Rosol is a well-knownย Polish chicken soup;ย this is a basic recipe for a clear chicken soup with noodles and vegetables.ย
Rosol is the Polish version of a basic, healthy, and flavorful chicken soup.
Like probably every other country in the world Poland has its own version of a basic, homemade chicken soup, which isn't actually very different than most of the other โnationalโ chicken soups you might know. At least, this Polish soup is not very different from the German chicken soup that my mother-in-law makes or from the Romanian chicken soup that I make.
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Recipe ingredients
Chicken: You'll need a whole chicken or various parts like the backbone, neck, and wings. It's ideal to use roasted chicken bones leftover from a roast chicken or chicken legs.
Whenever I roast a chicken or chicken parts, I save the bones by cleaning them and freezing them. I also remove the back part of chicken legs and keep it for soup. Next time you make chicken soup or stock, add these roasted bones and scraps, along with fresh chicken parts, like a leg or two, to the pot.
Vegetables: I always have carrots in the fridge and onions in the pantry. You will also need a piece of celeriac or 2-3 celery stalks and leeks.
Parsley stems are optional but great. I have parsley in my garden, and whenever I use the leaves, I save the stems in a freezer bag. During winter, when I buy large parsley bunches from the Turkish store, I do the same. I add a handful of parsley stems to the stock each time I make it.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How long does it take to cook rosol?
The longer you cook the chicken and vegetables, the more flavorful the stock will be. For a light soup like Polish rosรณล, I cook the chicken for about an hour and a half.
For a stronger chicken stock, my favorite, I let it simmer for several hours. I start early in the morning and finish by late afternoon or evening. By simmering slowly, the stock develops a deep flavor that can't be matched by store-bought options or stock cubes.
Try more chicken soups: Mexican Chicken Soup with Chickpeas, Potato Dumpling Soup, Chicken Cauliflower Soup, or Asparagus Chicken Noodle Soup.
How to store and reheat?
Refrigerate rosol without noodles in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze it for 3-4 months.
Refrigerate leftovers with pasta for 2-3 days. The pasta will absorb more liquid over time, so add more stock when reheating to make the dish soupier.
Polish Chicken Soup - Rosol Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 chicken quarters Note 1
- some roasted chicken bones if available, Note 2
- 10 black peppercorns
- 6 juniper corns
- 4 cloves
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 10 ยฝ cups water 2 ยฝ liter
- 2 carrots large
- 2 pieces celeriac about 100 g/ 3.5 oz or 3-4 celery sticks
- 1 leek or a bunch of spring onion greens
- 1 onion
- a handful of parsley stems or 1 smallish parsley root
- 5.5 oz thin noodles 150 g
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- some fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Cook chicken parts: Place the chicken quarters, bones, some salt, pepper, and all the spices in a large pot. Cover them with plenty of water. Slowly bring to a boil, immediately turn down the heat to keep the soup from boiling, and let simmer for about 45 minutes. Skim the foam.3 chicken quarters + some roasted chicken bones + 10 black peppercorns + 6 juniper corns + 4 cloves + 3-4 bay leaves + 10 ยฝ cups water/ 2ยฝ liter + salt + pepper
- Prepare the vegetables: Peel and halve the carrots. Cut the halves lengthwise as well. If the carrots are smaller, use more of them and only halve them or leave them whole. Cut the celeriac and the leek into two or three large pieces. Halve the onion.2 carrots + 2 pieces celeriac + 1 leek + 1 onion + a handful of parsley stems
- Add vegetables: After 45 minutes, add the vegetables and some salt to the pot. Continue simmering the soup for another 30 or 40 minutes or until the carrots are cooked to your liking.
- Finish the soup: Strain the stock and keep the carrots and the chicken quarters. Remove the skin and the bones of the chicken and cut the meat into small pieces. Discard the bones and the rest of the vegetables and spices. Return the carrots and the meat back to the stock. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.fine sea salt and black pepper
- Add noodles: When ready to serve bring the soup to a boil and cook the noodles in it according to the packet's instructions. Serve immediately. You could cook the noodles separately and add them to the soup just before serving.5.5 oz thin noodles/ 150 g + some fresh parsley to garnish
Notes
- Chicken: You can also use a small chicken.ย
- Leftover roasted chicken bones add flavor, but if you donโt have them, you can skip them. I always freeze leftover bones from roast chicken to use later in making stock.
mjskitchen says
With the huge flu season we're having worldwide this year, every household should have a pot of this soup sitting on the stove. Delicious!
Sissi says
It's true that chicken soups are so similar around the world, yet so different.... Your soup looks wonderful! And it's so useful as a basis for other soups!
I prepare my own chicken stock/soup regularly, as soon as I run out of it in my freezer. I don't remember the last time I had a chicken stock cube, actually.
Adina says
Me neither, Sissi, it must be years. I use some good (and unfortunately expensive) vegetable broth paste from time to time, but not often, one packet of it is enough for almost half a year. ๐ Nothing beats a good homemade stock.
allie says
I love a hearty chicken soup like this, Adina. It's good advice to save chicken bones to make stock. I do that too. We especially have soups like this when we've had a big holiday meal and cooked a chicken or turkey. Thanks for all the great tips, like freezing the parsley stems. I confess- I've been pitching those, but every little bit helps. Good to be prepared. Hope you're having a great new year. xo
Adina says
Hi Allie, I also gather all the holiday bones, so to say. The first time I asked my mother-in-law for her roasted goose bones, she thought I was kidding and when she realized I wasn't she probably thought I was crazy, she would not even give the bare bones to her dog, unless they still have meat on them... But there is no better stock, than the one containing some roasted bones as well.