Name: Soto Ayam
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1 medium chicken (about 1–1.2 kg), or 800 g bone-in pieces; 2 L water; 6 shallots; 4 cloves garlic; 3 cm turmeric; 2 cm ginger; 3 candlenuts; 1 teaspoon coriander seeds; 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised; 3 kaffir lime leaves; 2 bay leaves; 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 200 g rice vermicelli (bihun), soaked; 2 cups bean sprouts; 3 hard-boiled eggs, halved; Scallions, celery leaves, lime wedges, sambal, and fried shallots, for serving

About this recipe

Soto Ayam is the yellow chicken soup that feels like care in a bowl: clear turmeric broth, shredded chicken, and a table full of toppings so everyone builds their own portion.

Indonesian mothers often keep the broth gentle and let lime, sambal, and fried shallots finish each bowl at the table. That way kids and spice lovers can sit down together.

Make a bigger pot than you need. The broth reheats well for breakfast the next morning with leftover rice or vermicelli.

Prep & cook time

Prep20 minutes
Cook40 minutes
Total60 minutes
Servings5 servings
LevelMedium

Tools you need

Large soup pot
Blender or mortar
Ladle
Fine strainer (optional)
Bowls for toppings

Ingredients

1 medium chicken (about 1–1.2 kg), or 800 g bone-in pieces
2 L water
6 shallots
4 cloves garlic
3 cm turmeric
2 cm ginger
3 candlenuts
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
200 g rice vermicelli (bihun), soaked
2 cups bean sprouts
3 hard-boiled eggs, halved
Scallions, celery leaves, lime wedges, sambal, and fried shallots, for serving

Directions

Place the chicken and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then simmer 30–35 minutes until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken; reserve the broth.
When cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard skin and bones if you prefer a cleaner bowl.
Blend shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, candlenuts, and coriander into a paste. Sauté with lemongrass, lime leaves, and bay leaves until fragrant.
Stir the sautéed spices into the broth. Simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and sugar; taste and adjust.
Prepare toppings: soak vermicelli in hot water until soft, blanche bean sprouts briefly, slice scallions and celery.
To serve, place vermicelli, bean sprouts, shredded chicken, and egg in each bowl.
Ladle over hot broth. Finish with scallions, celery, fried shallots, lime, and sambal.

Kitchen tips

Squeeze lime only when eating so the broth stays bright.
A free-range chicken gives a stronger, more traditional broth.
Skim the broth well for a clean, family-friendly soup.
Keep sambal on the side for little ones.

Serve with

Warm rice
Potato perkedel
Emping crackers
Sambal

How to store

Store broth and toppings separately. Broth and chicken keep 3 days in the fridge; assemble bowls when ready to eat.

Common mistakes

Boiling the shredded chicken again for too long, which dries it out.
Salting heavily before reducing—season at the end.
Putting lime in the whole pot, which can turn bitter as it sits.