Polish National Dishes

Rosół z makaronem: Polish chicken soup with fine noodles

This clear golden chicken broth is served with fine egg noodles, tender carrot and a little shredded chicken. Rosół is a familiar Polish soup for Sunday and holiday meals, though recipes vary in their meats, vegetables, seasonings and accompaniments.

Polish National Dishes
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A wide view of „Rosół z makaronem: Polish chicken soup with fine noodles“ arranged on a table for serving.
Yield 6 servings, about 2.1 L broth
Portions 6, each with about 350 mL broth, 40 g dry noodles, carrot and 70 g chicken
Difficulty moderate
Dish type poultry soup with wheat-and-egg noodles; contains wheat/gluten and egg
Ingredients ↓
About the dish

Rosół z makaronem: Polish chicken soup with fine noodles

Rosół is a clear Polish meat-and-vegetable broth. A chicken version served with thin noodles is a familiar home and restaurant preparation, often associated with Sunday or holiday meals. The broth is kept clear by bringing it slowly to a gentle simmer and avoiding a hard boil; noodles are commonly cooked separately so their starch does not cloud the soup.

This practical chicken-forward version uses bone-in chicken pieces, root vegetables, leek, onion and a restrained set of spices. The broth is strained and served with fine egg noodles, slices of the cooked carrot and a modest amount of the cooked chicken. Rosół varies: some versions combine meats, while others use different vegetables, herbs, seasonings or accompaniments. This recipe presents one home-style version rather than a universal formula.

Keys to success

Keys to success

  • Start the chicken in cold water and bring it up to a gentle simmer gradually; a rolling boil can break up the meat and make the broth cloudy.
  • Skim the surface as the broth warms, then keep the pot at a quiet simmer while the chicken cooks through.
  • Brown the cut side of the onion in a dry skillet for a deeper golden color and savory aroma.
  • Cook the fine noodles in a separate pan and drain them well; this helps keep the clear broth clean-tasting.
  • Check the thickest chicken pieces with a food thermometer and make sure they reach 74 °C / 165 °F before serving.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Broth

  • 3 L cold water
  • 1.2 kg bone-in chicken pieces, such as thighs and wings, kept refrigerated until use
  • 120 g carrot, scrubbed; reserve one cooked carrot for serving
  • 100 g parsley root, scrubbed
  • 100 g celeriac, peeled
  • 100 g leek, white and pale-green parts, rinsed
  • 100 g onion, halved
  • 8 g garlic, lightly crushed
  • 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley stems
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 allspice berries
  • 1 g whole black peppercorns
  • 10 g fine salt, divided and adjusted to taste

To serve

  • 240 g thin dried egg noodles
  • Cooked chicken picked from the broth, about 420 g total or 70 g per serving
  • One reserved cooked carrot, sliced
Method

Method

Directions

  1. Start the chicken in cold water.Place the chilled chicken pieces in a large stockpot and pour in 3 L cold water. Bring it slowly toward a very gentle simmer, skimming any foam that rises. Do not let the broth boil vigorously.

  2. Prepare and add the vegetables.While the chicken warms, brown the cut faces of the onion halves in a dry skillet. Once the chicken begins to simmer, add the browned onion, carrot, parsley root, celeriac, leek, garlic, parsley stems, bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns and 8 g of the salt.

  3. Simmer until the chicken is cooked.Partially cover the pot and maintain a bare simmer for about 110–120 minutes, skimming as needed. Check the thickest chicken piece with a food thermometer; it must reach at least 74 °C / 165 °F. Remove a piece once it is safely cooked if it begins to dry, and let the remaining broth continue to simmer with the bones for flavor.

  4. Strain and season the broth.Lift out the chicken and vegetables. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, let it settle briefly, and skim excess surface fat if you prefer. Taste and adjust with the remaining measured salt. Aim for about 2.1 L finished broth; add a little hot water if evaporation reduces the amount.

  5. Prepare the chicken and carrot.When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken meat from the bones and divide about 420 g among six servings. Reserve one cooked carrot and slice it. Keep the cooked chicken and carrot refrigerated if you are not serving the soup promptly.

  6. Cook the noodles separately.Bring a separate saucepan of water to a boil. Cook 240 g thin egg noodles according to the package directions until tender. Drain well. Do not cook the noodles in the broth; keeping them separate helps the rosół stay clear.

  7. Assemble and serve.Divide the noodles, chicken and sliced carrot among six warm bowls. Ladle about 350 mL hot clear rosół into each serving and serve immediately.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

  • The broth turns cloudyLower the heat to a bare simmer, avoid stirring, skim foam as it rises and strain the broth carefully.
  • The broth tastes weakContinue a gentle simmer with the bones, then taste and adjust the measured salt gradually.
  • The broth is greasyLet it settle and skim the surface; chilling it makes the solidified fat easier to remove.
  • The chicken becomes dryCheck doneness with a thermometer and remove individual pieces once they reach 74 °C / 165 °F rather than leaving them in the pot for the full simmer.
  • The noodles make the soup cloudyCook and drain them separately, then portion them into bowls just before adding the broth.
Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Serving sizeabout 350 mL broth, 40 g dry egg noodles, carrot and 70 g cooked chicken
  • Caloriesabout 400 kcal
  • Carbohydratesabout 31 g
  • Proteinabout 32 g
  • Fatabout 16 g
  • Fibreabout 3 g
  • Sodiumabout 850 mg

Values are estimates for one-sixth of the batch. The actual nutrition varies with the chicken cut and edible yield, how much fat is skimmed, the noodles and their sodium content, and the salt used.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Serving, storage and make-ahead: Serve about 350 mL hot broth with 40 g dry-weight noodles, carrot and approximately 70 g cooked chicken per person. You can prepare the broth ahead and store it separately from the noodles and chicken. Reheat the broth until steaming hot; heat the chicken to 74 °C / 165 °F before serving.

Serving, storage and make-ahead: Cool leftover broth, chicken, vegetables and noodles promptly in separate shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep them at 4 °C or colder and use within 3–4 days. Reheat the soup and chicken to 74 °C / 165 °F. Freeze portions promptly for longer storage, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat until steaming hot.

This recipe contains wheat (gluten) and egg in the noodles; check the package for other ingredients and cross-contact statements. Keep raw chicken, its packaging and utensils separate from ready-to-eat food. Wash hands, tools and work surfaces after handling raw poultry. Cook chicken to at least 74 °C / 165 °F, measured in the thickest pieces with a food thermometer. Cool broth, chicken and noodles promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store at 4 °C or colder, use within 3–4 days and reheat chicken and soup to 74 °C / 165 °F.

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