Soups Recipes - Red Onion and Vermicelli Laksa Recipe

Ingredients

• 150g/5oz/2 1/2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms

• 1.2 liters/2 pints/5 cups boiling vegetable stock

• 30ml/2 tbsp tamarind paste

• 250ml/8fl oz/1 cup hot water

• 6 large dried red chilies, stems removed and seeded

• 2 lemon grass stalks, finely sliced

• 5ml/1 tsp ground turmeric

• 15ml/1 tbsp grated fresh galangal

• 1 onion, chopped

• 5ml/1 tsp dried shrimp paste

• 30ml/2 tbsp oil

• 10ml/2 tsp palm sugar (jaggery)

• 175g/60z rice vermicelli

• 1 red onion, very finely sliced

• 1 small cucumber, seeded and cut into strips

• handful of fresh mint leaves,  to garnish

Serves 6

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Method:

1. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and pour in enough boiling stock to cover them, then leave to soak for 30 minutes.

2. Put the tamarind paste into a bowl and pour in the hot water. Mash, then strain and reserve the liquid, discarding the pulp. 

3. Soak the chilies in hot water to cover for 5 minutes, then drain, reserving the liquid. Place in a food processor and blend with the lemon grass, turmeric, galangal, onion and shrimp paste, adding a little soaking water to form a paste. 3

4. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan and cook the paste over a low heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the tamarind liquid and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

5. Drain the mushrooms and reserve the stock. Discard the stems, then halve or quarter the mushrooms, if large. Add the mushrooms to the pan with their soaking liquid, the remaining stock and the sugar. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until tender.

6. Put the rice vermicelli into a large bowl and cover with boiling water; then leave to soak for 4 minutes until softened. Drain well, then divide among six bowls.

7. Top with onion and cucumber; then ladle in the boiling shiitake soup. Add a small bunch of mint leaves to each bowl and serve.

Note: Sliced red onions mimic flour noodles in this soup.