Soto ayam is a comforting, rich Indonesian chicken soup that’s filled with so much flavor and toppings. Traditionally served with shredded chicken, a boiled egg, and glass noodles, soto ayam is a must in every Indonesian family. The rich soup is topped with crispy fried shallots, a squeeze of lime, a drizzle of kecap manis, and a side of fresh chili sauce. This traditional soto ayam recipe is packed with flavor and is so easy to make. A delicious crowd pleaser that’s perfect for the whole family on a cold winter night!
What you need to make this soto ayam recipe
- Chicken thighs (bone in with skin on)
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Turmeric root – this recipe calls for fresh turmeric root. You can usually find fresh turmeric in the produce aisle next to ginger.
- Candlenuts – candlenuts, also known as Hawaiian kukui nuts can be found in most Asian grocery stores. I highly recommend looking for candlenuts to make this recipe authentic. However, if you are having a hard time finding candlenuts, you can try replacing them with macadamia or pine nuts. Both these nuts have a similar creaminess to candlenuts.
- Lemongrass – can be found at most Asian grocery stores. Fresh lemongrass can be difficult to find. If you can’t find it fresh in the produce aisle, try looking for frozen lemongrass in the freezer section. Frozen lemongrass is just as fine in this recipe.
- Lime leaves – can be found in most Asian grocery stores in the produce aisle, usually next to the chilies. You can also find these frozen. If you can’t get your hands on lime leaves, just leave them out of the recipe. You can always add a squeeze of lime to taste when you prepare each bowl of soto.
- Bay leaves – fresh bay leaves are difficult to find outside of Indonesia. This recipe calls for dried bay leaves which can be found at most grocery stores in the spice aisle.
- Green onions
- Chicken bouillon
- Vegetable or canola oil
- Hard boiled eggs
- Thin glass noodles or bean thread – Can be found in most grocery stores in the Asian aisle.
- Sugar
- Salt
- Kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
- Toppings: fried shallots, Chinese parsley, shrimp crackers, limes, kecap manis
- Sambal: shallots, garlic cloves, red jalapeños, Thai chilis, oil, salt, sugar, limes
Other optional toppings for soto ayam
- Perkedel – (fried mashed potato balls) a favorite in soto ayam recipes
- Bean sprouts – quickly blanched
- Tomatoes – diced into bite sized pieces
- Cabbage – shredded or cut into small pieces. Served uncooked or blanched.
How to make traditional Indonesian chicken soup
- To prepare for this soto ayam recipe, peel 20 shallot cloves or 9 large shallots (1 1/2 cups of shallots), 15-20 cloves of garlic (1 1/2 cups of garlic), and 2 sticks of turmeric (2-3 inches each). Set aside 12 candlenuts. Prepare 4 sticks of lemongrass by removing outer layer and cutting tops off. Wash and set aside 8 fresh lime leaves. Set aside 3 dried bay leaves. Clean and cut 4 green onions into 2-3 inch pieces.
- To make soto seasoning base, heat up 1 1/4 cup of oil in a large frying pan. Add in shallots, garlic, candlenuts, and peeled turmeric root. Fry with medium heat for about 5 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Take shallots, garlic, candlenuts, and turmeric root out and put everything into a food processor. Keep oil for future use.
- Using food processor, chop until everything is smooth. Set soto seasoning base aside.
- In a large stock pot, heat up 1/4 cup of leftover oil from frying pan. Add in soto seasoning base. Stir fry using medium heat for ~10 minutes or until brown and fragrant. Add in 10 cups of water, mix, and bring stock to a boil.
- Once soup is boiling, add in 1 1/2 tablespoon of chicken bouillon, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 tsp white pepper. Mix and stir everything together.
- Clean chicken and add to stock. Boil high for ~45 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare condiments and sides. Hard boil 4 eggs. Clean and chop Chinese parsley. Prepare glass noodles according to packaging.
- Make fresh sambal by putting 1 cup of peeled shallots, 5 peeled garlic cloves, 2 red jalapeños, and 6 Thai chilis into a food processor. Chop until everything is blended finely. In a clean small frying pan, heat up 1/3 cup new vegetable or canola oil. Once oil is hot, add in chopped shallot, garlic, and chili mixture. Add in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and a small squeeze of lime. Simmer using low to medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once chili is cooked, store in a glass container and keep covered in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Remove chicken from stock. In frying pan with old oil, heat oil using high heat and add chicken once oil is hot. Fry chicken for 2 minutes each side. Set chicken aside and shred chicken once it has cooled down.
