Soto Ayam (Indonesian Turmeric Chicken Soup)

  • Total Time - 75 minutes
  • Preparation - 20 minutes
  • Cooking - 55 minutes
  • Servings: 4
  • Country: Indonesia
Indonesian Soto Ayam soup in a bowl with chicken, noodles, and lime.

Soto Ayam is the perfect dish that is spicy, sour, salty, and sweet—all in one bowl. Turmeric gives the broth not only its colour but also an earthy flavour, beautifully balanced by lemongrass and lime juice.

Ingredients

For Chicken Broth and Chicken

  • 700 g Whole chicken thighs or bone-in breasts
  • 1.5 l Water
  • 2 stalks Lemongrass (bruised with a knife)
  • 3 pcs Kaffir Lime Leaves
  • 2 pcs Salam Leaves (Indonesian bay leaves, if available)

For the Yellow Spice Paste (Bumbu)

  • 4 pcs Shallots or Red Onion
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 3 cm Turmeric (fresh, peeled, or 2 tsp ground)
  • 2 cm Galangal (fresh, peeled)
  • 1 cm Ginger (fresh)
  • 2 tbsp Oil

For Serving

  • 150 g Rice Vermicelli, cooked
  • 2 pcs Potatoes, boiled/fried and diced
  • 4 pcs Eggs, hard-boiled and halved
  • for garnish Fried Shallots (Bawang Goreng)
  • chopped Celery leaves and Spring Onion
  • for seasoning Lime, sliced
  • for spiciness Sambal Oelek (or other chili paste)

Instructions

Step 1: Preparing Broth and Chicken

Place the chicken in water with salt and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that forms on the surface.

Add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and salam leaves. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Remove the chicken from the broth and let it cool. Strain the broth and set aside. Shred the chicken meat into small pieces.

Step 2: Preparing the Bumbu (Spice Paste)

Blend all ingredients for the Yellow Spice Paste (shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, ginger) with a little oil into a smooth paste.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot and sauté the paste for 5-7 minutes until it becomes intensely fragrant.

Step 3: Finishing the Soup

Add the sautéed paste to the prepared chicken broth and bring back to a boil. Simmer for another 5 minutes to let the flavours meld. Season with salt and pepper.

The shredded chicken can be briefly fried/sautéed for crispiness at the end, but this is optional.

Step 4: Serving

Place the cooked rice vermicelli, potato slices, and shredded chicken meat into a deep bowl.

Pour the hot Soto chicken broth over them.

Top with half a hard-boiled egg, chopped spring onion, and celery leaves.

Garnish generously with fried shallots. Serve with a slice of lime (for squeezing) and a bowl of sambal (chili paste) for those who like it spicy.