Soto Ayam (Chicken Soup)
Submitted by GYOUNG
Bright, aromatic Indonesian chicken soup simmered with lemongrass, galangal, and turmeric, served with crispy fried onions and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Build your own bowl at the table for interactive comfort food.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2 hrsSoto Ayam is the original DIY soup.
You simmer a whole chicken with garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and galangal until the broth turns golden from turmeric and smells like Southeast Asia in a pot.
Pull out the cooked chicken, shred the meat, and keep simmering those bones for another hour until the broth is so rich it coats the spoon.
Then comes the fun part: everyone builds their own bowl, adding shredded chicken, crispy fried onions, and whatever condiments speak to them.
Pro Tips
- Remove the chicken breast after 15-20 minutes to keep it tender. Dark meat can handle the longer simmer.
- Skim the fat from the broth before serving for a cleaner, lighter soup.
- Fry shallots or onions until deeply golden for the crispy topping. Drain on paper towels so they stay crunchy.
- Serve with lime wedges, sambal, and fresh cilantro so everyone can customize their heat and brightness.
Ingredients
Directions
Remove chicken giblets, set aside.
Pull off and discard lumps of fat from chicken.
Cut off wings and leg-and-thigh pieces. Separate back from breast.
Pour oil into 6 quart kettle and place over medium heat.
Add garlic, onion, and ginger and cook, stirring until onion is soft.
Add lemon grass, galangal, tumeric, salt, coriander, sugar, pepper, broth, and water.
Stir then add chicken and giblets (except liver).
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until breast is no longer pink when slashed (15-20 minutes).
Remove breast and let cool.
Simmer remaining chicken until meat near thighbone is no longer pink when slashed (15 minutes more).
Lift out legs and thighs, let cool.
Continue to simmer broth. Discard skin from breast, legs and thighs.
Cut meat into bite-sized pieces. Cover and set aside.
Return bones to broth, continue simmering until broth is richly flavored (about 1 more hour).
Strain, discard wings, back, bones, giblets, and seasonings.
Prepare condiments and crisp-fried onions.
Place condiments, onions and chicken in seperate bowls.
Skim and discard fat from broth.
Heat broth until steaming and stir in lemon juice.
Ladle broth into serving bowls.
Let diners add chicken, condiments and crisp-fried onions.
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