Barley Free Italian Restorative Broth

Total time2 hr 15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time2 hr

4.6

(12)

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 on bone-in chicken pieces, carrots, parsnips, turnip, celery, and a generous bundle of fresh parsley, thyme, and rosemary — nothing fussy, nothing hidden, just honest ingredients doing honest work. A clever blanching step at the start pulls away surface impurities before the real simmer begins, which is what gives the finished broth that clear, luminous, restaurant-quality appearance. Because every component is whole and unprocessed, there is no need to scan labels or worry about grain-based additives sneaking in — the bowl you end up with is exactly what it looks like. The long, lazy simmer of nearly two hours coaxes deep flavor from the bones and vegetables without any shortcuts, and the result is a broth that tastes genuinely restorative rather than flat or thin. Shred the tender chicken back into the bowl and finish with a scatter of fresh parsley, and you have something that works equally well as a light meal or a base for other cooking. It is the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your rotation.

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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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