Dairy Free 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 restorative Italian-style broth is built on bone-in chicken pieces, carrots, parsnips, turnip, celery, and a generous bundle of parsley, thyme, and rosemary — nothing more, nothing less. A clever blanching step at the start draws out impurities before the real simmer begins, which is what gives the finished broth that remarkably clear, clean flavor you just can't get from a carton. Because the recipe relies entirely on whole, unprocessed ingredients, there's no need to scan labels for hidden dairy additives or worry about cream-based shortcuts sneaking in. The long, gentle simmer — kept well below a rolling boil — coaxes every bit of richness from the chicken and vegetables without turning the broth cloudy or heavy. You can serve it simply as a healing bowl of liquid gold, or pull the tender chicken meat back in for something more substantial. Either way, this is the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your cold-weather rotation.
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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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