Supă de Pui cu Găluște
Supă de Pui cu Găluște·(soo-puh deh pooy koo guh-loosh-teh)
Ciorbă: Restorative Weeknight Soups
This is the undisputed king of Romanian comfort food—the scent of this golden broth simmering on the stove means you are safe, warm, and likely standing in your grandmother's kitchen. The legendary, pillow-soft dumplings rely not on baking powder or modern flourishes, but on an uncompromising one-to-one mathematical ratio of egg to coarse durum semolina. Fortifying a high-quality store-bought bone broth with fresh chicken thighs delivers that rich, slow-simmered weekend depth on a Tuesday night without cutting corners on the soul of the dish.
Before you start
Weigh the eggs in their shells before you do anything else.
Place your two large eggs on a digital kitchen scale and note the exact weight in grams to determine your precise semolina measurement.
Ingredients
- low-sodium chicken bone broth6 cup
- bone-in skin-on chicken thighs1 1/2 lb
- yellow onion1 large
- carrots2 med
- parsnip1 med
- celery stalks2 large
- whole black peppercorns1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- fresh parsley1 med bunch
- eggs2 large
- coarse durum semolina120 g
- cold water1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Bring the broth and chicken thighs to a gentle boil in a heavy pot, diligently skimming off any foam that rises to the surface until the liquid is entirely clear.
- 02
Add the whole onion, carrots, parsnip, celery, and peppercorns, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
This should take about 30 to 35 minutes.
- 03
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, then gradually stir in the precisely weighed semolina.
Stop mixing as soon as it is combined and let the bowl sit completely undisturbed for 15 to 20 minutes so the hard wheat can absorb the egg and swell into a thick paste.
- 04
Remove the chicken and vegetables from the pot, discarding the onion and peppercorns.
Slice the remaining root vegetables into bite-sized pieces and shred the chicken meat, returning both to the seasoned broth.
- 05
Reduce the heat to a barely bubbling simmer, dip a spoon into the hot soup to wet it, and gently slide half-tablespoon scoops of batter into the liquid.
Repeat until all the batter is used, remembering to dip the spoon in the hot broth before every scoop to prevent sticking.
- 06
Pour the cold tap water directly into the pot the moment all the batter has been added.
This traditional trick, known as speriatul găluștelor, shocks the dumplings and halts the aggressive boiling that would otherwise tear them apart.
- 07
Cover the pot and simmer on the lowest possible heat until the dumplings have doubled in size and are incredibly soft to the touch.
This takes 10 to 15 minutes; do not under any circumstances let the soup boil aggressively.
- 08
Turn off the heat, stir in the chopped fresh parsley, and serve immediately.
Notes
The Golden Ratio is non-negotiable.
Never measure your semolina with a spoon. You must weigh your eggs in their shells and match that exact weight in semolina to guarantee structurally sound, feather-light dumplings.
Source the correct semolina.
Look for coarse durum semolina, which is often sold as Indian sooji in international aisles, rather than American Cream of Wheat which lacks the required structure and bite.
From Cook Romanian in America.