Bone broth is a popular savoury liquid that is made by simmering bones and sometimes meat or vegetables.
It is great for digestive health, which is the biggest part of your immune system.
I have put together a guide for making your own nourishing bone broth using beef and chicken bones. There are also four delicious and easy-to-make recipes in the guide including Vietnamese-style Beef and Mushroom Pho, Chicken Noodle Soup, Beef and Sweet Potato Stew, and Chicken and Mushroom Risotto.
1. How To Make a Simple Chicken Bone Broth
To create a simple chicken bone broth, the first thing you’ll need is chicken bones. If you’ve had a roast chicken, save the carcass and throw it in the slow cooker. The chicken bone broth is much quicker to make than beef bone broth, as the bones break down more easily.
You can add as much, or as little in terms of additional flavours as you wish to your slow cooker. This recipe uses root vegetables, fresh thyme and garlic, but a word of caution when choosing your extras; carrots will give the broth a very sweet taste, so be sparing with the root vegetables and generous with the herbs.
Ingredients:
- 1 chicken carcass
- 1 carrot
- 1 bulb of garlic
- 1 stick of celery
- 1 leek
- 1/2 parsnip
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- Water
Method:
- Add all of the ingredients into your slow cooker.
- Top up with water, so that everything is covered – but not so much that it will overflow.
- Cover with the lid, and set the timer for 10-12 hours on ‘high’.
- Occasionally skim the surface of any residue or ‘scum’.
- After the time has passed, remove the lid and strain the liquid from the ingredients.
- Store in a glass container in the fridge, once cool, for up to three days.
2. How to Make a Basic Beef Bone Broth
A good beef bone broth will take 12-24 hours to slow cook, to release all of the nutrients from the large bones. I would recommend beef marrow bones for bone broth.
This recipe uses fresh fennel and leeks to add an extra depth of flavour, but you can add whichever vegetables you feel would pair nicely with the taste of beef. When your bone broth is ready, portion it into several containers so that it cools quickly and can be chilled. You can keep your bone broth for three to four days in the fridge or you can freeze it for later use.
Once the broth has chilled, a layer of fat will form on the top. You can remove this and throw it away or keep it and use it like butter, for cooking – it contains lots of nutrients from the bones. A well-made bone broth will wobble once chilled.
Top Tip: Freeze your bone broth into ice cube trays, for handy portioned stock cubes.
Ingredients:
- 3 beef marrow bones
- 1 sliced carrot
- 1 bulb of garlic
- 1/2 a bulb of fennel
- 1 leek or 3 shallots
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
Method:
- Roast the bones in the oven for 20 minutes, at 200C. This helps to release the flavour.
- Add all of the ingredients into your slow cooker.
- Top up with water, so that everything is covered – but not so much that it will overflow.
- Cover with the lid, and set the timer for 15 hours on ‘high’.
- Occasionally skim the surface of any residue or scum.
- After the time has passed, set the timer for 5-10 hours on low. This is entirely up to you, based on what finishing time will be most convenient.
- Remove the lid and strain the liquid from the ingredients.
- Store in a glass container in the fridge, once cool, for up to three days.
- Once the broth has set in the fridge, scrape the fat from the surface.
You can enjoy your bone broth as a warm drink, or you can incorporate it into recipes, in a similar way to how you would use a chicken or beef stock.
Here are four recipes for you to try, that feature your nutritious bone broth.
3. Beef and Mushroom Pho
A pho is a delicious broth served with a selection of fragrant garnishes such as fresh herbs, chilli and lime; allowing each person to create a taste to suit their personal palate.
Macros:
Calories: 481 Carbs: 43g Fat: 14g Protein: 45g
4. Chicken Noodle Soup
A comforting classic that you can make in 10 minutes, with nutritious chicken bone broth and rice noodles.
Macros:
Calories: 405 Carbs: 25g Fat: 19g Protein: 37g
5. Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
Tender beef and soft, sweet potato are perfectly paired with fresh thyme, fennel and nutritious beef bone broth for a nourishing bowl of hearty stew. Put your slow cooker to good use and take the hassle out of dinnertime with this cosy recipe.
Macros:
(Per serving) Calories: 350 Carbs: 50g Fat: 2.8g Protein: 33g
6. Chicken and Mushroom Risotto
When you fancy something filling and rich but don’t have an hour to spare, try this very simple brown rice risotto recipe. It makes use of all your leftover meal prep and takes just 15-20 minutes, as opposed to an hour.
