A direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a turbulent temporally evolving non-premixed air/ethylene jet, specifically designed for soot oxidation, is presented in this work. The performed DNS is currently the largest available data set on soot formation and consumption in a turbulent environment. In addition, it is the first large-scale simulation to cover the later stages of soot evolution. A detailed description of the soot evolution, with a particular focus on soot oxidation, is provided. Contributions from both OH radicals and molecular oxygen to the soot particles’ depletion and their distribution in mixture fraction space are analyzed. In addition, an assessment of existing subfilter models to account for soot-gas phase interaction, particularly relevant for soot oxidation, is performed, and possible improvements are inferred.