Soto Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Soup)
Soto Ayam is a comforting Indonesian chicken soup with a rich, aromatic broth infused with turmeric, lemongrass, and spices. Served with vermicelli noodles, shredded chicken, and vibrant toppings, this dish is light yet full of bold flavors.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs or drumsticks
- to taste salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 4 cup chicken stock
- 4 cup water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 3 stalk lemongrass (white portion only)
- 6 shallots (small)
- 5 clove garlic
- 1 inch ginger (peeled and sliced)
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 candlenuts (or macadamia nuts)
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 8 oz dry rice vermicelli noodles
- 2 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 2 hard boiled eggs (halved)
- cilantro (chopped)
- crispy shallots
- lime wedges
- fresh red chili or sambal oelek
Instructions
- 1
Season the chicken thighs or drumsticks generously with salt and pepper. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- 2
Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown.
- 3
Pour in 4 cups of chicken stock and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any impurities from the surface occasionally.
- 4
Once the broth is ready, remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- 5
In a blender or food processor, combine lemongrass, shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, candlenuts, and cooking oil.
- 6
Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of oil or water at a time until it reaches a thick paste consistency.
- 7
This recipe yields about 1¼ cups of spice paste, enough for two batches of Soto Ayam. Use 5 tablespoons for one batch and store the remaining paste in the freezer for future use.
- 8
Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- 9
Add 5 tablespoons of the spice paste and stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- 10
Pour in the chicken broth and stir in ½ cup of coconut milk.
- 11
Lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- 12
Blanch the dry rice vermicelli noodles in boiling water for 2–3 minutes until al dente. Drain and divide the noodles among 4 serving bowls.
- 13
Ladle the hot chicken soup over the noodles.
- 14
Top with shredded chicken, hard-boiled egg, fresh bean sprouts, crispy shallots, and cilantro.
- 15
Serve with lime wedges, fresh red chili, and sambal oelek on the side. Enjoy!