Hungarian Chicken Soup with Vegetables

🇭🇺 Hungarian Chicken Soup with Vegetables

A comforting Hungarian-style chicken soup with tender chicken, carrots, parsley root, celery, potatoes, and aromatic spices. Perfect for a hearty family meal.

Ingredients

• Chicken with bones — 1 kg (thighs, legs, or a whole chicken)
• Water — 2.5–3 litres
• Carrots — 3, peeled and cut into chunks
• Parsnips/parsley roots — 2, cut into chunks
• Celery stalk — 2, chopped
• Onion — 1 large, peeled
• Garlic — 3 cloves
• Potatoes — 2–3, peeled and cubed
• Bell pepper — 1
• Tomato — 1
• Fresh parsley — ½ cup, chopped
• Black peppercorns — 8–10
• Bay leaves — 2
• Salt — to taste
• Hungarian paprika — 1 tsp (optional)
• Vegetable oil — 1 tbsp

Method

1. Prepare the chicken: Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring slowly to a boil.

2. Remove the foam: As the water begins to simmer, skim off the foam that rises to the surface. This helps keep the broth clear.

3. Add aromatics: Add the whole onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and a little salt.

4. Simmer: Reduce the heat to very low and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes. Avoid vigorous boiling.

5. Add vegetables: Add carrots, parsley roots/parsnips, celery, bell pepper, tomato, and potatoes.

6. Continue cooking gently for another 30–40 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are cooked but not mushy.

7. Remove the chicken and vegetables carefully. Taste the broth and adjust the salt. If using paprika, stir it in during the final few minutes.

8. Remove the chicken from the bones and return the meat to the soup, or serve the chicken pieces separately.

9. Finish with plenty of fresh chopped parsley.

🍲 Serving

Serve piping hot with the vegetables and chicken in each bowl. Traditionally, Hungarian chicken soup is also delicious with fine egg noodles or homemade noodles.

Tip: For a beautifully clear Hungarian-style broth, keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil and don’t stir it too much while cooking.