Indonesian Turmeric Chicken Soup (Soto Ayam)

Soto ayam gets its color and much of its character from turmeric, ground into a paste with shallots, garlic, and candlenut and simmered with the chicken until the whole broth turns a deep golden yellow. Every region in Indonesia seems to have its own version, but the warm, aromatic base is what they all share.

Turmeric and the other aromatics here — lemongrass, lime leaf, ginger — are part of the reason a soup like this often gets reached for by people managing joint stiffness or general inflammation, and simmering a whole chicken in the broth keeps the meat lean while giving the soup real body. Bean sprouts and a boiled egg round it into a full, satisfying meal.

Squeeze fresh lime over the top right before eating — that last bit of acidity is what makes the golden broth really sing.