Low Sugar Italian Restorative Broth
There is something deeply comforting about a pot of golden broth simmering low and slow on the stove, filling the kitchen with the scent of fresh herbs and sweet root vegetables. This Italian-style restorative broth is built entirely from whole, unprocessed ingredients — bone-in chicken, carrots, parsnips, turnip, celery, and a fragrant bundle of parsley, thyme, and rosemary — with nothing added that could sneak in unwanted sweeteners. That makes it a genuinely clean option for anyone keeping a close eye on what goes into their bowl, since store-bought broths and cartons are notorious for hiding added sugars, maltodextrin, or sweetened flavor enhancers in the fine print. The technique here is worth noting: a quick blanch of the chicken before the long simmer pulls out surface impurities and results in a broth that is remarkably clear and clean-tasting without any shortcuts. Cooking low and slow for nearly two hours coaxes deep, savory flavor from the bones and vegetables, so you never feel like anything is missing. The shredded chicken can go right back into the bowl, making this as satisfying as a full meal as it is restorative as a simple sipping broth. A scatter of fresh parsley at the end keeps everything bright and alive.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 3 lbs whole chicken pieces (bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks), fresh — not previously frozen and thawed more than 24 hours ago
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and halved crosswise
- 1 medium turnip, peeled and quartered
- 1 medium onion, peeled and halved
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 10 cups cold water
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken pieces in a large 6–8 qt stockpot and cover with 10 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately drain and rinse the chicken under cold running water. Wipe out the pot. This blanching step removes surface impurities and produces a clearer, cleaner-tasting broth.
- 2
Return the rinsed chicken to the clean pot. Add the carrots, parsnips, turnip, onion, celery, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs. Pour in 10 cups of fresh cold water — the water should cover the chicken and vegetables by at least 1 inch.
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