Hungarian Sunday Chicken Soup — The Clear Golden Broth That Feels Like Home

Hungarian Chicken Soup | Clear Golden Broth with Vegetables and Noodles

There are recipes you learn from a cookbook, and then there are recipes that live inside you because they come from your mother, your grandmother, and your childhood.For me, Hungarian chicken soup belongs to the second group. It’s the soup that fixes everything — tiredness, sadness, long days, cold evenings. It’s the meal that made our Sundays feel like Sundays.

When I posted the video of my soup on TikTok, I never expected such a reaction.Thousands of people wrote to me — some remembering their Hungarian grandparents, others surprised how similar it is to their own family soup, from Poland to Mexico to the Philippines. I learned that every culture has its own version of this clear golden broth, and somehow we all feel the same comfort when we drink it.I also realized just how many people still carry a little piece of Hungary in their hearts.

This recipe is my version — based on how my mom made it, with all the vegetables and lots of love.

Why Soup Doesn’t Taste Like It Used To

I wish I could tell you that adding the “right vegetables and spices” will magically recreate the exact flavor our grandmothers made decades ago. But the truth is different.

There are two simple reasons:

1. Our taste buds changed.

After decades of eating processed food with artificial flavors, many people no longer recognize the natural taste of vegetables, real meat, and slow-cooked broth. What used to be normal now tastes “too simple” for many.

2. The meat is not the same anymore.

A chicken raised in 5–6 weeks on commercial feed is nothing like the old-style hens and roosters that lived outdoors, walked freely, and were raised slowly.And yes — the soup made from those old-fashioned birds had a depth we can’t recreate with supermarket meat.

But this doesn’t mean we can’t make incredibly delicious soup today.We absolutely can. The key is to choose the right meat, keep the vegetables simple, and cook it slowly.

How to Make Chicken Soup That Tastes Like Childhood

1. Choose Good Meat

If possible, get your chicken from a market or a local farm, not from the freezer section of a supermarket.Soup needs bones — that’s where the flavor comes from.

You can use:

• chicken legs + backs

• whole chicken

• turkey parts

• beef bones

• pork bones

In Hungary, the richer the mix, the richer the soup.This time I used chicken thighs and drumsticks, plus some extra parts for flavor.

2. Don’t Overload with Vegetables

More vegetables doesn’t mean better soup.Too many carrots make it sweet. Too much kohlrabi or celery root can overpower everything.

Keep it classic:

• carrots

• parsnips

• parsley root

• a small piece of celery

• onion (with one layer of brown skin!)

• garlic

• whole green pepper

• potatoes (optional)

And of course, a small bunch of parsley and 1–2 celery stalks tied together.

Hungarian Chicken Soup Ingredients | Fresh Vegetables and Meat in Stockpot

3. Cook It Very Slowly

This is the real secret.The soup should never boil hard — only “smile,” as we say in Hungarian. Tiny bubbles, very gentle movement, cooking for hours.

If you see it boiling like tea water, turn the heat down immediately.Patience makes the soup clear and golden.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg chicken or mixed meat

• 0.6 kg soup vegetables (3–4 carrots, 2–3 parsnips, one small kohlrabi, piece of celery root)

• 4 L water

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 whole onion (keep the brown skin layer!)

• 1 whole green pepper, stem removed

• 1 small bunch parsley + 1–2 celery stalks tied together

• Optional:potatoes, kale, a pinch of nutmeg, allspice, ginger, saffron, or chili.(I don’t add these — my mom didn’t either — but many people love them.)

How to Make It

1. Start with cold water.

Wash your meat well and place it into cold water. Slowly bring it to a gentle simmer.

2. Prepare the vegetables.

Cut them according to the meat you use.If you’re cooking an older bird, keep vegetables in big chunks or add them later.

3. Remove the foam.

Before adding vegetables, skim off the grey foam with a spoon.(If you miss it and it dissolves, don’t panic — it will sink to the bottom later.)

4. Add vegetables and spices.

Let them sink into the broth gently.Do NOT stir. This keeps the soup clear.

5. Cook for hours, very slowly.

Just let it smile under the surface.If too much water evaporates, add a cup of cold water.

6. When everything is soft, turn off the heat.

Let it rest for 10–15 minutes.

7. Strain it beautifully.

Use a ladle to transfer the broth into another pot without disturbing the bottom.Place the meat and vegetables on a platter.

8. Cook noodles separately.

Whether it’s cérnametélt (thin noodles), csigatészta (curl pasta), or eperkocka (diamond pasta) — boil it in salty water separately, then add to the soup.

Tálalás — Serving

I always add fresh parsley to my bowl.Some people eat the cooked meat with mustard.And of course, Hungarians love a little hot pepper on the side.

A Soup With a Thousand Versions

One thing I learned from posting my cooking online is how many versions of this soup exist around the world.Everyone adds something different — and everyone thinks theirs is the “real one.”And you know what? They’re all right.

Food is memory.Food is connection.This simple golden soup made people comment about their moms, their grandmothers, their childhood kitchens… and it reminded me of my own.

If you make this soup, tag me or leave a comment. I’d love to know your version, your family story, or the ingredient you can’t imagine it without. ❤️

If you want to see how this soup comes together in my kitchen, here are the videos:

✨ TikTok version

✨ YouTube version

And if you love simple, honest, Hungarian home cooking, I’d love for you to explore more:👉 Watch more videos from my kitchen

👉 Read more of my articles and family stories

Thank you for being here. It means a lot. ❤️