Brown Clear Soup with Beef, Veal and Hen (Double Broth)
A deep brown clear soup made by browning beef, veal and liver with bacon and onion, then simmering them with a hen in beef broth for four hours.
Quick Summary
Beef, veal, liver, bacon and onion are browned in a covered pot, then simmered for at least four hours with a whole hen, soup vegetables and celery in beef broth. The soup is settled, skimmed of fat and strained through cloth, and served in cups with no garnish.
Historical recipe
Modernised adaptation of an early 20th‑century source. Not independently kitchen-tested by Attic Recipes. Quantities, temperatures, and food safety guidance have been updated for a contemporary kitchen — results may vary and errors may exist. Nutritional values, where provided, are estimates only and have not been laboratory tested. Always follow current food safety guidelines for your region. If you have a health condition, allergy, or dietary requirement, consult a qualified professional before preparing this recipe.
Use of this recipe is entirely at your own risk and subject to ourTerms of Service andPrivacy Policy. Attic Recipes accepts no liability for any adverse outcome.
- Celery
Additional notes
Warning
Browning meat in rendered bacon fat creates a burn and splatter hazard. Stir carefully, keep children and older adults away from the stove, and keep the pot dry.
Note
The soup is made with beef liver, which is very rich in vitamin A. Pregnant women are generally advised to limit liver, so it may be best to avoid this soup or to leave the liver out.
Omit the 100g liver. The soup will be slightly less dark and deep, but will still taste rich.
Caution
A large pot of hot soup cools slowly and can grow bacteria if left out. Cool it quickly in shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours, eat within 3 days, and reheat until steaming hot (74°C / 165°F). This is especially important for pregnant women, children, older adults and immunocompromised people.
- 1
Slice the bacon thin. Peel and quarter the 3 onions. Cut 1kg beef and 1kg veal into 4cm pieces, trimming off visible fat and sinew. Slice the 100g liver. Coarsely chop 500g soup vegetables and 100g celery root.
TipTrimming the fat and sinew helps keep the soup clear. - 2
Lay 150g bacon slices in a single layer over the bottom of a heavy 8–10 litre pot. Add the onions, beef, veal and liver on top. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the bacon fat has melted and the meat has released its juices.
TipThe covered start lets the bacon render and prevents scorching before the juices run. - 3
Uncover and continue cooking over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes, until the meat and onions are deep brown and a dark brown crust has formed on the bottom of the pot.
TipBURN HAZARD: hot fat splatters, so stir carefully. The crust should be dark brown but not black, because burnt bits make the soup bitter. If it starts to burn, lower the heat and loosen it with a splash of the broth. - 4
Pour in the 4 litres strained beef broth. Add the whole hen, the soup vegetables, celery root and 8 peppercorns. Bring slowly to a bare simmer, about 20 minutes, skimming off the foam as it rises.
TipThe liquid should cover everything. If not, add a little hot water. - 5
Reduce the heat to its lowest setting, partly cover the pot, and simmer for at least 4 hours, so that the liquid only barely trembles. Do not stir.
TipA bare simmer of about 90°C (195°F) keeps the soup clear. A hard boil makes it cloudy. - 6
Take the pot off the heat and let the soup settle undisturbed for 30 minutes. Skim off all the fat from the surface with a ladle.
TipFor an even clearer, fat-free soup, chill it overnight and lift off the hardened fat. - 7
Ladle the soup carefully through a fine sieve lined with a clean, damp cloth into a clean pot, without pressing the solids. Discard the solids. Taste, and stir in salt only if needed, up to 1 tsp.
TipDo not squeeze the cloth. Pressing forces cloudiness into the soup. - 8
Reheat gently until steaming hot, but not boiling, and pour into warm cups. Serve plain, with no garnish.
Nutrition Informationper 1 cup (250ml)
Nutritional values are approximate estimates and may vary based on specific ingredients used, preparation methods, and portion sizes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve very hot in small cups, plain, as a first course, as the period method does. Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours, and keep for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. The strained soup also makes a strong base for sauces and other soups.
About This Recipe
This is a dark, clear soup with a deep amber-brown color, built on a double layer of flavor. Beef, veal and a little liver are browned with bacon and onion until they form a rich crust on the bottom of the pot, and then everything is simmered for hours in beef broth with a whole hen and soup vegetables.
The result is not a soup to fill you up. It is a strong, savory broth, served in small cups and plain, with no noodles or garnish, meant as an elegant first course. The long browning is what gives it its color and its roasted, almost sweet depth.
It takes time and a lot of meat, but the work is mostly waiting, and the finished soup keeps well and can be used as a base for sauces and other soups.
Why It Works
Browning the meat and onion first creates deeply flavored caramelized compounds on the pot and on the meat, and those dissolve into the broth and give the soup its color. Using a ready-made beef broth as the cooking liquid, instead of water, makes the result a double broth, so each layer of meat adds to a base that is already savory.
A very low simmer, settling and careful skimming keep the proteins and fat from clouding the liquid, and straining through a cloth removes the last fine particles. Because the soup is never boiled hard or squeezed through the cloth, it stays clear.
Modern Kitchen Tips
Do not rush the browning. A deep brown crust on the bottom of the pot is the source of the color, but stop short of black, which turns bitter.
Keep the heat at a bare simmer for the full four hours. If the liquid boils, it clouds and the fat emulsifies into it.
Chilling the soup overnight lets the fat set into a solid cap that is easy to lift off, which gives a cleaner, clearer result than skimming alone.
A classic of early 20th century home cooking, preserved and adapted for the modern kitchen.
The Story Behind This Recipe
Historical Context
Early 20th century recipes for clear brown soups of this kind typically began with an already-made beef broth, to which more meat was added to make a stronger, darker double broth. Home cooks of the period browned the meat with bacon and onion first, which gave the soup its dark amber color, simmered it for many hours, then let it settle, skimmed off all the fat and strained it through a clean cloth. It was served in cups, plain, without noodles or other additions, as a first course. The traditional approach did not specify the amount of broth, the cut or size of the meat, the weight of the hen, or the quantity of vegetables.
Modern Kitchen Adaptation
The period method begins with ordinary strained beef broth but gives no quantity; 4 litres of unsalted broth is estimated, enough to cover the meats and hen. If no broth is available, unsalted stock or water can be used, giving a lighter result. 'Soft beef' is read as lean boneless chuck or round, 'dark liver' as beef liver, and 'cleaned hen' as a plucked, drawn stewing hen of about 1.5 kg, which gives more flavor than a young chicken. The amounts of bacon (150 g), onion (3 of about 150 g), soup vegetables (500 g), celery root (100 g), peppercorns (8), salt (1 tsp, to taste) and the piece sizes were not specified and have been estimated, along with the very low simmer (about 90°C) and the browning times. The period method browns the meat with the lid on; here the pot is covered for the first 15 minutes while the fat renders and then uncovered, so the meat browns instead of steaming. The soup is not clarified with egg whites as a classical consommé is; its clarity comes from the gentle simmer, settling, skimming and cloth straining. For a glass-clear result, a modern cook can clarify it with an egg-white raft. Once the soup is strained, the meats and hen are spent and are discarded.
Images on this site are AI-generated illustrations in a 1930s style; your finished dish may look different.
This recipe is an independent modern adaptation developed from historical sources in the public domain. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional dietary, nutritional, or medical advice. Food preparation involves inherent risks. The reader assumes full responsibility for safe food handling, ingredient sourcing, and adherence to current local food safety guidelines. The site operator accepts no liability for outcomes resulting from the preparation or consumption of this recipe.
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