Serbian Chicken Soup

A delicious and comforting Serbian Chicken Soup. There are so many recipes for chicken soup, and we all have a favourite homemade soups that we love. But if you want to try something new, this Serbian inspired soup is one to try. Made with chicken wings, carrots, parsnips, eggs and seasonings, this recipe comes together quickly. In Serbia, soups like this are traditionally served as a first course, but I love to eat it all on its own as is. To make the recipe taste even better, make the recipe a day ahead and let all those flavour set. 

About this recipe

This Serbian Chicken Soup recipe is special to me because I have grown up eating it most of my life. Even after we moved to NZ, my mother made this soup on a regular basis. Admittedly, this soup was always a first course, and a meat and potato dish would always follow. However, as I have grown older and began making this soup myself, I have come to love eating it on its own, as a light meal. Especially on those days when I want something warm, comforting but not too heavy. We all have those days. The one when you just don’t want a plate of pasta, meat, or potatoes, but instead a light and delicious soup. 

This soup may be unusual to some. I say this because I have not yet come across knedle (semolina dumplings) in cuisine around NZ like how we make them in Serbia. I suppose when you think of dumplings, you imagine dough like dumplings made with stuffing. In Serbia knedle are made with a mix of eggs, salt, baking powder and semolina. This creates super light and airy dumplings. Sometimes these dumplings break apart and give the soup a chunkier consistency. So good! The rest of the recipe is made by boiling the chicken wings, vegetables and seasonings. Towards the end, the dumplings are added and simmered for a few minutes. 

When serving the soup, I prefer to void the chicken wings. I mostly use them for the flavouring of the soup. However, once cooked, you can remove the wings, separate the meat from the bone and add it back to the soup. This is entirely up to you.

The Soup

I like to keep chicken soup basic, but still filled with enough flvaour. This recipe needs two chicken wings, lots of water, chopped carrots, chopped parsnips, vegeta, salt & pepper. Then the dumpling mixture adds more texture and flavour, creating tis deliciously wonderful soup.

Chicken Wings – I normally buy a whole large free-range chicken and I use the chicken wings with the skin on. This gives the soup the perfect flavor without being overly greasy. With the rest of the meat, you can even produce another meal. We roast the rest of the chicken with lots of vegetables.

Water – This recipe uses 2 L of water. This is added to the chicken wings and cooked until everything boils. Once you add the vegetables you may need slightly more water, but do not overdo it. There is no chicken or vegetable stock required.

Carrots & Parsnips – This recipe uses 2 chopped carrots and 2 chopped parsnips. You need to cut both into small pieces. This recipe is best when the vegetables are cut into smaller chunks rather than large pieces.

Vegeta – Vegeta is a popular Eastern European seasoning mix. This is used in a lot of Serbian cooking. You can find this in the seasoning aisle of your supermarket or in the European section. You can also order online from places like Amazon.

Salt & Pepper – I mention these common ingredients because we all have different preferences for salt and pepper quantities. I love decently seasoned soup. This recipe does not require an absurd amount of salt, but I do recommend being generous with the pepper. If you are like me, you will want to add extra pepper to the soup. It tastes amazing. 

Semolina Knedle

Knedle, meaning dumplings, are made differently in our part of the world. There is no dough or stuffing, but rather a fluffy mixture made with eggs, oil, baking powder, salt, semolina, and parsley. More commonly knedle are also referred to as semolina dumplings, simply because semolina is the main ingredient. 

Egg – Depending on the type of recipe, some soups use one or two eggs. This recipe requires one egg. You must whisk the egg first before adding the other ingredients. By whisking the eggs first, the knedle will become light and airy.

Oil – I use olive oil. However, any vegetable oil will work well.

Baking powder – Baking powder is used in the mixture to help the knedle expand. One teaspoon goes a long way.

Semolina – Semolina is the main ingredient for these dumplings. You can use medium or fine semolina, both will work.

Salt & Parsley – Seasonings are also important for kindle. Aside from the flavour, parsley adds extra colour to the dish.

Looking for more?

If you are looking for more ideas, try one of the recipes below:

Serbian Beef Goulash / Goveđi Gulaš

Potato Salad with Capsicums & Spring Onions

Serbian Grašak / Pea Stew

I hope you enjoy this delicious Serbian Chicken Soup. It is one of my childhood favourites, and a recipe that I still make today. Leave a comment and let me know how this recipe turns out for you. If you get a moment, please leave this recipe a rating. If you get a little stuck or have any questions, you can also reach me over on Instagram.