Saoto Soup (Saoto)
Overview
Saoto is the best-known soup of Suriname, a clear, fragrant chicken broth served with a pile of toppings. The chicken is simmered with garlic, ginger, lemongrass and bay leaves until the broth is golden, then the meat is shredded. Each bowl is built from glass noodles or rice, bean sprouts, shredded chicken and half a boiled egg, and the hot broth is ladled over. Crisp fried potato sticks and fried onion go on top, with celery leaves and a little sweet soy sauce. Sambal is served on the side so each person can make it as hot as they like. It is eaten at home, at markets and in the many warung eateries of Paramaribo.
History
Saoto came to Suriname with the Javanese workers who were brought to the Dutch colony from 1890 to work on the plantations. It is their version of soto, the spiced broth soups of Indonesia, and over time it changed with local ingredients such as fried potato sticks. Today saoto is eaten by Surinamese of every background, and it is also very popular in the Netherlands, where many Surinamese families live.
Main ingredients
Chicken, bean sprouts, glass noodles, boiled egg, fried potato sticks, fried onion. The soup is built on spiced chicken broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Chicken soups · Potato soups · Noodle soups · Egg soups
Recipe
Method
- 11 h
Simmer the chicken with the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, bay leaves and salt in 2.5 l water for 1 hour.
- 2
Lift out the chicken, shred the meat and strain the broth.
- 3
Put noodles, bean sprouts, chicken and half an egg in each bowl.
- 4
Ladle over the hot broth and top with potato sticks, fried onion and celery leaves.
- 5
Serve with sweet soy sauce and sambal on the side.
- ✓
Serve. About 1h 20m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
