Name: Domaća pileća supa sa rezancima
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 40 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings, about 400 ml each
Cuisine: Serbian
Ingredients: 1200 g bone-in chicken pieces, trimmed of excess skin (nutrition assumes about 650 g cooked edible meat is returned to the soup); 3000 ml water, cold; 250 g carrots, peeled; 120 g parsnip, peeled; 120 g celeriac, peeled; 150 g yellow onion, halved; 150 g thin egg noodles, dry; 30 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 12 g fine salt; 2 g black pepper, freshly ground

Yield 8 servings, about 400 ml each

Preparation time 25 minutes

Cooking time 100 minutes

Passive time 0 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Domaća pileća supa sa rezancima — clear chicken broth with root vegetables and thin noodles

Domaća pileća supa sa rezancima is the kind of clear chicken soup in which restraint does most of the work. The broth is not thickened and it is not built around a large spice mixture. Its character comes from chicken simmered with onion and root vegetables, then from the decision to strain everything before the final bowl is assembled. The result should taste clean and savoury, with enough chicken depth to carry the noodles but without the greasy heaviness that comes from hard boiling or excessive skin and fat.

The first technical choice is to start the chicken in cold water and raise the temperature gradually. Proteins that rise to the surface can then be skimmed while the liquid is still calm. Once the broth reaches a simmer, the aim is not to keep it aggressively bubbling. A quiet surface extracts flavour while leaving less fat and protein dispersed through the liquid. Carrot brings sweetness, parsnip a warmer root aroma, and celeriac a distinctly savoury, slightly herbal note. Onion rounds the broth rather than announcing itself as a separate flavour.

Straining is a real cooking step, not cosmetic tidying. Bones, softened onion and tiny fragments of protein are removed, leaving a broth that can support neat pieces of cooked carrot, shredded chicken and thin noodles. The chicken must be handled on a clean surface after cooking, and the thickest edible part should reach at least 74 °C before the meat is shredded. That safety temperature is separate from the culinary cue of tenderness: both matter, but they answer different questions.

Noodles belong at the end. If they simmer for the full broth-making time, their starch clouds the liquid and their texture disappears. Adding them to the strained broth gives better control: they can be stopped while still tender and distinct, then the chicken and vegetables can be warmed through without another long boil. This also makes the soup easier to prepare ahead, because broth and chicken can be chilled separately and fresh noodles cooked only when the soup is reheated.

A good bowl should have an obvious broth-to-solid ratio. The noodles are present in every spoonful, but the dish remains soup rather than becoming a soft pasta stew. Parsley added after the heat is turned off gives a fresh top note that would be lost in a long simmer. The final adjustment is salt, which should be made after straining because evaporation and the noodle addition both change how concentrated the broth tastes.

Practical

ControlKeep the broth at a bare simmer rather than a rolling boil for a cleaner taste and appearance.
ControlStrain before adding noodles so bones and spent aromatics cannot remain in the serving broth.
ControlCook noodles only at the end because they continue absorbing broth as they stand.

Ingredients

1200 g bone-in chicken pieces, trimmed of excess skin (nutrition assumes about 650 g cooked edible meat is returned to the soup)
3000 ml water, cold
250 g carrots, peeled
120 g parsnip, peeled
120 g celeriac, peeled
150 g yellow onion, halved
150 g thin egg noodles, dry
30 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
12 g fine salt
2 g black pepper, freshly ground

Directions

Build the broth

Start and skim the brothPut the chicken into the 6-litre stockpot with the cold water. Bring it gradually toward a bare simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat and skim the foam during the first 20 minutes. The surface should become mostly clear, with only small patches of foam remaining. A gradual simmer keeps the broth clearer; keep raw-poultry splashes away from ready-to-eat food.
Simmer the chicken with the rootsAdd the halved onion, carrots, parsnip and celeriac. Keep the pot at a quiet low simmer for 60 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the root vegetables are cooked through. Avoid a hard boil, which clouds the broth.
Check the chicken safelyLift out the chicken and, over about 5 minutes, check the thickest edible part away from bone with an instant-read thermometer. It must reach at least 74 °C before the meat is handled as cooked food. Transfer it to a clean tray; tenderness is a quality cue, while the thermometer reading is the safety control.

Finish the soup

Strain, trim and shredStrain the broth into a clean pot. Over about 5 minutes, slice the cooked carrots and parsnip, discard the spent onion and bones, and shred about 650 g of edible chicken meat. The broth should be clear enough to see through and no bones should remain in the returned meat. Use clean utensils for the cooked chicken.
Cook the noodlesBring the strained broth back to the boil, add the noodles, then reduce to a lively simmer. Cook for about 6 minutes, until the noodles are tender but still distinct rather than swollen or mushy.
Return the solids and seasonAdd the shredded chicken and sliced vegetables, season with the measured salt and pepper, and heat over medium-low heat for 4 minutes until the soup is steaming throughout. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley so its fresh aroma is not boiled away. Serve promptly or cool rapidly for storage.

Practical

Serving

Use hot bowls and distribute solids evenly so the last bowl does not receive only noodles and the first only broth.

Make-ahead

For the cleanest make-ahead result, chill strained broth and shredded chicken separately from uncooked noodles; cook the noodles during reheating.

Storage

Divide a large batch into shallow containers rather than leaving a deep stockpot to cool slowly. Refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days.

Reheating

Bring the soup to 74 °C throughout. If noodles were stored in the broth and absorbed liquid, restore only the amount of water needed for a soup consistency.

Substitutions

Replace thin egg noodles with another small dry soup pasta of similar thickness only when needed. Changes the texture and may require a different cooking time; add it according to its package timing while keeping the same broth method

Control points

Cloudy brothGuidance: Vigorous boiling or excessive stirring.Adjustment: Reduce to a bare simmer and avoid disturbing the pot unnecessarily.
Noodles become bloatedGuidance: They were cooked too early or stored in the broth too long.Adjustment: Cook noodles shortly before serving or store them separately for make-ahead use.

Nutrition

Serving sizeabout 400 ml soup
Calories250 kcal
Carbohydrates19 g
Protein27 g
Fat7 g
Fibre2 g
Sodium690 mg

Figures are approximate and will vary with ingredient brands, trimming, absorption and exact portioning.

Allergens and food safety

Egg and wheat/gluten from standard egg noodles; check packaged noodles for additional allergens. Cook chicken to at least 74 °C in the thickest edible part away from bone. Refrigerate cooked soup within 2 hours; keep chilled leftovers at 4 °C or below and use within 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers to 74 °C throughout.

Result: Clear broth with tender chicken, root vegetables and distinct noodles.

Key: Keep the broth at a bare simmer, strain it, and cook the noodles only at the end.