Zeamă de Găină
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Whole chicken or 800 g chicken pieces, bone-in — 1 (1.75 lb)
- Carrots, sliced — 2
- Onion, chopped — 1
- Parsnip or parsley root, sliced — 1
- Homemade noodles or egg noodles — 2 cups (200 g / 7 oz)
- Borș or 3 tbsp lemon juice, to taste — 1/2 cup
- Water — 8 cups (1.9 litres / 64 fl oz)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
- Chopped dill and parsley, to garnish
Method
- Place the chicken in a large pot with water and bring to a boil, skimming any foam.
- Add the carrots, onion and parsnip, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 45–60 minutes until the chicken is very tender.
- Remove the chicken, shred the meat, and discard the bones, returning the shredded meat to the pot.
- Add the noodles and cook for 8–10 minutes until tender.
- Stir in the borș or lemon juice to taste, adjusting the sourness as preferred.
- Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with chopped dill and parsley before serving.
Introduction: A light, tangy chicken noodle soup soured with borș (fermented wheat bran liquid) or lemon, a comforting classic across Moldovan homes.
Cultural Background: Zeamă is considered one of Moldova’s defining soups, its distinctive sour note traditionally coming from borș, a fermented liquid unique to the region, giving the broth a character quite different from typical chicken soups elsewhere.
Tips: Adjust the amount of borș or lemon gradually, tasting as you go, since sourness preference varies by household. Simmering the chicken slowly produces the most flavourful broth.
Variations: Add a hard-boiled egg to each bowl, a traditional garnish in some regions. Use homemade thin egg noodles for the most traditional texture.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat until hot throughout.
Nutrition: Per serving (approx.): 280 kcal, 22 g protein, 10 g fat, 24 g carbohydrate.
FAQs:
Q: What is borș?
A: A traditional soured liquid made from fermented wheat bran, used in Moldovan
Q: Is zeamă the same as regular chicken noodle soup?
A: The tangy, soured broth sets it apart from
- Whole chicken or 800 g chicken pieces, bone-in — 1 (1.75 lb)
- Carrots, sliced — 2
- Onion, chopped — 1
- Parsnip or parsley root, sliced — 1
- Homemade noodles or egg noodles — 2 cups (200 g / 7 oz)
- Borș or 3 tbsp lemon juice, to taste — 1/2 cup
- Water — 8 cups (1.9 litres / 64 fl oz)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
- Chopped dill and parsley, to garnish
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