15-minute chicken and pumpkin laksa

Chicken laksa recipe

Laksa is a spicy South-East Asian noodle soup popular in Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian cuisines. Think rice noodles swimming in a rich coconut broth fragrant with ginger, lemongrass, coriander stems, shrimp paste and other spices – although there are many different regional variations in Malaysia and beyond, including soups with a stronger curry flavour and without a coconut-based broth. Originating from Peranakan or Nyonya cuisine, which combines Chinese, Malay and Indonesian influences, this noodle soup makes a comforting meal in a bowl.

How to vary your laksa

There are many variations of laksa and one of the best things about the dish is its versatility. The well-known fragrant coconut broth works well with your favourite meat, chicken, tofu or vegetables and you can mix it up any way that you like. This recipe uses pumpkin, choy sum and chicken however you could add any vegetables that you like. Why not try with carrots, broccoli, snow peas, beans or any of your favourite greens? The options are endless. You could also swap out the chicken for tofu or prawns if you prefer or you could actually even try a combination of all three. If you want to make a vegan version look for a vegetarian laksa paste or you could make your own from scratch without using shrimp paste. An authentic laksa is usually made with rice noodles, but you can also make it with egg noodles, udon, singapore noodles or instant noodles for a different texture and flavour.

How to make an easy laksa

Authentic laksa paste is based on aromatic ingredients such as dried chilies, shallots, turmeric, lemongrass, tamarind, galangal and shrimp paste. To make it easier, pick up a jar of laksa paste from the Asian food section at Coles and add an extra kick of flavour with ginger and fresh chilli.

Using rice noodles, chicken thigh fillets and convenient diced pumpkin, you can create this rich, tasty and comforting chicken laksa in only 15 minutes. While the paste directions may tell you to simply add vegetables, meat and coconut milk, we recommend frying it with extra ginger paste to release the flavour. Add meat, vegetables and stock to cook through, and finish off with coconut milk and bean sprouts. This easy noodle dish is a favourite to turn to when you want a satisfying bowl of comfort food.

Now get cooking

It’s so simple to create a soothing and nourishing bowl of this chicken laksa soup recipe. To make it eve quicker, swap the thigh fillets for shredded roast chicken – just add it to the bowls with the noodles. Once you’ve mastered this super-quick laksa recipe you can then make your own laksa paste using Michael Weldon’s Mums laksa recipe, our quick veggie laksa soup with ginger tofu or try something a little different like this chilli tuna laksa. If you love laksa flavours but don’t feel like soup, try our chargrilled laksa chicken for something a little different.