Seafood laksa soup can be made in one pot!
If, like me you love Malaysian food, you will want to have a good seafood laksa recipe on hand. Having made quite a few laksa soup recipes over the years, I can assure you this seafood laksa it one you need in your recipe library.
Once you have prepared all the ingredients, you can whip this seafood laksa up in 30 minutes or less.
All made it on one pot. So simple yet amazingly delicious.
Weekday meal perfection…
Who says you have to skimp on deliciousness during the work week?
You can seriously make this traditional seafood laksa in less than 30 minutes. So leave those ready-made meals in the freezer section of the supermarket and make this amazing seafood laksa.
My wife loves it even more than I do and that’s saying something.
Which main ingredients?
Don’t feel like you have to use the exact same ingredients I do in this recipe. I love halibut and prawns so I usually add them to my seafood laksa but any seafood can be used.
Try this laksa with cod, codling, monkfish or any white meaty fish. Clams and mussels are also nice.
If you or someone you’re cooking for isn’t a fan of seafood, you could also make this recipe with chicken stock and chicken.
What is the origin of seafood laksa soup?
Like so many recipes in Southeast Asia, seafood laksa is believed to have been inspired by Chinese noodle soup recipes. Chinese traders travelled far and wide around Southeast Asia and brought their recipes with them which were then adjusted to local tastes and available ingredients.
The Laksa Paste…
Laksa paste can be blended or pounded in a pestle and mortar.
You will notice that I made my own laksa paste. Using only the freshest and best quality ingredients, my paste recipe will get you far superior results than anything you can purchase in a jar.
That said, if you just want to make things easy on yourself, pick up some laksa paste at your local Asian grocer or online.
I do this from time to time and the laksas are still very good.
Working ahead…
If you want to prepare your laksa soup ahead of time, go for it!
You can make the laksa paste a few days ahead of serving and store in the fridge. You can also slice and prepare your seafood though it is best to use the freshest seafood you can get your hands on.
The prawn broth can be prepared up to a day before serving.
Once you have everything ready, all you need to do is fry up the laksa paste, soak your noodles and poach the seafood.
Can seafood laksa soup be made low in fat and/or carbs?
It sure can! Try using low fat coconut milk. You don’t even need to add the whole tin. Just add it to taste.
Seafood laksa is a noodle soup so those noodles are an important part of the dish. That said, I am on a low carb diet and usually eat my laksa soup without the carb-heavy noodles. There is so much flavour in the laksa that I don’t really miss the noodles anyway.
Step by step…
It’s always a good idea to get your ingredients ready before starting to cook.
Fry the prawn shells in a little oil until they turn red. About three minutes.
The prawns will turn red like this. Top with the water and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 20 minutes and then strain into a bowl. Set aside. Note: For a stronger flavour, you can simmer the prawns in the stock for up to 60 minutes.
Fry the laksa paste in a little oil and then slowly add the prepared prawn stock.
Bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, add the coconut milk and then add the prawns and fish to poach for a few minutes. Stir in the fish sauce, tamarind and sugar and adjust the ingredients to taste.
For ease, the noodles could be added directly to the stock. I prefer to cook them separately and present them at the table in bowls before ladling the hot laksa over them.
It really doesn’t get much better than this!
Optional, but I like to add hot chillies paste to my laksa soup at the table.
If you like this seafood laksa recipe, you might also like to try some of these.
Indonesian Chicken Sate
Indonesian Fried Chicken
Sambal Oelek – Indonesian hot sauce
Chicken with Sambal Matah
Babi Kecap
Spicy Green Beans Indonesian Style
Indonesian Bakso
Ikan Bakar – Indonesian Fried Fish
Nasi Goreng
Mee Goreng
Sambal La La – Spicy Clams
Indonesian Blackened Fish
Seafood Laksa
Chicken Rendang
Beef Rendang
Butter Egg Floss Prawns
Malaysian Chicken Curry
Malaysian Devil Curry
Ayam Masak Merah – Malaysian Red Chicken Curry
Chicken Kapitan
Homemade Kecap Manis
Have you tried this seafood laksa recipe?
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Dig in!
Seafood Laksa Soup
Ingredients
- FOR THE LAKSA PASTE
- 15 g dried Kashmiri chillies soaked in water for 20 minutes
- 20g (1/4 cup) dried shrimp soaked in just enough water to cover
- 20 Plain cashews
- 2 green finger chillies
- 10 garlic cloves
- 3 small shallots
- 1 stalk lemongrass - peeled using just the white part
- 10 slices galangal
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp fermented shrimp paste
- FOR THE PRAWN STOCK
- 2 tbsp rapeseed (Canola) Oil
- 500 g head on large prawns - remove the heads and shells for the broth and put the prawns aside for use in the soup
- Approximately 1200 ml ( 5 cups) water
- TO FINISH
- 2 tbsp rapeseed ( canola ) oil
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar or less to taste
- 400 ml ( 1.5 cups) coconut milk
- Raw Prawns from the 500 g saved after removing the head and shells for the broth
- 200g skinless halibut
- 200g skinless cod
- TO SERVE
- Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for around 20 minutes. You will need approximately 100g (1/2 cup) per person
- Handful of raw bean sprouts per serving
- Handful of basil and Mint to garnish
Instructions
- Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pot and add the prawn shells and heads. Fry for a couple of minutes or until the shells turn red and then add 1.2 litres (5 cups) of water. Simmer for 20 minutes to an hour. The longer simmering time will achieve a stronger flavoured stock.
- Meanwhile, prepare the laksa paste. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a paste. You can add a drop of water if necessary to help the paste blend. Set aside.
- When your prawn stock is cooked to your preference, strain it into a bowl and wipe the pan clean. Place the pan back on the heat and add the oil. When hot, stir in the laksa paste and fry for about a minute to cook out the rawness.
- Slowly add the prawn stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the sugar, fish sauce and coconut milk and then add the prawns and fish to poach in the hot broth until just cooked through.
- Taste and adjust the flavours to your liking.
- To serve, divide the noodles between 4 to 6 bowls. Pour the hot seafood laksa over the noodles with a good selection of prawns and fish in each bowl. Top with bean sprouts, lime slices, mint and basil. I like to add a little black pepper and/or chilli flakes to mine but that is optional.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400