Laksa by Hart and Soul

Posted: November 14, 2023 Updated: May 14, 2024

I wasn’t sure I’d be playing favourites on my website but here I am doing my third product review for Hart and Soul with their Malaysian-style laksa soup! Hart and Soul have so many products these days and I have tried quite a few – more than I’ve put reviews up. It’s hard to go past during a sale at the supermarket.

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If you’re not familiar with Hart and Soul you’ll find their products in a few places around the supermarket. Their range of long-life soups are the most obvious, but they also make a number of sauces for quick meals like Thai green curry and nasi goreng.

Hidden away in the aisles they also have a collection of shelf-stable ready meals like nasi goreng, chicken satay and vegetable dahl. In fact, all of their ready meals are gluten free.

INGREDIENTS

Water, Coconut Milk (29%), Tofu (9%) [Soybean, Water, Firming Agent (Calcium Sulphate)], Shallot, Enoki Mushrooms (5%), Lemongrass, Rice Bran Oil, Coconut Sugar, Fish Sauce,Shrimp Paste (Crustacean), Salt, Galangal, Chili, Garlic, Spices (Turmeric, Coriander Seed, Cumin, Cinnamon), Ginger, Cornstarch.

These ingredients were listed October 2023, check their website or the packet for any updates.

The taste

The tofu is quite firm! I think I was expecting miso soup style silken tofu. This makes sense though, it keeps its shape well in the soup and isn’t falling apart.

There’s absolutely loads of enoki mushroom which is nice. It’s always a pain when something is advertised as an ingredient and there’s hardly any of it.

You can definitely taste the seafood in the base, there’s fish sauce and shrimp paste. It certainly adds to the authenticity of the soup.

There’s a good amount of spice in it too. I would say that it is not suitable for children.

I think this laksa is mid way between the two types. One version, I think typical of Singapore is very creamy with coconut milk. The other, more typical of Malaysia is stronger, darker soup. This has strong bold flavours, but there’s some creaminess once you get past the spicy chilli.

The upgrade

For once I didn’t upgrade my meal. This was a last minute lunch on a Monday after we’d had guests over for morning tea.

However, given that the soup is quite good and feels authentic, this is how I would upgrade it for a full meal / dinner.

• Cook some rice vermicelli and lay it in a bowl.
• Top with cooked sliced chicken breast or cooked prawn.
• Add in some cooked greens like beans or broccolini.
• Pour over the heated soup.
• Garnish with fresh herbs like coriander and a wedge of lime or lemon.

The verdict

I don’t think I would eat this again as a quick lunch option. There just wasn’t enough going on to eat it ‘as is’. However, I do believe with the upgrade detailed above that this would make for a really great fakeaway laksa meal.

So, if I find myself with a craving for warming spicy laksa one cool winter’s night, this is where I’ll be looking.

Where to buy Hart and Soul Laksa Soup

You can find Hart and Soul Laksa in soup aisle at Coles and Woolworths. Hart and Soul products are also stocked at IGAs and Costco, so be sure to check locally.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Gluten free: Legit, nil detected.
Vegetarian / vegan: Nope, fish.
Allergens: Fish, crustacean, soy. May contain: Egg, peanut, sesame, cashew.
Serving size: Two.

Still hungry? Check out my guide to gluten free ready meals at Woolworths.