Indonesian chicken noodle soup, known as soto ayam, is a comforting dish filled with fragrant spices, tender chicken, noodles, and fresh toppings.

The broth gets its golden color and distinctive flavor from ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, coriander, lemongrass, and lime leaves. Served hot with noodles, vegetables, egg, and a squeeze of lime, this soup brings together a wonderful mix of savory, fresh, and aromatic flavors in one bowl.

Ingredients

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 quarts water

1 teaspoon white peppercorns

¼ teaspoon coriander seeds

10 grams candlenuts or unsalted macadamia nuts

5 medium cloves garlic

1-inch piece fresh ginger

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil

1 stalk lemongrass

3 fresh makrut lime leaves

4 ounces mung bean noodles

4 ounces mung bean sprouts

2 large eggs

2 green onions

¼ cup chopped celery leaves

2 tablespoons fried shallots

2 large limes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Total time: About 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Instructions

1. Place the chicken thighs and water in a large bowl. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.

2. Grind the white peppercorns and coriander seeds until they form a coarse powder.

3. Combine the ground spices with the candlenuts or macadamia nuts, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt. Blend until a smooth spice paste forms.

4. Remove the cooked chicken from the bowl and allow it to cool slightly. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

5. Strain the chicken broth and return it to a clean bowl.

6. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the spice paste, lemongrass, and lime leaves. Cook for about 1 minute until the mixture becomes fragrant.

7. Stir the cooked spice mixture into the chicken broth. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

8. Soak the mung bean noodles in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain them well and cut them into shorter pieces if necessary.

9. Hard-boil the eggs, peel them, and cut each egg into quarters.

10. Divide the noodles, shredded chicken, bean sprouts, egg, green onions, celery leaves, and fried shallots among four bowls.

11. Pour the hot broth over the ingredients.

12. Finish each bowl with fresh lime juice and serve while hot.

How to Get the Best Flavor

The spice paste is the key to a flavorful bowl of soto ayam. Fresh ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and lime leaves give the broth its distinctive aroma. Cooking the spice paste briefly in oil before adding it to the broth helps bring out those flavors.

Avoid rushing the broth once the spice mixture has been added. A gentle simmer gives the seasonings time to blend with the chicken stock. The result should be aromatic without being overwhelmingly spicy.

Fresh toppings also make a difference. Bean sprouts should remain crisp, while green onions and celery leaves are best added near serving time. Fried shallots provide a pleasant crunchy finish, and lime juice adds brightness that balances the savory broth.

Easy Ingredient Substitutions

Some ingredients used in traditional Indonesian cooking may not be available everywhere. If candlenuts are difficult to find, unsalted macadamia nuts can be used as a substitute. Mung bean noodles can also be replaced with rice vermicelli while keeping the rest of the recipe unchanged.

If fresh makrut lime leaves are unavailable, the soup can still be prepared without them, although the citrus aroma will be less pronounced. Fresh lime juice added at the end will still provide a bright finishing note.

Soto ayam is a satisfying soup that combines a fragrant spice-infused broth with tender chicken, noodles, crisp vegetables, and fresh toppings. The preparation involves several steps, but each one has a clear purpose and helps build the final flavor. Served hot with lime and fried shallots, this Indonesian chicken noodle soup makes a comforting homemade meal that is both colorful and full of character.