Soto Ayam
Bone-in chicken, rice vermicelli noodles and shallots come together in this Indonesian chicken — 65 minutes, 6 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Simmer the chicken in about 1.8 litres of water with a pinch of salt for 30 minutes, skimming any foam, then lift out the chicken and reserve the broth.
- Blend the shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger and candlenuts into a paste, then fry it in the oil for 5 to 6 minutes until fragrant along with the bruised lemongrass and torn lime leaves.
- Stir the fried spice paste back into the reserved broth and simmer gently for 15 minutes so the flavors infuse, seasoning with salt to taste.
- Shred the cooled chicken meat off the bone, discarding skin, and soak the rice vermicelli in hot water until soft, then drain.
- Briefly blanch the bean sprouts and halve the boiled eggs, ensuring the chicken is fully cooked to 74 C with clear juices and no pink at the bone before shredding.
- Divide the noodles, shredded chicken and bean sprouts among bowls, ladle over the hot golden broth, and top each with egg, fried shallots and a wedge of lime to squeeze in.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Saucepan · Blender
Ingredient substitutions
- Shallots
- ½ small onion + a little garlic
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
- Lime
- lemon
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
What to serve with Soto Ayam
- Bakso Beef
- Bubur Ayam Breakfast
- Dadar Gulung Dessert
- Gado-Gado Side
Tips & common questions
How long does Soto Ayam take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 15 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of shallots?
Try ½ small onion + a little garlic. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Soto Ayam is an original Indonesian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Soto Ayam - Rest Area KM 726B.jpg by Indonesiagood, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.