Indonesian Chicken Soup With Noodles, Turmeric and Ginger (Soto Ayam)
Updated January 10, 2019
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
1 free-range chicken, about 3 pounds, quartered
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, bruised with the handle of a heavy knife and tied in a knot
6 makrut lime leaves, fresh or frozen (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
5 shallots, peeled and halved
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh turmeric, or 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
3 tablespoons peanut oil
4 ounces glass noodles or thin dried rice noodles, called vermicelli, bihun or bun
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves, mint, Thai basil or cilantro leaves
2 shallots, thinly sliced and fried in vegetable oil until brown (optional)
Quartered limes
Chili paste (such as sambal), for serving
Cooked white rice (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
43 grams carbs; 255 milligrams cholesterol; 1023 calories; 27 grams monosaturated fat; 15 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 64 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 870 milligrams sodium; 70 grams protein; 11 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place chicken in a medium pot with lemongrass, lime leaves (if using), salt and 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes, skimming as needed to make a clear broth. Remove chicken pieces from broth and set aside. Remove and discard lemon grass and lime leaves; reserve stock in pot. When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and shred meat into bite-size pieces.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, combine peppercorns, coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a small food processor. Pulse until ground. Add halved shallots, garlic, turmeric and ginger and pulse to a thick paste. (Add a little water if needed.)
- Step 3
Heat peanut oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. When very hot, add spice paste and cook, stirring until paste is cooked and beginning to separate from the oil, about 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Add cooked spice paste and chicken meat to stock. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
- Step 5
Cook noodles according to package directions.
- Step 6
Turn off heat under soup and stir in lime juice. Taste for salt.
- Step 7
To serve, divide noodles in large soup bowls. Ladle chicken pieces and soup on top and sprinkle with celery leaves or herbs, and fried shallots, if using. Pass lime and sambal at the table.
- Step 8
Eat from soup bowl, or serve a scoop of rice on a side plate, sprinkled with more shallots, and put a mouthful of noodles and chicken on rice. Combine on a spoon, dab with sambal, and eat.
Private Notes
Comments
Fabulous, and made few alterations. For two: two chicken legs in my instant pot + 3 cups water, 2 lemongrass, few slices of ginger, salt, 2 dried chiles, 15 minutes, high pressure, natural release.
Filter broth, cool chicken, take meat of bones.
Fry spice paste (no room for measures here), add bean sprouts, cooked noodles, 1/2 lime squeezed pp + cilantro + basil + fried shallots (from store) + chile paste at table.
Superb!
And the halved hard-boiled egg shows up by itself and jumps into the soup.
To simplify for a quick weeknight dinner: This is still amazing if you use boneless chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken. Dried kaffir limes also work.
I used a frozen chicken carcass (from a previous roast chicken that I keep in the freezer to make chicken stock) and made the soup base with the carcass, lemongrass and lime leaves. I strained out the solids and then boiled boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the soup. After I took out the chicken to shred, I cooked the vermicelli in the soup base. I divided the vermicelli between the bowls and then added the spices and shredded chicken back into the soup to simmer as directed. I think this method just made it easier to handle instead of having to take the meat off a boiled chicken. I topped with Chinese tea egg I had in the fridge, delish :)
This is delicious! Don’t skim on the shallots, and the fried ones are absolutely necessary.
Didnt have time to make broth so just added spice paste to chicken broth and added shredded chicken breast. Will add carrots next time and maybe dice potatoes! Super yummy!