Chicken Soup – Mutti’s Lovely Recipe
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
A nourishing, clear chicken soup made with tender chicken, finely diced vegetables and a delicate savoury egg custard. A traditional German-style recipe that is light, comforting and full of flavour.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Broth
- 1 whole chicken, (about 1.2–1.5 kg)
- 2 litres water, (8 cups)
- ½-1 tsp salt
- few parsley stems
For the Soup Vegetables
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- 1 small leek, finely diced and washed
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 small cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 400g)
For the Savoury Custard (Optional)
- 2 eggs
- 125 ml milk, ½ cup
- Pinch salt
- Pinch nutmeg
For the Soup
- 2-3 chicken stock cubes or 2–3 tsp chicken stock powder, to taste
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup small soup noodles, (or up to ½ cup if you prefer more) or broken gluten-free pasta, cooked separately
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Instructions
Make the Chicken Broth
- Place the whole chicken into a large pot.
- Add the water, salt and parsley stems.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and cover (or leave lid slightly ajar).
- Simmer gently for about 1½ hours, or up to 2½ hours for a larger chicken.
Make the Savoury Custard (Optional)
- In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and nutmeg until smooth.
- Pour into a lightly buttered dish and place in a slightly larger pan. Pour warm water into the larger pan so it comes halfway up the sides of the buttered dish.
- Bake at 160°C conventional / 140°C fan / 320°F for 25–30 minutes, until set.
- Cool, then refrigerate. Once firm, cut into small cubes.
Prepare the Vegetables
- Finely dice the carrot, celery, leek and onion.
- Cut the cauliflower into very small florets. Keep the stalks and any leftovers for another use.
- Keep all vegetables roughly the same size.
Prepare Noodles and Parsley
- Cook the noodles separately in salted water until al dente.
- Rinse under cold water and set aside.
- Finely chop the parsley.
Strain the Broth
- Remove the chicken carefully from the pot.
- Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve (optionally lined with a clean cloth) into a clean pot.
Prepare the Chicken
- Remove the breast meat from the chicken.
- Discard skin and bones (reserve legs/wings for another use).
- Chop the chicken into small pieces.
Finish the Soup
- Bring the strained broth back to a gentle boil.
- Add 2 stock cubes or 2 teaspoons of stock powder, then taste and adjust with more if needed.
- Add the chopped chicken and the prepared vegetables (except for the parsley).
- Simmer for about 15 minutes, until vegetables are just tender, (the carrot should be cooked through).
Final Additions
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper.
- Add the cooked noodles, custard cubes and chopped parsley.
- Bring back to the boil and simmer gently for a further 2 minutes.
Serve
- Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
- Garnish with extra parsley if desired.
Notes
- The savoury custard can be cooked in different ways. As shown, it can be baked gently in a water bath in the oven or cooked on the stovetop in a water bath. It can also be placed in a sealed bag and gently simmered in water, which is how my mother-in-law prepares it. It is traditional and adds a lovely surprise, but is entirely optional.
- The custard will be quite delicate when first made, but once added to the hot soup, it firms up slightly.
- For better flavour, use an organic or free-range chicken if possible.
- Traditionally, only the white meat (the breast) is used for a lighter, more delicate soup. You can also use more of the chicken if you prefer — it will give a slightly richer flavour while still keeping the soup lovely and light.