Legume 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 Italian-style restorative broth is built on bone-in chicken pieces, carrots, parsnips, turnip, celery, and a fragrant bundle of parsley, thyme, and rosemary — nothing more, nothing less. A clever blanching step at the start pulls away surface impurities before the real simmer begins, which is what gives the finished broth that remarkably clear, clean flavor you rarely get from a store-bought carton. Because every ingredient here is a whole, unprocessed vegetable, herb, or piece of chicken, there are no hidden legume derivatives, thickeners, or plant-based additives to worry about — just pure, honest cooking. The long, gentle simmer — kept deliberately below a rolling boil — coaxes deep flavor from the bones and vegetables without turning the broth cloudy or bitter. You can serve it simply as a restorative cup of liquid warmth, or pull the tender chicken meat back in for something closer to a light meal. Either way, a sprinkle of fresh parsley at the end makes it feel like something you'd find in a quiet Italian kitchen on a cold afternoon.
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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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