Sopa de Lacassá

Macanese Fusion·Easy·25 min

A Macanese noodle soup built on lacassá, rice vermicelli whose name derives from the Malay laksa. Served with shrimp, chicken, coconut and turmeric, evidence of the cuisine's Southeast-Asian-trade-rooted vocabulary.

Sopa de lacassá is a Macanese noodle soup built on lacassá, rice vermicelli whose very name derives from the Malay word laksa, evidence of Macau's Southeast-Asian-trade-rooted culinary vocabulary. The soup is served with shrimp, chicken, dried shrimp, coconut, turmeric and mint. It is a perfect example of how Macanese cuisine absorbed Southeast Asian (Malay) elements through the Portuguese trade network, and it remains a home-cooking staple of the Macanese community.

A light, fragrant, coconut-touched broth with turmeric warmth, the rice vermicelli soft, the shrimp and chicken tender, a fresh mint finish. Eaten as a light meal, it is fragrant, gentle and the crossroads soup of Macau.

The broth is a light chicken stock scented with turmeric, coconut milk and the dried-shrimp umami that runs through Macanese cooking. The rice vermicelli (lacassá) is blanched separately and added to the bowl, with shrimp, chicken and a mint garnish. The coconut is light (not a heavy curry laksa), reflecting the Macanese-Calibrated balance between Malay richness and Portuguese lightness.

Variations

A richer version adds more coconut. Some include fish cake.

On the Palate

Where Sopa de Lacassá sits in the Macanese flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 4

How it's made

6 steps · 25 min

1
5 min
Bring 1 litre chicken stock to a boil with 1 tsp turmeric, 30g dried shrimp and 1 tbsp fish sauce.
2
5 min
Add 200g peeled prawns and 150g shredded cooked chicken; simmer 5 minutes.
Watch out
Add the prawns and chicken only at the end and simmer 5 minutes — overcooked prawns turn rubbery in the light broth.
3
4 min
Stir in 100ml coconut milk; season with salt.
4
4 min
Blanch 150g rice vermicelli (lacassá) in boiling water 2 minutes; drain; divide into 4 bowls.
Watch out
Blanch the vermicelli separately just 2 minutes — cook it in the broth and its starch clouds the light soup.
5
4 min
Ladle the hot broth and toppings over the vermicelli.
6
2 min
Garnish with chopped mint; serve hot.

Archive tool suggestions — not reviewed

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Dutch Oven

A heavy enameled or bare cast-iron lidded pot, 4-7 liters, with thick walls and a snug lid. The mass evens out hotspots; the lid traps moisture for braising. Sears on the stovetop, then transfers to a 150°C oven for 3-4 hours of even, contained heat — the structural difference between a beef bourguignon that comes out luminous and one that turns to gray mush. Le Creuset and Staub are the celebrated versions; an old American Wagner is functionally identical.

Techniques

Boiling Simmering