Homemade chicken broth is the only foundation for traditional Polish chicken noodle soup, rosół. Nourish your soul with this healthy chicken soup.
There is nothing like mom’s chicken soup to make you feel better when you’re sick and my mom’s Polish chicken noodle soup, called Rosół, is the best! Made with homemade chicken stock from scratch it has all the health benefits that your grandma’s grandma knew about best.
It’s very simple to make chicken broth from scratch you just need a little time and patience. But don’t worry, chicken stock doesn’t take nearly as long as a broth to make. The biggest difference between chicken stock and broth is that broth tends to be thinner and is made with meat and vegetables. Whereas chicken stock is cooked on bones and for a much longer time.
Since we like to keep it simple we like to stick to the broth. And if you use bone-in chicken you can still get that gelatinous texture that’s so sought after in a stock.
Preparing Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (Rosół)
Ingredients
Meat
Chicken drumsticks: Drumsticks are the perfect cut of chicken because they are almost fully encased in the skin. Since shake and bake take crispy chicken skin to the next level you want as much of it on the chicken as possible.
Produce
Garlic: Garlic is a bulb that is edible and is grown in soil. Though the green shoots it sprouts, called garlic scapes, are also edible, we are referring to the actual bulb that the scapes grow from. Garlic bulbs are made up of multiple cloves and depending on the variety you may have anywhere from 4 to 10 cloves, if not more. This is important to know because recipes will often call for a specific number of cloves which can vary in size greatly.
Parsley: Parsley is a dark green herb that is used as a garnish or as a flavouring. The two varieties that are most common are flat-leaf and curly parsley. They are very similar in flavour however their leaves and texture are different. As the names suggest, flat-leaf parsley has flat leaves that are very similar to cilantro, whereas curly parsley has rougher and curly-looking leaves. Both are very rich in vitamins C and K and antioxidants, among other nutrients.
Carrot: This root vegetable is slightly sweet, bright and filled with vitamin A and fibre. Baby-cut carrots are just smaller pieces cut from a larger carrot. Carrots are rich in potassium, fiber and vitamin C and antioxidants.
Celery: Celery is made up of a long stalk that has leaves at the top. Celery is packed with fiber is a very common vegetable used in many cuisines. It has a very distinct earthy flavour.
Onion: Onion is a very common vegetable that is used both raw and cooked in food preparation. It has a sharp flavour raw that often sweetens once cooked. There are many varieties of onions, some that are milder than others. We use the common onion or yellow onion in this recipe.
Pantry
Maggi Seasoning: Add umami flavour to your soups, stews and sauces with this flavour enhancer. Made up of fermented wheat and some added flavours this seasoning is a must in every kitchen.
How to Make Chicken Broth for Polish Chicken Noodle Soup
The recipe is simple but does require some patience. To make the most delicious broth you have to let it simmer.
Step 1: Make Chicken Broth from Scratch
Start by adding water to a large soup pot and then set it to boil on medium heat.
Now, prep the veggies. Wash the celery and peel the carrot, garlic and onion. Cut the celery stalks, carrots and onion in half just to fit in the pot better. We don’t need to fuss with any chopping.
Grab your herbs and if you want you can tie them together with twine or a thread to keep them in a neater bunch. I never do this since I strain the broth later anyway.
Once the water starts to steam a little, add the raw chicken, and all the veggies and herbs to the pot.
When the soup starts to boil, turn down the heat to low and cook for 60 minutes, longer if you have the time.
Once cooked, remove all the herbs and veggies using tongs. Be very careful!
For a very clear broth, strain the broth through a strainer into a smaller pot.
The Stock is Ready!
You can stop here and have a fresh batch of chicken broth from scratch. Once the strained broth cools divide it into mason jars or ice cube trays.
TIP: If you have or recently had babies in the house, baby food storage containers that are freezer-safe are perfect for this. The key is to know the measurement of how much you are freezing so you know how much you need to defrost for your next recipe.
Step 2: Turn stock into Polish Chicken Noodle Soup or Rosół
Once you have strained the broth into a smaller pot, it’s time to add a little seasoning. Add the salt and a pinch of pepper to the pot, and Maggi seasoning if you have it. You can also add the carrot back to the pot. I like to cut it into smaller chunks but traditionally it’s not necessary to have it finely chopped for serving.
To cook the noodles, in a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil, and follow the package instructions. Once boiling add the noodles and cook until cooked through. Once again, according to package instructions. Mine take only 3-4 minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
Vegetables: There are different root vegetables that you can add including celery root, parsnips or turnips. For varying flavour profiles you can add ginger root, turmeric root, or fennel.
Chicken Drumsticks: Instead of chicken drumsticks you can use any bone-in chicken or even the carcass of a rotisserie chicken.
Serving Polish Chicken Noodle Soup
Strain the noodles then divide them into 4 servings. Add one serving of noodles per bowl and pour 2 cups of stock over the noodles. You can also add a carrot to the bowl. Then, all you need is some freshly chopped parsley and your Polish chicken noodle soup or Rosół is ready to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to make homemade vegetable broth from scratch?
Naturally, you will need to skip the chicken. To increase the flavour profile of your stock double the veggies and try adding some additional varieties of root vegetables as suggested in the substitutions section above. You can season with salt, pepper and Maggi as suggested to add even more flavour.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Chicken Broth for Polish Chicken Noodle Soup (Rosół)
Equipment
- Large soup pot
- Small soup pot (optional)
- Medium saucepan
- Strainer (optional)
- Peeling knife (optional)
- Knife
Ingredients
Chicken Stock:
- 6 chicken drumsticks rotisserie chicken carcass/bone-in thighs/2 chicken legs
- 8 cups water
- 3 garlic cloves
- Bunch of leafy Herbs parsley, lovage, thyme (optional)
- 1 large carrot
- 1-2 stalks celery
- 1 onion
Rosół or Polish Chicken Noodle Soup:
- 1 tsp salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- ½ tsp Maggi seasoning optional
- 1 cup thin egg noodles
- Fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Add water to the pot and set the water to boil.8 cups water
- Next, prep the veggies. Wash the celery and peel the carrot, garlic and onion. Cut the celery stalks, carrots and onion in half just to fit in the pot better.1 large carrot, 1-2 stalks celery, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves
- Grab your herbs and if you want you can tie them together with twine or a thread for easier removal.Bunch of leafy Herbs
- Once the water starts to steam a little, add the chicken or chicken bones, all the veggies and herbs.6 chicken drumsticks
- When the soup starts to boil gently turn down the heat to low and cook for 60 minutes, longer if you have the time.
- Once cooked, remove all the herbs and veggies using tongs. For a very clear broth, strain the soup through a strainer into a smaller pot.
- To make Polish Noodle Soup (or Rosół), add 1 tsp of salt and a pinch of pepper. Also, add the carrot pack to the pot. I like to cut it into smaller chunks but traditionally it’s not finely chopped for serving.1 tsp salt, Pinch of ground black pepper, ½ tsp Maggi seasoning
- In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Once boiling add the noodles and cook according to package instructions. Mine take only 3-4 minutes. Strain the noodles, add ¼ per serving to a bowl and pour 2 cups of stock over the noodles. You can also add a carrot to the bowl.1 cup thin egg noodles, Fresh parsley
