Adapted from a classic South Eastern recipe, this chicken and prawn laksa soup delivers beautiful Thai flavours and all the nutrients. The aromatic coconut curry broth is served with low-carb zucchini and carrot noodles and healthy protein. This recipe is paleo, gluten-free, keto-friendly (can be modified for a Whole30 version).
WHAT IS LAKSA?
If you had to pick your ‘last meal’, what would it be? For me, Laksa would have to be in the top five. If you haven’t heard of or tried Laksa before, it’s a coconut-based curry soup from Malaysia, which fuses Malay, Thai and Chinese flavours and ingredients.
Very common and popular in Australia, the dish features a handful of noodles, tofu puffs, bean sprouts, crispy vegetables and a selection of meats or seafood served in the most glorious, fragrant, spicy coconut soup.
I seriously want to sing Hallelujah when I sip a good Laksa broth. I love its rich flavours and the warmth you get from all the spices and the chilli. And although many would argue of what the authentic Laksa should taste like, the truth is that it comes in many varieties and even the most typical Laksa Lemak can be cooked in many different ways. For example, although it’s a Malay dish, I often order it in Thai restaurants.
The best part is that Laksa is easily adapted to be a paleo, low-carb and gluten-free dish. Swap the noodles and tofu for extra veggies, add some protein and et voilà – you have a delicious meal with the desired ratio of proteins, carbs and fats.
Sure, it’s much easier to go and get a bowl of Laksa in Chinatown or from your local Thai take away shop, but there is something super cool about making it from scratch. And you know what? It’s actually very easy if you give yourself enough time and you can get the right ingredients.
TIPS FOR MAKING THAI LAKSA AT HOME
The foundation of any Laksa soup is a Laksa curry paste, which I make from scratch and you can find the recipe here. You can also use a store-bought Laksa paste or a mixture of red and green curry pastes, as that’s the closest to Laksa flavours.
My Laksa paste is not as spicy as some of the imported varieties, so 5 tablespoons of serious red curry paste might blow your head off. Start with 2-3 tablespoons if you’re not sure and always have a little taste of the paste itself. If you can’t find all the ingredients, you can use mild curry powder, some fresh garlic and ginger, and whatever other ingredients from the laksa paste that you can find.
To use the laksa paste in a curry stew, simply add coconut milk or cream with just a little bit of stock for a rich, thick gravy.
OTHER INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
I used a little bit of palm sugar to balance out the salty and sour flavours, it’s the most authentic sweetener. By all means, leave the sugar out if you want, or replace it with honey or coconut sugar, and it will still taste pretty damn good. You can check out this coconut palm sugar.
I used full-fat coconut oil from a can (look for 55-70% coconut content) and I put one of the cans in the fridge to thicken, and that’s where I scooped out the coconut cream from. The other can is simply shaken, and that’s your coconut milk.
You will need a large pot or a saucepan to fit all of the soup, plus meat and veggies. I used chicken and prawns in this recipe, but you can easily replace those with beef, scallops and fish.
I used salt-reduced chicken stock as I like to control how much and what type of salt I add to the dish. Pre-packaged stocks have so much sodium and it is often disguised by sugar and other things, so I would rather use more fish sauce for both saltiness and flavour.
Finally, Chinese broccoli can be replaced with collard greens or Swiss chard. You can use a vegetable spiralizer to prepare carrot and zucchini noodles, which would work fabulously in this soup.
I hope the whole process doesn’t intimidate you too much. It really is a lot of fun to make your own Laksa and you should get your family and friends involved in the kitchen.
More HealtHy Thai recipes:
Paleo Pad See Ew with Zucchini Noodles
Chicken Larb Salad With Red Cabbage
Spicy Pumpkin Coconut Soup
Coconut Yoghurt Chicken
Paleo Satay Sauce
Roasted Lemongrass Short Ribs
Description
Aromatic, creamy and full of flavour, this chicken and prawn Thai laksa soup is a healthy version of the classic. This recipe is paleo, gluten-free, keto and Whole30 friendly. Omit coconut palm sugar for keto, Whole30 versions.
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 5 tablespoons Laksa curry paste (or this store-bought brand)
- 1.5–2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
- 500 ml / 2 cups salt-reduced chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated coconut palm sugar (or another sweetener)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 400 g / 0.9 lb peeled prawns, tails on or off (up to you)
- 400 ml full-fat coconut milk (shake the can first, about 1.5 cups)
- 1/3 cup coconut cream (or use the thickened part of coconut milk)
- 5 leaves of Chinese broccoli (Kai-lan), with stalks, roughly sliced
- Half of broccoli head, cut into small florets
- 1 carrot, peeled and shaved into strips or spiralized into noodles
- 1 zucchini, shaved into ribbons or spiralized into noodles
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced into thin strips or shaved
- Fresh coriander (cilantro), fried shallots & diced red chilli, for garnish
- Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the laksa paste and cook, over medium heat, for about 30 seconds, stirring continuously to prevent sticking or burning. This process toasts the spices and releases all those beautiful flavours and aromas. Add more coconut oil if the mix dries up.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the chicken. Stir through for a minute.
- Pour in the stock, and add the fish sauce, palm sugar and juice of 1 lime. Bring everything to a boil.
- After a couple of minutes, turn the heat to low and add the coconut milk and cream. Stir through and turn the heat down to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, lid on.
- You can prepare the vegetables and garnishes while the soup is cooking away. Have a few thin slices of chilli and fresh coriander leaves ready for garnish.
- It’s time to finish off the cooking. Bring the heat back up to medium-high and add the Chinese broccoli, regular broccoli and carrots to the soup. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the prawns and zucchini last as they require minimal cooking, about 2 minutes. A good way to tell if the prawns are cooked (besides actually tasting one) is to look for when they start to curl and change to white/pinkish colour. Turn the heat off at this stage.
- Serve a mix of chicken, prawns and vegetables with a couple of ladles of soup, garnished with fresh cucumber, coriander and chilli on top.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cup soup with veggies and protein
- Calories: 487
- Sugar: 10.6 g
- Sodium: 2202.7 mg
- Fat: 26.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 21.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.1 g
- Fiber: 4.9 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 172.4 mg
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Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.
The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.
But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.
Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.
And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.
What makes the best keto chili?
Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.
In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.
Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.
Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.
But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.
Can you make keto chili ahead of time?
I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.
It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.
So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.
The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!
Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.
Tips for making Short Rib Chili
Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.
Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.
Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.
Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.
Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.
Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.
Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.
Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food?
Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.
Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 428kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone in short ribs
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- ⅓ cup beef bone broth
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.
Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Short Rib Chili
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)
Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319
% Daily Value*
Fat 35.4g54%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1.2g5%
Protein 22.6g45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Nutrition Facts
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- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
Hi, I'm Alex!
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