Stocks & broths
Húsleves
Húsleves · Hungarian clear meat-and-vegetable broth built by gently simmering beef and/or chicken on the bone with whole unpeeled onion, garlic, peppercorns and a basket of root vegetables (carrots, celery, parsley root, parsnip) in cold water. The liquid is the reusable component: a long-simmered, golden, lightly seasoned broth that is consumed on its own as a clear soup with cérna-tészta (thread noodles) and is equally the foundation stock for subsequent Hungarian soups, sauces and risottos.
The formula
~1 kg bones+meat : 4-5 L cold water : 3 tsp salt
Start with cold water covering the solids by roughly 2.5 cm; salt is added early to season the bones, not at the end.
Identity
- Clear, pale gold broth, never opalescent
- Long, gentle simmer of at least 3 hours — up to 7 hours in the classic kitchen method
- Whole unpeeled onion is simmered in its skin to tint the liquid golden and add sweetness
- Built on a mixed foundation of beef (often chuck plus marrow/knuckle bones) and bone-in chicken or hen
- Vegetables are added whole or in large pieces so the broth remains transparent
- Served unthickened, seasoned only with salt and whole peppercorns
Ingredients
| Base | Beef chuck (1 large piece) plus marrow or knuckle bones, and 3–4 bone-in chicken pieces (thighs/drumsticks) | Mixed meat-and-bone base is canonical; beef provides depth and gelatin, chicken adds lightness and aroma. |
| Aromatics | Whole unpeeled yellow onion | Skin-on simmer tints the broth pale gold and contributes a subtle sweetness without clouding. |
| Aromatics | Garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed | Adds a quiet allium sweetness; some cooks leave them whole. |
| Aromatics | Carrots, whole and trimmed | Provide sweetness and a recognizable Hungarian aroma; usually left whole during the simmer. |
| Aromatics | Celery stalks with leaves (and optionally celery root) | Stalks with the inner leaves give the characteristic herbaceous note. |
| Aromatics | Parsley root and/or parsnip, whole and peeled | Traditional and typical in Hungarian kitchens; parsnips add extra sweetness. |
| Seasoning | Kosher or fine salt | ~3 teaspoons per 4–5 L; added at the start so the bones and meat season through. |
| Seasoning | Whole black peppercorns | About 10–12 peppercorns; never ground, so the broth stays clear. |
Method
- 1Soak the beef in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse.Cold-water soak draws out blood and soluble proteins so they can be discarded instead of clouding the pot.
- 2Place beef, marrow bones and chicken pieces in a stockpot; cover with 4–5 L cold water and add the salt.A cold start extracts proteins and flavor gradually; salting at this stage seasons the bones deeply.
- 3Bring the pot slowly to a bare simmer, then actively skim the grey foam from the surface for the first 30–45 minutes.Skimming removes coagulated impurities and surface fat, which is the single most important step for a clear broth.
- 4Add the whole unpeeled onion, garlic cloves and peppercorns once the simmer is established.The unpeeled onion skins tint the broth golden; aromatics introduced early perfume the liquid.
- 5After about 1 hour of simmering, add the whole carrots, celery, parsley root and parsnip.Root vegetables are added later so they perfume the broth without overcooking into a cloudy starch.
- 6Maintain a bare, shivering simmer (just an occasional bubble) for a total of 3–4 hours (up to 5–7 for the traditional method).A hard boil emulsifies fat and protein, making the broth cloudy; a gentle simmer yields clear, gelatinous liquid.
- 7Lift out the meats and vegetables, then strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean container; cool quickly and degrease.Straining removes solids; rapid cooling and skimming fat preserve clarity and food safety.
Techniques that matter
Cold-water start
Slowly heats proteins out of the meat and bones so they rise as skimmable scum rather than dispersing as cloudiness.
Active skimming
Removes coagulated blood proteins and emulsified fat — the defining step for a transparent Hungarian broth.
Whole unpeeled onion
Papery skins release golden pigments and mild sweetness without the harshness of cut onion.
Bare simmer
Prevents the broth from boiling cloudy and keeps fat from emulsifying into the liquid.
Fine-mesh straining
Catches fine bone and vegetable particles so the finished broth is restaurant-clear.
Variations & derivatives
Újházi tyúkhúslevesEger
A celebratory hen-and-veal version, traditionally simmered with the hen stuffed with liver-and-bread dumplings, served over cérna-tészta.
CsirkehúslevesHungarian home kitchens
All-chicken or all-hen version, often the first-course Sunday broth; lighter and shorter-cooked.
MarhahúslevesHungarian home kitchens
Beef-only version using shin, chuck and marrow bones; deeper, more gelatinous body.
Veszprémi húslevesVeszprém
Regional variation served with liver dumplings (májgaluska) and a swirl of cream.
Gyors húsleves / peel-stock hackModern Hungarian kitchens (per SBS Food method)
Fast 5-hour version in which vegetable peels are boiled separately to make a flavor-packed stock that is added back at the end.
Used in these dishes
Substitutions
- Beef chuck + marrow bones → Veal shank plus beef knuckle bones — Lighter, more delicate flavor; classical alternative when a young-animal broth is desired.
- Marrow bones → Oxtail or beef short rib — Adds gelatin and richness but also more fat to skim.
- Parsley root and parsnip → Extra carrots and a small piece of celeriac — Maintains the sweet root-vegetable profile when the aromatics aren't available.
- Whole peppercorns → Cracked black pepper added only at service — Keeps the cooked broth clearer but shifts the spice to the bowl, not the pot.
- Bone-in chicken pieces → An old laying hen (tyúk) — Traditional choice for the deepest chicken broth; requires the full 5–7 hour simmer.
- Cérna-tészta (thread noodles) as accompaniment → Májgaluska (liver dumplings) or semolina dumplings — Common regional swap for the noodle garnish.
Troubleshooting
Broth is cloudy/opalescent
Pot was boiled too hard or skimming was skipped in the first hour. → Cool, chill, lift off solidified fat, and clarify with a raft of egg whites and ground meat (clearmeat-style), or strain through a coffee-filter-lined sieve.
Greasy film on the finished broth
Insufficient skimming during the simmer or no chill-and-degrease step. → Refrigerate overnight and lift off the solidified fat layer, or blot the surface with paper towels.
Broth tastes flat or watery
Too little bone relative to water, or simmer cut short so collagen was not extracted. → Use more knuckle/marrow bones, simmer an extra 1–2 hours, and finish with a small amount of salt at service.
Vegetables have turned to mush and clouded the broth
Root vegetables were added at the start instead of after the first hour. → Strain the broth; for next batch, add carrots, celery and parsley root only in the final 2 hours.