Shortcut Chicken Laksa

Sunset-orange coconut curry broth from a jar of laksa paste, with chicken, a jammy egg and a pile of crunch on top.

• Serves 4
• 25 min
• Konjac Angel Hair
• Low-carb

Laksa is a coconut curry noodle soup from Malaysia and Singapore, and a from-scratch paste can run to 20 ingredients. A jar of good laksa paste turns it into a 25-minute weeknight soup.

The noodle is konjac angel hair at 1g net carb per serving. Konjac is a soluble fiber, so it holds up in a rich coconut broth without turning soft, and it takes on the color and spice of the paste.

One step matters. Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water for 1 minute 30 seconds, then simmer them in the broth for 2 minutes. Fry the paste first, too; that is where the flavor comes from.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1/2 cup store-bought laksa paste (or red curry paste plus 1 tsp turmeric)
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (13.5 oz) light coconut milk
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp coconut sugar, 2 tbsp lime juice
• 4 eggs, soft-boiled 6.5 minutes
• To top: bean sprouts, cucumber matchsticks, cilantro, mint, sliced red chile, fried shallots, lime
• 4 pouches Miracle Noodle Konjac Angel Hair

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium. Fry the laksa paste 2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and smells fragrant. Cooking the paste is what wakes the spices up.
2. Whisk in the broth and coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
3. Add the chicken and simmer 6 minutes until cooked through. Season with fish sauce, sugar and lime.
4. Open, drain and rinse the noodles under cold water for 1 minute 30 seconds. Simmer them in the broth 2 minutes.
5. Divide between bowls, add a halved egg, and pile on sprouts, cucumber, herbs, chile and fried shallots.

Why it works

Jarred laksa paste replaces about 20 ingredients, and that is the only reason this is a weeknight soup. Read the label: pick one without seed oils or added sugar near the top.

"Read the ingredients, always. A good paste is mostly chiles, lemongrass, galangal, shallot and spices; that is a lot of plant power in one spoon." Dr. Jonathan Carp, MD, Founder, Miracle Noodle

Make it with Egg White Spaghetti

For a heartier bowl, use Egg White Spaghetti at 10g protein and less than a gram of carbs per serving. The method changes: open and drain it, put it straight into the bowls, and ladle the hot broth over. Skip the 2-minute simmer, because egg white protein firms up with heat and a simmer turns the bounce rubbery.

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