Soto Ayam is a yellow-coloured spiced chicken soup that is commonly found in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. It is typically served with ketupat (rice dumpling), noodles or vermicelli and can be enjoyed as any meal of the day.
A new coffee shop opened in my neighbourhood recently and I tried the Malay stall for lunch one day. Ordered their Soto Ayam which looked good but tasted horribly sweet. Did they mistake salt for sugar? 😐 I was sorely disappointed by that Soto Ayam but was also inspired to make it as I hadn’t cooked anything like that for a long, long time.
A Healthier Version of Soto Ayam
Here’s my version of Soto Ayam. 😉 Taste wise, it is not quite the same as what is sold outside but I really like this a lot as it is fragrantly spiced yet not heavy on the palates. Overall, it’s healthier too as the soup is not oily yet it’s so hearty and comforting. Give it a try! 🙂
- 300g cooked chicken breast meat, shredded
- 4 portions of cooked vermicelli
- 1.25 litre chicken stock
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1″ x 1″ knob galangal, sliced
- 3 stalks lemongrass, bruised
- 1 red onion, peeled & diced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
- 15g turmeric root, peeled & minced
- 2 bird’s eye chillies, thinly sliced
- 120ml low fat evaporated milk
- 2 tsp olive oil
- salt to taste
- coriander leaves & chopped spring onions as garnish
- 2 limes, halved
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- blanched bean sprouts