History

Újházi tyúkhúsleves was named after the famous Hungarian stage actor Ede Újházi (1844-1915), who insisted on a particularly rich version made from an old hen with abundant root vegetables. The broth became the canonical Hungarian Sunday-lunch soup, served as the opening course before pörkölt or paprikás csirke. Hungarikum Bisztró and Menza both serve the traditional version with vermicelli or csiga noodles.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 30 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 whole stewing hen (around 1.8kg) or 4 chicken thighs plus 4 wings
  • 3 carrots, halved
  • 2 parsnips, halved
  • 200g celeriac, in chunks
  • 1 small kohlrabi, peeled and quartered
  • 1 leek (white and pale green only)
  • 1 large onion, halved and charred over a flame
  • 1 head of garlic, top trimmed off
  • 1 small bunch parsley with stems
  • 2 bay leaves, 10 black peppercorns, 4 allspice grains
  • Salt
  • 150g vermicelli or csiga pasta
  • Fresh dill and parsley to garnish
  • Hungarian sweet paprika and fresh horseradish, optional

Method

  1. Place the hen in a stockpot, cover with 4L cold water. Bring slowly to a low simmer, skimming the foam for 15 minutes.
  2. Add the vegetables, herbs and spices. Simmer at the gentlest blip uncovered for 3 hours. Never boil hard.
  3. Lift the chicken out, strip the meat, discard the skin and bones. Dice the meat.
  4. Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Lift out the carrots, parsnip and celeriac and slice them. Discard the rest of the vegetables.
  5. Cook the vermicelli separately in salted water 3 minutes, drain.
  6. Return the broth to a clean pot, taste and adjust salt. Add the sliced vegetables and diced chicken to warm through.
  7. Ladle into bowls over a portion of vermicelli. Scatter dill and parsley, grate fresh horseradish over if using.
  8. Serve with a small bowl of sweet paprika for the table to add to their own broth.

Tip from the editors. The clarity is the dish. A boil destroys the broth; a low simmer for the full 3 hours is the only way to keep it crystal.

Where to eat újházi tyúkhúsleves

Újházi tyúkhúsleves in Budapest

Hungarikum Bisztró ★ 4.5

Traditional Hungarian$$lipotvarosMon-Sun 12:00-14:30, 18:00-22:00

Hungarikum Bisztro on Steindl Imre near Parliament cooks the canonical Hungarian classics, with goulash, chicken paprikash and stuffed cabbage in a tiny.

Signature: Goulash soup, Chicken paprikash

Order: The chicken paprikash with house nokedli and cucumber salad.

Tip: Online reservation only; the small room books out for both lunch and dinner.

Steindl Imre utca 13, 1051 Budapest Book →

Menza Étterem ★ 4.0

Modern Hungarian$$terezvarosMon-Sun 11:00-23:00Until Daily 23:00

Menza on Liszt Ferenc ter cooks Hungarian classics until 22:30, a late dinner room off Andrassy near the Liszt Ferenc tér terraces in central Budapest.

Try: Hungarian classics, kitchen until 22:30

Order: The Hortobágyi palacsinta with a glass of Hungarian dry Furmint.

Tip: Open 11:00-23:00 daily; the kitchen runs 11:30-22:30, terrace fills first.

Liszt Ferenc tér 2, 1061 Budapest

Frici Papa Kifőzdéje ★ 4.1

Modern Hungarian$$terezvarosMon-Sat 11:00-22:00, Sun closed

Frici Papa on Kiraly utca has run a kifozde with shared tables and no English menu since 1997, a Budapest lunch room locals send friends to for under 3,000.

Order: Whatever is on the day's blackboard; point at the dish behind the counter.

Why locals love it: Sticky shared tables, no English menu and the cheapest sit-down Hungarian lunch on Király utca.

Tip: Cash preferred; no reservations and quick turnover at lunch, no English menu.

Király utca 55, 1077 Budapest

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