Classic German Chicken Soup

Method11 steps · about 2 hr 20 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Trim off the chicken tail if present. Put the chicken in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil.

   Uses 1 whole stewing chicken (about 3.3 lb; or equivalent thighs) · water to cover the chicken for initial blanching; discarded

2. 2

   Step 2: Cook the chicken for 5 minutes, then drain the water (9 cups), wash the chicken briefly, and refill pot with fresh water. Add the chicken back in.

   Blanch chicken before replacing water · 5 minUses 9 cups water

3. 3

   Step 3: Meanwhile, wash the soup vegetables. They should include carrots, celery root, leek, and parsley. Peel the celery and roughly chop everything. It doesn’t need to be in bite-sized pieces. Halve the onion (1) and chop one half finely, leaving the other half intact, including the skin (which gives a golden color).

   Uses 1 large bunch mixed soup vegetables (carrots, celery root, leeks and parsley) · 1 onion

4. 4

   Step 4: Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium. Add the soup vegetables, bay leaves (2), halved onion, and peppercorns (1 tsp).

   Uses 2 bay leaves · 1 tsp peppercorns · half the onion, skin left on · roughly chopped soup-vegetable bunch

5. 5

   Step 5: Let everything simmer together for at least 90 minutes; 2 hours is better. The chicken should be fully cooked.

   Simmer chicken soup · 90 minUses chicken in fresh water with soup vegetables, onion, bay and peppercorns

6. 6

   Step 6: In the meantime, cut the add-in carrots (2) into small, bite-sized pieces. Heat a frying pan, add a little oil or butter, and sauté the carrot pieces until they turn slightly brown. Add the chopped onion and sauté it as well. Set the pan aside. Cook the small pasta (3⅓ cups) according to the package instructions.

   Cook pasta · 10 minUses 2 carrots (for add-in) · remaining half onion, finely chopped · 3⅓ cups small pasta (such as fideo) · a little vegetable oil or butter, for frying carrots and onion

7. 7

   Step 7: After the cooking time, carefully remove the chicken from the soup; it should practically fall off the bone. Place it on a cutting board or plate until it cools slightly. Then, remove the meat from the bones and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

   Uses fully cooked chicken from the stock pot

8. 8

   Step 8: Add the sautéed carrot cubes and onion and let everything simmer for about 10 more minutes until the carrots are tender. Return the chicken meat back into the soup.

   Simmer carrots · 10 minUses broth retained after lifting out the cooked chicken · fried bite-size carrots and chopped half onion · picked cooked chicken meat cut into small pieces

9. 9

   Step 9: Season your chicken soup generously with salt (2 tsp) and pepper. Now add the cooked soup noodles and let them warm up in the hot soup. Remove the bay leaves.

   Uses 2 tsp salt · ground black pepper, to season the finished soup · small pasta cooked according to package directions · chicken broth with tender carrots, onion and cooked meat

10. 10

    Step 10: Serve now, or cool and refrigerate the soup for a few hours or overnight to let the flavours develop. Reheat thoroughly before serving.

    Uses finished chicken soup with noodles

11. 11

    Step 11: Before serving, chop the remaining parsley finely and add it to the soup.

    Uses 1 handful parsley, for garnish · finished chicken soup, reheated if refrigerated