Indonesian Chicken Noodle Soup (Soto Ayam)
Soto ayam is a fragrant turmeric-and-coconut broth from across the Indonesian archipelago, served at street stalls and family tables alike. Mee soto is the closely related egg-noodle version; the two share the same spice paste and broth.
Overview
A clear, golden chicken broth fortified with a freshly pounded turmeric, lemongrass and shallot paste, finished with coconut milk and a squeeze of lime. The dish is built in three layers: a slow-simmered chicken stock, a fried spice paste that becomes the soup's backbone, and quick-soaked rice vermicelli to carry it all. Comforting and aromatic in equal measure.
Ingredients
Chicken Stock
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 chicken thigh fillets
- 1 stalk lemongrass (bruised)
- 2 shallots (quartered)
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 3 makrut lime leaves
- 8 cups water
- Sea salt to taste
Spice Paste
- 1 stalk lemongrass (pale part only, finely chopped)
- 6 red Asian shallots (small, or 3 brown eschallots, roughly chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
- 4 cm fresh turmeric (peeled and roughly chopped, or 1 teaspoon turmeric powder)
- 3 cm ginger (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 3 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Broth & Finish
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Sea salt to taste
To Serve
- 200 grams dried rice vermicelli
- Coriander (cilantro) leaves
- Sambal oelek
- Lime wedges
Method
Stage 1 - Make the Chicken Stock
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large stock pot over high heat.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- Add the lemongrass, shallots, ginger, makrut lime leaves and 8 cups of water.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 45 minutes, skimming the surface occasionally.
- Lift the chicken out and set aside. Strain the broth and reserve the liquid.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred or roughly chop the meat.
Stage 2 - Make the Spice Paste
- Place all the spice paste ingredients in a blender.
- Blend to a smooth paste, adding a couple of tablespoons of the chicken stock if it refuses to come together.
Stage 3 - Build the Broth
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the spice paste and fry, stirring, for about a minute or until fragrant. (Freeze any leftover paste for another batch.)
- Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the reserved chicken broth and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
- Stir in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.
Stage 4 - Cook the Noodles & Assemble
- Soak the rice vermicelli in hot water for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender.
- Drain and divide between serving bowls.
- Top each bowl with shredded chicken, then ladle over the hot soup.
- Finish with a spoonful of sambal oelek, a scatter of coriander leaves and a wedge of lime.
Notes
- Spice paste depth: Frying the paste until fragrant is what builds flavour. Stop too early and the soup tastes raw.
- Fresh turmeric: Fresh turmeric gives a brighter, cleaner flavour than the powdered form. Wear gloves, the stains last for days.
- Sambal oelek: A simple Indonesian chilli paste, found in the Asian section of most supermarkets or made in advance from the linked recipe.
- Mee soto vs soto ayam: The two dishes share this broth. Soto ayam uses rice vermicelli or ketupat (compressed rice cakes); mee soto uses yellow hokkien-style egg noodles.
Variations
Mee soto: Swap the rice vermicelli for cooked yellow hokkien noodles for the egg-noodle version of the soup. Spicier: Stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of sambal oelek into the broth at the end of Stage 3 instead of serving it at the table.
Serving
Serve with: Steamed jasmine rice or ketupat on the side for a more substantial meal Garnish with: Crispy fried shallots, a soft-boiled egg, and extra lime wedges
Storage
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated; store the noodles separately so they don't go soft
- Broth and spice paste freeze well up to 2 months
- Best eaten the day it is made, with reheated broth poured over freshly soaked noodles
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