the veggies: They should be crisp, bright and popping with flavor.

Nutrition

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.

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