Indonesian Soto Ayam (Chicken Soup with Noodles, Ginger, & Turmeric)

Try out this wonderfully warm Indonesian chicken soup recipe on the next rainy day.

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Indonesian Soto Ayam (Chicken Soup with Noodles, Ginger, & Turmeric)

Try out this wonderfully warm Indonesian chicken soup recipe on the next rainy day.

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 2-5% fat content
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, (finely minced)
• 3 Tbsp fresh garlic, (finely minced)
• Zest of 2 limes
• 1 cup vegetable oil, (for frying and cooking shallots)
• 4 shallots, (cut into thin rounds and pan-fried in oil for garnish)
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 3 stalks of fresh lemongrass, (pounded with back of knife)
• 10 shallots, (large dice)
• 2 tsp ground turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 12 Fresh kaffir lime leaves, (if available)
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• Salt & freshly-ground black pepper, (to taste)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, (roughly chopped)
• 1 Tbsp fresh mint, (finely sliced)
• 6 oz glass noodles
• Sambal oelek, (as garnish)
• Lime wedges, (as garnish)
• Cooked white rice, (as garnish)
• Hard-boiled eggs, (stored in soy sauce, as garnish)

Instructions 

• The day before you plan to cook this dish, cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized chunks.
• Mix the chicken thighs with the ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tsp kosher salt, 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, 3 Tbsp fresh garlic, and lime zest.
• Marinate in the fridge overnight.
• To make the crispy shallot garnish, cut shallots into thin rounds and separate the rings of the shallot pieces with your fingers.
• Pat shallots dry on a paper towel and add to 1 cup of vegetable oil in a pot where the oil has been pre-heated to 350F and is hot.
• Cook shallots until golden, avoiding any overly dark coloration.
• Remove shallots from oil when they are just turning golden and reserve on paper towels to drain.
• As you take the shallots out of the oil to drain them, season them with salt.
• When you are ready to make the soup, add 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil you used to fry the shallots to the bottom of a soup pot and add the 10 remaining diced shallots and stalks of lemongrass.
• Cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent.
• Add the turmeric powder, coriander, and cumin.
• Cook for an additional five minutes, adding a splash of chicken stock if the onions get too dry.
• Add the kaffir lime leaves and chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
• Broil chicken pieces in the oven on parchment paper on a sheet tray until the chicken pieces have taken on some dark color, roughly 15 minutes.
• Once the chicken is lightly charred and has taken on dark color in some places, remove from oven and add to simmering soup.
• Season soup with lime juice, fish sauce, and salt & pepper is desired.
• Add the chopped cilantro and sliced mint to the soup, reserving a small amount of each for garnish at the end.
• Taste soup and adjust to add more lime or fish sauce if desired.
• Cook noodles according to directions written on Noodle packaging.
• Prepare soup bowls and ladle in soup, add glass noodles to each bowl.
• Garnish soup with hard-boiled eggs, cut in half, a large spoonful of cooked white rice, sambal oelek, and wedges of lime.