This Indonesian Tofu and Rice Noodle Soup is a vegan version of Soto Ayam - Indonesian chicken soup. It's a soup with a deep flavor and beautiful vibrant color! Plant-based and gluten-free.
This Indonesian Tofu and Rice Noodle Soup is a vegan version of Soto Ayam - Indonesian chicken soup.
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What is Soto Ayam?
Soto is a traditional Indonesian soup, usually composed of broth, meat, and vegetables.
Ayam, in Indonesian, means chicken.
So, Soto Ayam, is Indonesian Chicken Soup.
Soto became popular in Indonesia as foreigners visited the area for trade, and over time has been adapted to accommodate regional ingredient availability. The soup is commonly served when feeling under the weather, like people in the U.S. serve chicken noodle soup.
The veganized version uses tofu instead of chicken, but keeps many traditional elements like coconut milk, lemongrass, and a fresh spice paste.
Why I love this Vegan Indonesian Chicken and Rice Noodle Soup
- Dietary needs - this recipe is plant-based, oil-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free
- Vegan version of a traditional recipe - I love veganizing traditional recipes because many recipes like this are already full of flavor and just need a few tweaks to become plant-based
- Balanced soup - with carbohydrates from the rice noodles, protein from the tofu, and fat from the coconut milk, this soup has a great balance of macronutrients
- Beautiful color - anytime you use turmeric you're basically guaranteed to create a wonderful yellow color in your food. I absolutely love the soft yellow of this soup - your eyes eat too!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
This soup is two parts: a spice paste and the main soup ingredients.
This recipe has a lot of fresh ingredients, but I've included many substitutions in case you can't find something or want to use what you already have in your pantry.
Spice Paste
- Shallots: you could sub one small yellow onion.
- Garlic: fresh is best!
- Turmeric Root: turmeric is available at many grocery stores and it's actually very cheap. If you can't find it, sub one teaspoon of ground turmeric.
- Ginger: similar to turmeric, ginger is easily found at most grocery stores. Again, if you can't find it, sub 1 teaspoon ground ginger.
- Coriander Seeds: you could sub ¾ teaspoon ground coriander.
- Cumin Seeds: you could sub ¾ teaspoon ground cumin.
- Lime Juice: you could also use lemon juice.
Soup
- Rice Noodles: rice noodles are traditional in this recipe, so I recommend using them. Bonus: they are naturally gluten-free. If you're looking to add some extra protein, you could use bean-based pasta.
- Extra Firm Tofu: we're using tofu in this recipe as a sub for chicken. It's a great source of plant-based protein AND you don't have to cook it for half an hour like you would with chicken
- Lemongrass: you should be able to find fresh lemon grass at your local grocery store. If you can't find it you can add some lemon or lime zest. Or omit it all together.
- Coconut Milk: use coconut milk from the can, usually found in the Asian section.
- Vegetable Broth: look for a vegetable broth with no added sugar.
- Water
- Salt
- Toppings: Green Onions, Lime Wedges, Sesame Seeds, Bean Sprouts, etc.
How to make Indonesian Tofu and Rice Noodle Soup
Step 1. Blend the shallots, garlic, turmeric root, ginger root, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and lime juice in a food processor to create a spice paste.
Step 2. Heat a soup pot to medium-high heat. Add in the spice paste and cook 3-5 minutes, the paste will be very fragrant.
Step 3. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, lemongrass, water, and salt. Bring it to a boil. Add in the tofu cubes. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Step 4. In a separate pot, cook the rice noodles according to the package directions.
Step 5. Discard the lemongrass from the soup.
Step 6. Add the cooked noodles to a bowl, then add the tofu and broth. Top with scallions, bean sprouts, and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for flavorful recipes and plant-based versions of traditional foods. Thank you for food that nourishes our bodies. Amen.
More Asian inspired soups
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📖 Recipe
Indonesian Tofu and Rice Noodle Soup (Vegan Soto Ayam)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Medium Shallots peeled
- 3 Cloves Garlic peeled
- 1 1-inch piece Turmeric Root
- 1 2-inch piece Ginger peeled
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
- 8 Ounces Rice Noodles
- 1 14 Ounce Block Extra Firm Tofu cubed
- 2 Stalks Lemongrass
- 1 13.5 Ounce Can Coconut Milk
- 1 ½ Cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- Toppings: Green Onions, Lime Wedges, Sesame Seeds, Bean Sprouts, etc.
Instructions
- Blend the shallots, garlic, turmeric root, ginger root, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and lime juice in a food processor to create a spice paste.
- Heat a soup pot to medium-high heat. Add in the spice paste and cook 3-5 minutes, the paste will be very fragrant.
- Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, lemongrass, water, and salt. Bring it to a boil. Add in the tofu cubes. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
- In a separate pot, cook the rice noodles according to the package directions.
- Discard the lemongrass from the soup.
- Add the cooked noodles to a bowl, then add the tofu and broth. Top with scallions, bean sprouts, and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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