Entree: Suriname – Northern Culinary Region – Saoto Soup (Hearty Javanese-Surinamese chicken and noodle soup with aromatic spiced broth and fried toppings)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 1 hr

Total 1 hr 25 min

Ingredients

- 1 whole chicken, approx. 3 lb (1.4 kg)
- 12 cups (2.8 L) water
- 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground turmeric or 1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh turmeric, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 shallots, peeled
- 1 tsp (2 g) coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce
- 1 tsp (5 ml) salt, plus more to taste
- 8 oz (225 g) rice vermicelli
- 8 oz (225 g) bean sprouts, rinsed
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed, about 10 oz (300 g)
- 4 large eggs (for boiling)
- 1/2 cup (50 g) fried shallots (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/2 cup (70 g) roasted peanuts
- 1/4 cup (30 g) dried shrimp, toasted (for koya)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sambal oelek or to taste
- 1/2 cup (10 g) chopped fresh cilantro or celery leaves
- 4 lime wedges
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil (for frying spice paste and koya)

Instructions

1. Place the whole chicken, water, bruised lemongrass, sliced ginger, turmeric, coriander seeds, and bay leaves in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 40–50 minutes until the chicken is tender.
2. Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs (10 minutes), cool, peel, and set aside. Soak the rice vermicelli according to package directions, drain and keep warm. Blanch bean sprouts briefly in boiling water (30 seconds) and drain.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot. Strain the broth into a clean pot and discard solids. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken meat and discard bones and skin. Reserve shredded chicken.
4. In a small skillet, heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil over medium heat. Sauté chopped garlic and shallots (from the ingredient list) until soft and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the soy sauce and fish sauce, then stir into the strained broth. Add the cubed potatoes to the broth and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10–12 minutes.
5. Make the koya: in a food processor pulse roasted peanuts and toasted dried shrimp with 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil and a pinch of salt until coarse crumbs form. Alternatively, finely chop and mix by hand. Set aside.
6. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with salt, sambal, and extra soy sauce if needed. Keep the broth hot.
7. To assemble: divide the soaked vermicelli among 4 bowls. Top each with a portion of shredded chicken (from the whole chicken), a few cubes of potato, some blanched bean sprouts, and one halved hard-boiled egg.
8. Ladle hot broth over each bowl to cover the ingredients. Garnish with fried shallots, a generous sprinkle of koya (peanut-shrimp crumb), chopped cilantro/celery leaves, and a lime wedge. Serve sambal on the side for extra heat.
9. Serve immediately, allowing each diner to squeeze lime and stir in sambal to taste.