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Pheasant Soup

This hearty pheasant soup is inspired by a traditional Hungarian favourite often enjoyed during the autumn and winter hunting season. Slow-cooked to develop deep, rich flavours, it’s the kind of warming, comforting dish that brings the whole kitchen to life. Although it takes a couple of hours to simmer, most of the time is hands-off, and the result is a beautifully fragrant broth packed with tender pheasant meat and wholesome vegetables. Serve it with tiny pasta shapes like filini or stellini for an authentic touch. The recipe is also wonderfully flexible—swap the green vegetables for whatever you have on hand, such as green beans, broad beans, broccoli or savoy cabbage.  
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Mid&East European
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cleaned pheasant
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 small celeriac
  • 1 small swede
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 parsnip
  • 1 potato
  • Approx. 1 litre water enough to fully cover the bird
  • 2 chicken stock cubes or 1 chicken + 1 mushroom cube
  • 1 cup green peas
  • 1 cup chopped kale
  • 2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Small pasta for serving

Method
 

  1. Peel the onion and garlic.
  2. Check the pheasant for any remaining feathers and remove them, then place the bird in a large pot.
  3. Add enough water to fully cover the pheasant. Add the onion and garlic and bring to a gentle boil.
  4. As the water heats, foam will rise to the surface. Skim this off with a mesh spoon.
  5. Add the stock cubes and a bay leaf. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 75 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, peel the root vegetables (celeriac, swede, carrots, parsnip, potato) and cut them in half.
  7. Add the vegetables to the pot, bring it back to just below boiling point, and simmer for another 1 hour.
  8. Add the peas and kale and cook for 15 minutes more.
  9. While the soup finishes cooking, prepare the small pasta according to the packet instructions.
  10. Remove the pheasant from the pot and transfer it to a plate. Strip the meat from the carcass, discarding the bones, and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
  11. To serve, place a large spoonful of cooked pasta into each bowl, add some shredded pheasant and vegetables, then ladle over the hot broth.
  12. Finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and serve immediately.