- To assemble soto ayam, in a large bowl add in a handful of glass noodles and shredded chicken. Add one sliced hard boiled egg. Pour hot broth into bowl. Top soto ayam with fried shallots, fresh Chinese parsley, squeeze of lime, drizzle of kecap manis, and fresh sambal. Mix everything together and adjust taste to preference. Serve as is with shrimp crackers or with a side bowl of white rice!
Looking for another quick and easy Indonesian recipe? Try this delicious, quick kuey teow goreng recipe or this super easy sambal recipe that’s perfect on top of a crispy, fried runny egg!
Soto Ayam
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs (bone in with skin on)
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 10 cups water
- 1 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
Soto seasoning base
- 20 cloves shallots about 1 1/2 cups
- 15 cloves garlic about 1 1/2 cups
- 2 sticks tumeric about 2-3 inches each; cleaned and peeled
- 12 candlenuts
- 4 sticks lemongrass cleaned and prepped
- 8 fresh lime leaves
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 4 green onions cut into 2 inch pieces
Soto condiments and toppings
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- glass noodles
- white rice optional
- limes
- Chinese parsley
- fried shallots
- kecap manis
- shrimp crackers
Sambal
- 1 cup shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 red jalapeños
- 6 Thai chilies
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- squeeze of lime
Instructions
- Peel and prep 20 shallot cloves or 9 large shallots (1 1/2 cups of shallots), 15-20 cloves of garlic (1 1/2 cups of garlic), and 2 sticks of turmeric (2-3 inches each). Set aside 12 candlenuts. Prepare 4 sticks of lemongrass by removing outer layer and cutting tops off. Wash and set aside 8 fresh lime leaves. Set aside 3 dried bay leaves. Clean and cut 4 green onions into 2-3 inch pieces. Set everything aside.
- To make soto seasoning base, heat up 1 1/4 cup of oil in a large frying pan. Add in shallots, garlic, candlenuts, and peeled turmeric root. Fry with medium heat for about 5 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.
- Take shallots, garlic, candlenuts, and turmeric root out and put everything into a food processor. Keep oil for future use.
- Using food processor, chop until everything is smooth. Set soto seasoning base aside.
- In a large stock pot, heat up 1/4 cup of leftover oil from frying pan. Add in soto seasoning base. Stir fry using medium heat for ~10 minutes or until brown and fragrant.
- Add in 10 cups of water, mix, and bring stock to a boil. Once soup is boiling, add in 1 1/2 tablespoon of chicken bouillon, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 tsp white pepper. Mix and stir everything together.
- Clean chicken and add to stock. Boil high for ~45 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare condiments and sides. Hard boil 4 eggs. Clean and chop Chinese parsley. Prepare glass noodles according to packaging.
- Remove chicken from stock. In frying pan with old oil, heat oil using high heat and add chicken once oil is hot. Fry chicken for 2 minutes each side. Set chicken aside and shred chicken once it has cooled down.
- To assemble soto ayam, in a large bowl add in a handful of glass noodles and shredded chicken. Add one sliced hard boiled egg. Pour hot broth into bowl. Top soto ayam with fried shallots, fresh Chinese parsley, squeeze of lime, drizzle of kecap manis, and fresh sambal. Mix everything together and adjust taste to preference. Serve as is with shrimp crackers or with a side bowl of white rice!
How to make sambal
- Make fresh sambal by putting 1 cup of peeled shallots, 5 peeled garlic cloves, 2 red jalapeños, and 6 Thai chilis into a food processor. Chop until everything is blended finely.
- In a clean small frying pan, heat up 1/3 cup new vegetable or canola oil. Once oil is hot, add in chopped shallot, garlic, and chili mixture. Add in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and a small squeeze of lime.
- Simmer using low to medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once chili is cooked, store in a glass container and keep covered in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Bob says
Fantastic recipe! My wife tried it and loved it!
Kels says
Tasted just like the way my grandma used to make it. Making soto from scratch was so worth it!
Jeni says
I had this with hot rice and fried chicken and it was amazing! Thank you! Keeping this sambal in bulk in our fridge.
Natali says
Enjoyed this soto recipe! I even used the leftover soup to make traditional chicken bubur 🙂
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