Queen Anne’s broth

Name: Queen Anne’s broth
Yield: To serve six
Cuisine: Northern Europe
Ingredients: 1.2 litres (2 pints) of your best chicken stock; 1 onion, chopped; 1 clove garlic; 2 sprigs parsley; 2 sprigs thyme; 2 sprigs mint; 2 sprigs lemon balm; 12 coriander seeds; large pinch saffron; 4 cloves; a little salt and freshly ground pepper; a little salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation info

To serve
six

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

British Cooking

By Caroline Conran

Published 1978

About

Queen Anne’s broth, a deep golden chicken broth flavoured with herbs and spices, was taken every morning for breakfast by that large ailing lady. She believed, and it was thought to be true, that the broth was particularly wholesome and nourishing.

Ingredients

1.2 litres (2 pints) of your best chicken stock
1 onion, chopped

Europe
United Kingdom
Soup
Breakfast
Gluten-free
Summer

Method

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes, covered, to infuse the broth with all the delicate herbal and spicy savours. Strain and serve hot, with freshly-made fingers of toast to dip into the soup.

In the summer you can add sorrel and shredded lettuce, as well as some of the more unusual herbs - purslane and borage, ‘but green herbs do rob the strength and vigou