Rosół (Chicken and Beef) Noodle Soup

• 2 kg Gravy Beef (or 2kg Chuck)

• 2 pieces Chicken Maryland

• 2 carrots, peeled

• 1 leek

• sea salt

• ground black pepper

• half bunch of continental parsley

• dill (for serving)

• Egg noodles (for serving)

Pronunciation

Rosół : ro soow

Background

All Polish children have been brought up on their Mums and their Babcia’s “rosół”. Rosół is chicken stock served with egg noodles and dill. I add beef to give the stock more flavour and a darker colour. Some people use Duck instead of chicken for the rosół and this also results in a stronger flavour.

Regardless, you will find that this is the soup that is an absolute necessity when someone in the family is sick.

There are many discussions regarding when the seasoning should be added. I have found that if you season the cold water with salt at the beginning, you will use less salt, and the flavour of the meat seems to permeate the soup more readily.

As with most Polish recipes, this is not a quick one and you should expect to be cooking this for some 3 hours to soften the meat and reach the right flavour.

Method

Wash the leek to remove any sand or soil. Rinse the meat, and peel the carrots.

Place the leek in a large saucepan and turn on heat to slightly fry it.

Add beef, chicken, parsley and carrot in a large saucepan, cover with water.

Season the water with salt and bring to the boil.

Turn the heat down and simmer slowly for about two to three hours, skimming the white residue off the top every now and again.

Remove the beef and chicken from the pan.

It should be perfectly cooked, and will be great for salads or sandwiches or for tearing into slivers to put into the soup. The beef and chicken can also be held aside for Pierogi.

Season the soup with pepper and additional salt to taste (if you need) and ladle it through a sieve into bowls, trying not to disrupt it too much as you want to keep it reasonably clear.

Add the chicken slivers, beef pieces and carrot and serve with egg noodles.

Decorate with finely chopped dill.

The finished rosół should be like a clear consommé.

Put the soup aside and when it has cooled, place it into the fridge. If it sets to a gelatinous consistency, then you have achieved the greatest level of flavour.

Storing

This soup is suitable for freezing, and can then be taken from the freezer and reheated as you need it.

This soup is also used by many Polish women as the basis of Tomato Soup (Zupa Pomidorowa)