Soto Ayam: Easy to cook Indonesian Malaysian chicken soup
Soto Ayam is an Indonesian-Malaysian chicken soup that is rich and flavorful. Fresh turmeric and other herbs infuse this yellow, spicy chicken meat soup, served with spindly rice noodles, shallots, and a boiled egg in a bowl. It can also be served with Chinese celery leaves, grilled potatoes, and fried shallots. With a sprinkling of fresh herbs like lemongrass, lime leaves, cardamoms, and more, the Indonesian Soto makes the ideal chicken soup.
Turmeric, one of the main ingredients in Soto Ayam, gives this traditional chicken and vermicelli soup it’s colour. Nothing like a bowl of steaming chicken soup for comfort. It’s also relatively simple to prepare!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Spice Paste, Water, Coconut Milk, Chicken, Boiled Egg, Rice Noodles, Bean Sprouts and Fried Scallion.
Method
Bring chicken, cardamom, lime leaves, lemongrass, cloves, bay leaves, salt, and 2 litres water to a boil in a deep stewpan. Brush off any remaining residue, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken chunks from the soup and set them aside. Skim the herbs off the top and keep the stock in the stewpan. When the chicken is cold enough to handle, shred the meat into small pieces.
Turmeric powder, coriander powder, peppercorns, ground cumin seeds, candlenuts, garlic, sliced shallots, ginger, and water should all be ground together. Heat the oil in a stewpan over medium heat. When the pan is heated, add the herbal paste and stir-fry until it separates from the oil.
Combine the stock and shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl. Cook for 15 minutes on low heat. Boil rice noodles on the side. Rice noodles or rice cakes can be served as a side dish. Stir the soup after fifteen minutes and add the lime juice. In large soup bowls, start by layering noodles on the bottom, then dip broth and chicken over the top, garnishing with bean sprouts, herbs, and fried shallots. Serve with a side of sambal.
You can also use coconut milk, Koya (powdered prawn crackers), fried garlic, and Krupuk or Emping instead of the toppings. With a flavour contour, this combo is also thoroughly fantastic.
To summarise, make the spice paste. After that, combine the chicken stock, coconut milk, and spices to make the soup. Cook the rice noodles and bean sprouts, then transfer them to a serving bowl with the soup and chicken. Serve immediately with the hard-boiled egg, sliced scallion, and fried shallot crisps as garnishes.
