Roasted root laksa

Serves

4 People

Cooking Time

45 minutes

Season

Autumn

Winter

Dietary

Gluten Free

Vegan

Recipe by Chloe Edwards of Seven Sisters' Spices.

"When days are short and cold, a comforting bowl of soupy rice or noodles has to be one of our family favorites. If the warmth of hot soup is heightened with some extra heat from chillies, garlic and ginger, the comfort enhanced with a tin of creamy coconut milk and the mingling flavours lifted with fresh lime juice, chopped coriander and mint, the overall effect is hard to beat.
We can only be talking here about laksa. After much experimentation with a vegan laksa recipe, I am properly happy with this final manifestation of many trials; I hope that you enjoy it"

Ingredients

For the Paste
2 shallots (or small onions), roughly chopped
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, hard outer leaves removed and chopped
1 fresh red chilli, roughly chopped
2 dried Kashmiri chillies, roughly chopped
1 tbsp of red miso paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp of brown sugar

For the Soup
700g of root vegetables – e.g carrots, parsnips and squash
1 tbsp of vegetable oil
2 shallots (or small onions), peeled and sliced
1 red or yellow pepper, halved length ways, deseeded and sliced
1 tin coconut milk
500ml vegetable stock

To Finish
200g rice noodles, cooked, drained and cooled under running water
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
coriander, chopped
mint leaves, chopped
spring onions, sliced
red chilli, thinly sliced
200g of leafy greens, chopped (if using kale, blanch beforehand)
200g of beansprouts (optional, alternatively you could use pickled veg or add sliced mushrooms into the soup)
1 lime, quartered

Method

Step 1

Place all of the laksa paste ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Step 2

Peel and chop your root vegetables into equally sized chunks and place in a roasting tray with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in a preheated oven at 200c and roast for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Step 3

Heat the oil in a large heavy based saucepan, add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes until starting to go golden on the edges. Add the sliced red pepper and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft and beginning to caramelize.

Step 4

Add the laksa paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the paste becomes aromatic.
Pour the coconut milk and stock into the pan and bring to a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile the vegetables should be cooked. Check to make sure that they are tender and then add them to the broth in the pan.
Use a potato masher to gently break up the vegetables. You may choose to blend your soup smooth.

Step 5

To finish, add the sugar and soy sauce, stir to combine.
Divide your cooked and cooled rice noodles between 4 bowls.
Scatter over a handful of spinach leaves, a handful of beansprouts, a sprinkling of chopped herbs, spring onions and chilli.
Ladle over the roasted root and coconut broth – this will heat through your noodles and gently wilt the spinach.
Finish with a squeeze of lime juice.