Sayur Sop, Indonesian Clear Vegetable Soup
Sayur sop is the clear, brothy vegetable soup found on Indonesian home tables every day, a legacy of Dutch soup crossed with local aromatics. It is deliberately plain: potato, carrot, cabbage, and beans in a light broth, the whole thing lifted by white pepper and a scrape of fresh nutmeg that is the dish's defining note. There is no coconut here, which is what separates sayur sop from the richer sayur lodeh, and no oil either, since the shallot and garlic base is sweated in water. A no-salt bouillon plus the natural sweetness of the roots carries the seasoning, keeping the sodium low. Cook the vegetables in order of density so each keeps its texture, and add the delicate aromatics off the heat. Serve it in a shallow bowl over brown rice.
Ingredients
- 3 Shallots, sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic, smashed
- 1 tbsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
- 2 Potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 Carrots (cooking)s, sliced into coins
- 1 1/2 cups Green beans, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths
- 3 cups green cabbage, cut into wide pieces
- 2 stalks Celery, sliced, leaves reserved
- 1/2 tsp White pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
- 2 Scallions, sliced
Method
- Sweat the shallots and garlic in 1/4 cup (60 ml) water in a pot until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Cooking them in water rather than oil still builds the sweet aromatic base the broth is built on, without any fat.
- Add 6 cups (1.4 L) water, the bouillon, potatoes, and carrots and simmer 12 to 15 minutes until the potato is nearly tender. Starting the dense roots first means everything finishes at once instead of the beans going to mush while the potato is still hard.
- Add the green beans, cabbage, and sliced celery and cook just 5 minutes more, so the cabbage keeps a little bite and the broth stays clear rather than clouding into a stew.
- Off the heat, stir in the white pepper, nutmeg, scallion, and celery leaves. The freshly grated nutmeg is the quiet signature of Indonesian sayur sop, a warmth you notice only if it is missing, so grate it fresh and add it last so it does not cook away.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 90 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber, 55 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
