Soto Ayam

About This Recipe

Soto ayam is Indonesia's national chicken soup — a fragrant, turmeric-gold broth brimming with shredded chicken, rice vermicelli, and a lavish spread of toppings. Each bowl is customized with hard-boiled eggs, bean sprouts, fried shallots, celery leaves, and a squeeze of lime. The broth, infused with lemongrass, galangal, and turmeric, is both deeply comforting and energizing. Every region of Indonesia has its own version.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 500 gchicken thighs(bone-in)
• 1.5 Lwater
• 2 stalkslemongrass(bruised)
• 3 cmgalangal(sliced)
• 2 tspturmeric powder
• 5 clovesgarlic
• 5 smallshallots
• 200 grice vermicelli(cooked)
• 3 largehard-boiled eggs(halved)
• 100 gbean sprouts
• 3 tbspfried shallots
• 2 stalkscelery(leaves only, chopped)
• 2 wholelimes(quartered)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the chicken

   Boil chicken in water with lemongrass and galangal for 30 minutes. Remove chicken, shred the meat, and strain the broth.

2. 2

   Make the spice paste

   Blend garlic, shallots, and turmeric into a paste. Saute in oil until fragrant. Add to the strained broth.

3. 3

   Season the broth

   Simmer broth for 10 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper.

4. 4

   Assemble bowls

   Place rice vermicelli and shredded chicken in bowls. Ladle hot broth over. Top with egg halves, bean sprouts, fried shallots, celery leaves, and a lime wedge.

Variations

• •

  Soto Betawi uses coconut milk for a richer, creamier broth.

Storage

Store broth and toppings separately. Broth keeps 3 days refrigerated.