Soto Ayam (Indonesian Golden Turmeric Chicken Noodle Soup)
Soto ayam is Indonesia's beloved chicken soup, recognizable by its vivid golden broth colored with turmeric. The flavor base is a paste of garlic, turmeric, and galangal, fried until fragrant and then simmered with chicken pieces and lemongrass stalks for at least thirty minutes to build a deeply aromatic stock. The chicken is removed, shredded by hand, and returned to the bowl along with rice noodles, halved boiled eggs, and a handful of fresh bean sprouts. Each component adds its own texture-the silky noodles, the springy sprouts, the tender chicken-while the broth ties everything together with its warm, earthy spice profile. A squeeze of lime at the table brightens the bowl and lifts the heavier notes of galangal and turmeric. Soto ayam appears at breakfast stalls, family dinners, and celebrations across the Indonesian archipelago.
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Instructions
- 1
Blend garlic, turmeric, galangal into a paste.
- 2
Fry paste, add chicken and lemongrass.
- 3
Add water and simmer 30 minutes until chicken is cooked.
- 4
Remove chicken and shred.
- 5
Bowl with boiled egg, noodles, sprouts, chicken; pour over broth.
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