A golden, slow-simmered chicken broth with thin egg noodles and fresh dill — Poland's classic Sunday soup, rosół.
Rosół is Poland's answer to chicken soup, a clear, deeply flavorful broth built from a whole chicken (or chicken pieces) simmered slowly for hours with root vegetables, leek and a bundle of fresh herbs, traditionally served as the first course of Sunday dinner. The broth's clarity and depth are the whole point — achieved through a long, gentle simmer that's never allowed to boil hard, which would cloud the liquid and make it greasy rather than clean-tasting. The technique that separates a properly made rosół from a mediocre one is skimming the surface diligently during the first 20-30 minutes of simmering, removing the grey foam that rises as the chicken releases impurities, which is what keeps the finished broth golden and clear rather than cloudy. Root vegetables — carrot, parsnip, celery root and leek — go in whole or in large pieces so they infuse the broth without breaking down and clouding it, then get strained out or served alongside as a garnish. Served with thin homemade egg noodles (kluski) or fine vermicelli, and a generous scatter of fresh dill, rosół remains the most traditional opening course of a Polish Sunday dinner, valued as much for its restorative, simple comfort as for its deep, patiently built flavor.
Serves 6
Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a bare simmer slowly over medium-low heat.
As the water heats, skim off the grey foam that rises to the surface, continuing for the first 20-30 minutes.
Diligent skimming is what keeps the broth clear and golden rather than cloudy — don't rush past this step.
Once skimmed clean, add carrots, parsnip, celery root, leek, charred onion, bay leaves and peppercorns.
Simmer very gently, never at a rolling boil, for 2-2.5 hours until the broth is deeply flavorful and the chicken is falling off the bone.
Strain the broth, discarding the solids or reserving the vegetables and shredded chicken meat for garnish. Season with salt.
Cook egg noodles separately according to package directions. Divide noodles into bowls, ladle hot broth over, and scatter with fresh dill.
Never let the broth boil hard — a bare, gentle simmer is essential for keeping it clear rather than cloudy and greasy.
Skim the foam diligently in the first 30 minutes; this single habit is what separates a golden, clean broth from a murky one.
Cook noodles separately from the broth and add them to the bowl just before serving, so they don't turn mushy from sitting in the hot liquid.
Add chicken feet or wings to the pot for an even richer, more gelatinous broth.
Use homemade thin egg noodle dough (kluski) instead of store-bought noodles for the most traditional version.
Serve with the shredded chicken and cooked vegetables added back into the bowl for a heartier meal.
Refrigerate the strained broth up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Store noodles separately and add fresh to each bowl when reheating, since they turn soft and mushy if stored in the broth.
Rosół has been a central dish in Polish home cooking for generations, traditionally served as the first course of Sunday dinner, a tradition still widely observed across the country. The careful, patient technique of simmering gently and skimming diligently to achieve a clear, golden broth reflects broader Central and Eastern European clear-soup traditions, prized for both their flavor and perceived restorative qualities.
This almost always comes from either boiling the broth too vigorously, which emulsifies fat into the liquid, or not skimming off the foam thoroughly during the first 20-30 minutes of cooking — both keeping the heat low and skimming diligently are essential.
Yes — a mix of bone-in thighs, wings and a carcass or backs works well and can even give a richer broth than a whole chicken alone, since more bones generally means more gelatin and flavor.
Cooking noodles directly in the broth causes them to release starch and turn the clear soup cloudy, and they also become mushy if left sitting in hot liquid — cooking them separately and adding them fresh to each bowl keeps both the broth and noodles at their best texture.
Per serving (350g / 12.3 oz) · 6 servings total
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