When September arrives and I see the grocery shelves lining up with all things pumpkin, especially cans of pumpkin puree, I want grab a few and make all things pumpkin! This recipe of Easy Vegan pumpkin laksa was my attempt to use one of the pumpkin puree cans I bought! But the problem is that the family is not a huge pumpkin fan. But I absolutely love the orange color it lends to the dishes it is used in and the flavor of pumpkin on its own is very neutral. And not to mention the fact that it is full of good nutrition and fiber.
I have started to sneak in pumpkin puree every opportunity I get and the family does not mind it. In fact, for this recipe of Easy Vegan Pumpkin Laksa, they did not even realize that there was any pumpkin in it! They just thought that we were eating a new Asian style curry dish with tofu and vegetables. My family loves Asian flavors, so they loved this dish and were so surprised when I told then that the entire dish (4 servings) had 1 cup of pumpkin puree in it! The pumpkin puree does give the dish a nice orange hue. This was a win win for mommy and my cue to try more pumpkin puree recipes!
Vegan Pumpkin Laksa is a hearty and warming dish, perfect for the cold winter months. With toppings like rice noodles and tofu, it leaves you feeling satisfied and full.
What is Laksa?
Laksa is a spicy coconut based soup dish with noodles that is very popular in Southeast Asia, especially countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. It is served with various toppings and thick rice noodles. It has a lot of regional variations, but the most popular toppings are fried tofu, eggs, bean sprouts and vegetables. This recipe is my vegan version of the laksa. I don’t promise for it to be authentic, but I guarantee you it is delicious!
What makes this Easy Vegan Pumpkin Laksa “Easy”?
I am a big believer in using some short cuts and store bought help when needed to put week night dinner on the table in under 30 minutes! For this recipe we are using 2 major short cuts or store-bought help if you would like to call that.
We are using store bought curry paste and you can use Thai red curry paste or Malaysian style curry paste. If using Thai curry paste, just ensure that it is red and not green or yellow curry pastes as they would interfere with the color of the pumpkin puree. There are some really good vegan curry pastes available in the market today. Maesri is a brand of Thai curry pastes that I prefer to use since its vegan and tastes delicious. When I was making Easy Vegan Pumpkin Laksa for the blog to take pictures, I happened to have a jar of Malaysian curry paste and used that for the recipe. It worked well and tasted delicious! Just note that different brands of curry pastes taste different and have varying spice levels so you may want to taste it a bit before you add the recommended amount to the dish.
We are using canned pumpkin puree for the recipe. Yes, you can make pumpkin puree at home, but there are organic and very good quality canned purees available in the stores these days and I prefer using them to make my life a bit easier. Just make sure that you are using pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
Key features of Easy Vegan Pumpkin Laksa recipe:
The recipe is Vegan and can be made Gluten-Free. If you are gluten free, just read the label and ensure that the curry paste is vegan and gluten free.
Makes for a quick weeknight meal as it comes together in 30 minutes.
You can customize it to your liking and add toppings of choice. I don’t think peanuts is a traditional topping for laksa, but I add it for the extra crunch. You could also use fried onions.
The laksa soup stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator. But be sure to store the toppings and the soup separately or else they will get soggy.
If you like this recipe, you may want to try these Asian inspired dishes:
Easy Vegan Pumpkin Laksa
Easy Laksa recipe made with pumpkin puree and curry paste
4
servings15
minutes30
minutesIngredients
2 + 1 tablespoon Cooking oil, divided
1 cup Pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
5 tablespoons Vegan Curry paste (See note)
1, 14 oz can Coconut milk
3 cups Vegetable Stock
3 tablespoons Light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Lemon or lime juice
- Toppings
About 4 oz (dry) Flat Rice noodles
2 cups Broccoli florets
14 oz Firm or Extra Firm tofu
1/2 cup Peanuts, toasted and salted
1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro
1/4 cup Chopped Green onions
Lime Wedges
Method
- Drain the tofu and press it down for about an hour to remove the extra water.
Cut the tofu in 1-inch square pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide nonstick pan. Once heated, add the tofu pieces and fry turning it once or twice till light golden brown. Remove from the pan and keep aside - Prepare rice noodles as per package directions and set aside.
- To blanch the broccoli, dip it in boiling water for 1 minute and immediately put it in ice cold water. This maintains the bright green color and stops the broccoli from over cooking. Set the broccoli aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil to same pan that tofu was cooked in. Add vegan curry paste to the oil and cook on medium flame for 2 minutes. Now add the pumpkin puree to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add coconut milk, vegetable stock, light soy sauce and sugar to the pan. Increase the flame to medium high and bring it to a boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add lime or lemon juice to the curry. Taste at this point and add additional salt if needed.
- To serve– Divide the laksa soup among 4 bowls. Top with broccoli, rice noodles, tofu, green onions, cilantro, peanuts and additional toppings of your choice.
Tips
- Start with 4 tablespoons of the curry paste and add the additional 1 tablespoon if required. Curry paste brands vary in heat levels and it also depends on how hot you like your food.
