Indonesian & Malaysian · Lunch · Dinner
Soto Ayam (Indonesian Turmeric Chicken Noodle Soup)
Soto Ayam
A golden, fragrant broth infused with turmeric, lemongrass and galangal, poured over rice noodles, shredded chicken, crunchy bean sprouts and halved boiled eggs. Bright with lime and as fiery as you like.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 39% · Fat 27% · Protein 34%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 500 g (about 2 large breasts)Chicken breast, skinless
- 7 cups1,750 gWater
- 4 small60 gShallots
- 4 cloves12 gGarlic
- 2 cm piece10 gFresh ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp5 gGround turmeric
- 3 nuts10 gMacadamia nuts (stand-in for candlenuts)
- 1 tspGround coriander
- 1/2 tspGround white pepper
- 1 tbsp14 gVegetable oil
- 2 stalks30 gLemongrass
- 3 cm piece15 gGalangal
- 4 leavesKaffir lime leaves
- 1 tsp6 gSalt
- 4 large200 gEggs
- 150 gRice vermicelli, dry
- 1 1/2 cups150 gBean sprouts
- 2 cups150 gGreen cabbage, finely shredded
- 1/4 cup20 gCelery leaves and tender stalk, chopped
- 230 gSpring onions, sliced
- 165 gLime, cut into wedges
- 2Red bird's eye chillies, sliced (optional)
Steps
- 1
Blend or pound the shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, macadamia nuts, coriander and white pepper into a smooth paste, adding a splash of the measured water if needed.
- 2
Bruise the lemongrass with the back of a knife and tie each stalk in a knot; slice the galangal.
- 3
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and fry the spice paste for 4-5 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and slightly darker.
- 4
Add the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves and stir for 1 minute.
- 5
Pour in the remaining water, add the chicken breasts and salt, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- 6
Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chicken reaches 74 °C / 165 °F in the thickest part.
- 7
Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 10 minutes, cool in cold water, peel and halve.
- 8
Soak or cook the rice vermicelli according to the packet, then drain and rinse.
- 9
Blanch the bean sprouts and cabbage in boiling water for 30 seconds and drain.
- 10
Lift out the chicken, shred it with two forks and return it to the broth; remove the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves. Taste, and brighten with a squeeze of lime rather than extra salt.
- 11
Divide the noodles, cabbage and bean sprouts between four bowls.
- 12
Ladle the hot broth and chicken over the top and add the egg halves.
- 13
Scatter with celery leaves, spring onions and chillies if using, and serve with lime wedges.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use firm tofu cubes and vegetable stock instead of chicken and water to make it vegan, and leave out the eggs.
- Swap the chicken breast for boneless skinless chicken thighs for a richer, juicier result.
- Use cashews in place of the macadamia nuts if they are easier to find, or leave the nuts out for a nut-free version.
- Replace the rice vermicelli with cooked white rice, as is often served with soto in Indonesia.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keeping the broth and chicken separate from the noodles, vegetables and eggs, and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat the broth until steaming hot; the broth and chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months, but do not freeze the noodles, sprouts or boiled eggs.
Make ahead
Make the spice paste up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, or cook the whole broth with the chicken a day ahead and chill it. Boil the eggs a day in advance, then cook the noodles and blanch the vegetables just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: EggsTree nutsCelery
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (795 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 466 kcal | 59 kcal |
| Protein | 39.7 g | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 44.7 g | 5.6 g |
| of which sugars | 4.9 g | 0.6 g |
| Fiber | 4.3 g | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 14 g | 1.8 g |
| of which saturated | 3 g | 0.4 g |
| Sodium | 813 mg | 102 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
