Why it works
- Making the soup base using chicken bones and meat gives it a strong texture and flavour.
- Brushing fresh lemongrass with the sharp side of a knife and crushing the lemongrass leaves between your hands helps release their fragrant essential oils.
- Whole coriander seeds and white peppercorns add a floral and pungent aroma to the dish.
My Chinese-Indonesian parents often made two types of soup when I was a child: There was soup, a clear beef or chicken broth that usually contained floating noodles, strips of fried spam, or thick chunks of oxtail with vegetables. The other was soto, a rich, spicy soup unique to the region of southeastern Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. The soup is also referred to as “koto” or “croto” in different dialects, and contains different ingredients depending on the region, the chef preparing it, and what is available. What is included usually depends on personal preference and what is available locally. My two favorites are soto betawi, a Jakarti dish of beef brisket, tripe, and a thick coconut milk-based soup; Soto Ayam Madura is filled with turmeric and coriander (chicken soto is from Madura, an island off the northeastern coast of Java) and is typically served with mung bean threads and shredded chicken.
While both sop and soto are popular throughout the Indonesian archipelago, sop is largely a product of Dutch colonialism; The dish contains many ingredients introduced to Indonesia by the Dutch, including vegetables such as potatoes and cabbage. Soto, on the other hand, has a more quintessentially Indonesian taste with its traditional ingredients like lemongrass and lime leaves. Depending on who you ask, Soto’s source varies. However, it is safe to say that different societies have adapted it to incorporate their own cooking traditions and ingredients. For example: Since the majority of Indonesians do not consume pork, soto babi (soto pork) is only widely eaten in Bali, where the Hindu-majority population does not follow the Islamic halal law. (87% of Indonesia’s population identifies as Muslim, according to… Pew Research Quoting data issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs in 2022.)
The recipe below is inspired by a recipe my mom used to make for my family when I was a kid. I still remember grinding it White peppercorns And coriander seeds – among other herbs and spices – in her slurry, smearing her hands with turmeric and the warm scent of ginger permeating our house. As I watched my mother toil over her recipe and long list of ingredients, I always assumed that making soto ayam was complicated. The first time I made my mom’s recipe, I was shocked to discover that the classic Indonesian dish came together in just an hour — although you can save even more time by starting with leftover chicken and store-bought broth.
Prepare a delicious soup base for soto ayam
When making the soup base, I use both chicken bones and meat: the collagen in the bones gives the soup body, while the meat imparts the rich chicken flavor. Although you can use any bones or chicken pieces you have on hand, my recipe below calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The cut is more forgiving than chicken breast, which can cook easily, and has plenty of meat to cut into the soup to enjoy with pasta.
How to make soto ayam spice paste
I also touched on my Indonesian language White spice paste recipeSpice pastes are the basis of many Indonesian recipes. Pastes are typically composed of garlic, shallots, walnuts or macadamia nuts, coriander seeds, and other aromatic substances such as makrut lime leaves and lemongrass, although the ingredients may vary depending on the substance in which the spice paste will be used. For example, beef rendang contains red chili pepper. The yellow bombo dasar kuning I use to make soto ayam gets its warm, earthy flavor from fresh ginger and ground turmeric, along with its floral scent from the white peppercorns and creaminess from the candles. (Candelillas, a staple of Indonesian cooking, can easily be found online or in Southeast Asian grocery stores, but you can substitute macadamia nuts if necessary.) I recommend using whole spices and grinding them fresh in a small mortar and pestle or spice grinder to prepare. The flavor is more pronounced and fragrant.
Best noodles for soto ayam
The soup is traditionally served with mung bean threads—glass noodles with a nice chewy texture—which is what my recipe below calls for. If you can’t get mung bean noodles, rice vermicelli is also a good option. You can also eat soto ayam with white rice or lontong (pressed rice cakes), which is something I do from time to time.
How to assemble Soto Ayam
Once the soup is done, all that’s left is to assemble the pasta bowls. Place the pasta slices, vegetables, chicken, and eggs in individual bowls, then carefully pour the hot soup over them. Garnish with bean sprouts, green onions, celery leaves and crispy shallots. However, my favorite is the traditional topping of crushed potato chips, which adds a nice crunch. You can serve soto ayam as a one-dish meal or as part of a multi-course family meal, with or without rice. Just don’t forget Sweet soy sauceAnd the sambal oelek and lemon which brings everything together and completes the meal.