Instructions

Step 1. Prepare the soup base:
Place the bone-in chicken pieces in a large pot. Add enough water to cover generously. Add the whole peeled onion, the celery, the carrots, the tied parsley, and the sliced pieces of pepper.

Step 2. Boil and skim:
Bring the pot to a quick boil over medium-high heat. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface. The trick is to simmer slowly — this keeps the broth clear and golden, not cloudy.

Step 3. Simmer until tender:
Let the soup cook gently for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.

Step 4. Remove vegetables and chicken:
When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot along with the onion and red pepper. You can choose to discard these or keep the chicken meat for serving.

Step 5. Handle the carrots:
You can either remove the carrots completely for a traditional clear broth or slice them into rounds and add them back in, as a modern variation. All other vegetables can be tossed.

Step 6. Strain the broth:
Pour the broth through a fine strainer to remove any small bits and ensure a perfectly clear soup.

Step 7. Add the noodles:
Return the clear broth to the pot and bring it to a gentle boil. Add the tăiței (noodles) and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until tender.

Step 8. Season and serve:
Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley. Enjoy the comforting aroma and delicate flavor of a true Romanian classic!

Cook’s Note

The key to a clear, golden broth is patience — cook the soup slowly and gently rather than at a rolling boil. The traditional Supa de Tăiței is served with only broth and noodles, but many families (like mine) prefer to leave the carrots in for extra flavor, color, and sweetness.

My grandmother used to add a lot of carrots when making the broth, and her soups were always the best. She would then take the carrots out once the broth was ready, and we’d eat the cooked carrots on their own — the plated chicken noodle soup did not have any carrots in it.