Pheasant soup

I received a pheasant from my brother and decided to make soup, with boiled meat and mashed potatoes, plus a simple homemade tomato sauce. Pheasant meat is different from chicken – it's wilder, but everything that comes out of this pot fits perfectly with the cooler season. The soup is clear, with a balanced flavor, and the boiled meat pairs well with the mash, just like at leisurely Sunday meals.

Quick Info

Total time: approximately 3 hours
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 to 2.5 hours
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: traditional soup, suitable for lunch

Ingredients

1 pheasant (about 1.4 kg, a little smaller or larger is fine)
2 large carrots
2 medium onions (one is kept with the penultimate layer of skin)
1 parsley root
1/2 celery root (small-medium)
1 garlic clove
a few peppercorns
salt, to taste
vegetable seasoning, to taste (optional)
3.5 liters of water
250 g small noodles or soup pasta
fresh parsley leaves

Preparation Method

1. Cleaning the pheasant.
Thoroughly clean the pheasant – if necessary, pass it over a flame to remove any feathers. Rinse carefully in cold water, then let it soak in fresh water for 20-30 minutes to draw out any remaining blood. Remove, rinse again, then cut into pieces suitable for the pot.

2. Preparing the soup.
Place the pheasant pieces in a large pot with 3.5 liters of cold water. Turn on low heat and let it slowly come to a boil. When foam starts to form, skim it off with a ladle or skimmer as it appears.

3. Adding the vegetables.
Once there’s no more foam on the surface, add the following to the pot: peeled and roughly chopped carrots, parsley root, celery, the whole onion (one of the onions is kept with the penultimate layer of skin, not the outer layer, for a golden-yellow color in the soup), garlic clove, and peppercorns. Season with salt and add vegetable seasoning if desired.

4. Boiling the soup.
Partially cover and let it simmer on very low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the pheasant meat is tender but not falling apart. Occasionally check if more water is needed.

5. Straining the soup.
When the meat is cooked, remove the meat and vegetables from the pot. Strain the soup through a fine sieve to keep it clear.

6. Cooking the pasta.
Return the strained soup to the heat. When it comes to a boil, add the small noodles (soup pasta). Let it cook for about 5 minutes, then add a glass of cold water (about 200 ml) to stop the boiling suddenly – this step helps keep the soup clear, not cloudy.

7. Finalizing and serving.
Cover and let the pasta swell for another 5-10 minutes off the heat. Finally, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. When serving, ladle clear soup into each bowl, with noodles, pieces of boiled carrot, and a piece of boiled pheasant for those who wish.

Why I make this recipe often

This pheasant soup is perfect when I receive game or want to use a more special meat. It has a clean taste, isn’t heavy, and even those who aren’t used to pheasant accept it easily. It can also be made with chicken or hen, but pheasant has a unique, pleasant flavor that isn’t too wild.

Tips and Variations

Tips

For one of the onions, keep the penultimate layer of skin, not the outer layer that’s full of dirt. The color of the soup will be much more beautiful.
Don’t let the soup boil vigorously, just allow it to simmer gently. It will maintain its clarity.
If you want an even clearer soup, after skimming the foam, you can strain the soup twice.

Substitutions

If you don’t have pheasant, you can use free-range chicken or even regular chicken, but reduce the boiling time a bit. The soup will be richer and sweeter.
The small noodles can be replaced with any type of small soup pasta.

Variations

You can add a few sprigs of lovage at the end for a different flavor.
For those who don’t use vegetable seasoning, salt and vegetables are enough.

Serving Ideas

The soup is served hot, with noodles, pieces of carrot, and pheasant meat. It goes well with a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top.
The boiled pheasant can be served separately on a platter, alongside mashed potatoes and homemade tomato sauce, for a heartier lunch.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why do you keep the skin on one of the onions?
The penultimate layer of skin gives a yellowish color to the soup without a bitter taste, making it visually more appealing.

2. Do I need to use vegetable seasoning?
No, it’s optional. You can use just salt, especially if you prefer the natural taste or avoid additives.

3. What type of pasta should I use?
Small noodles are traditional small pasta, but you can use any small soup pasta: shells, stars, or short vermicelli.

4. Can the soup be made from frozen meat?
Yes, but it’s best to fully thaw it before boiling to ensure the soup comes out clear and flavorful.

5. What should I do if the soup isn’t clear?
You can strain the soup again or clarify it with a bit of beaten egg white, but if you follow the steps and keep the heat low, it should turn out well.

Nutritional Values

Approximately, for one serving (soup with meat and vegetables, without mash or sauce):
Calories: 220-250 kcal
Protein: 20-25 g
Fat: 7-9 g
Carbohydrates: 15-18 g (from vegetables and pasta)
These values are approximate and depend largely on how much meat and pasta you put in the bowl.

Storage and Reheating

Pheasant soup lasts 2-3 days in the refrigerator in a covered pot. When reheating, only warm what you will consume to prevent the pasta from becoming too soft. If you have the pasta separate, add it at the time of serving; otherwise, it will swell too much in the liquid. The boiled pheasant meat is also good cold, for salads or sandwiches. After the third day, the soup loses much of its flavor and freshness.

First, we thoroughly clean the pheasant and let it soak in cold water to draw the blood from the meat. Then, we wash the meat well, place it in a pot, add water, and set it to simmer on low heat. We let it come to a boil. In the meantime, we skim off the foam repeatedly with a ladle, then add the vegetables we have cleaned in the meantime. The onion (for one of the onions, we leave the penultimate layer of skin, as it gives the soup a nicer color), the clove of garlic, and a few peppercorns. We season with salt and vegetable seasoning, cover, and let it simmer on low heat. When the meat is cooked, we strain the soup, bring it to a boil again, and add the pasta. We let it boil for 5 minutes, then add a glass of cold water. We cover and let the pasta expand. We season with fresh parsley. When serving, we place a piece of meat in the bowl and pieces of boiled carrot. The soup is ready to be served. Enjoy your meal!

One of the onions we add to the soup is left with the last layer of skin, giving the soup a beautiful, eye-pleasing color. The soup is served hot with meat and diced boiled carrots. The cold water added at the end keeps the soup clear.

 Ingredients: 1 pheasant (approx. 1.4 kg) 2 larger carrots 2 onions peppercorns 1 parsley root 250 g small pasta fresh parsley leaves salt vegeta 1 clove of garlic 1/2 celery 3.5 l water

 Tags:  pheasant soup