Bone Broth
LEVEL: EASY
A Healing Herbal Broth
Bone Broth is a weekly recipe in our household. In its simplest form, it is a union of bones, vegetables, and herbs simmered slowly in water for an extended period of time. It is the base of soups and stews - and many meals in general. It is a freezer staple and can also be a sipping broth at night to help wind down.
This recipe can easily be a vegetarian herbal broth by omitting the meat/bones and adding alot more veggies/herbs. In fact, everything is adaptable to your taste - use as much or as little of any ingredient and if you only have a few of the pantry herbs, it is okay too! A nourishing broth can still be made with a few ingredients you already have on hand.
Recipe
Large stock pot
8-10 C filtered water
1 whole chicken (or beef bones; omit for vegetarian version)
Fresh Vegetables + Scraps on hand (head of garlic, carrots, celery, onion, lemon, scallions, etc.)
Pantry Herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, ginger, turmeric, bay leaf, peppercorn, etc.)
Medicinal Herbs (ashwaghanda, goji berry, astragalus, calendula, nettle, etc.)
Seaweed (Kombu, Wake)
Dried Shiitake and other mushrooms (chaga, cordyceps)
In a large stock pot, add all ingredients: meat/bones and vegetables/herbs.
Fill with water. Ensure all ingredients are submerged.
Bring to a boil with the pot uncovered.
Lower to medium/medium-low and simmer uncovered for 2-3 hours until broth has reduced slightly.
If using a whole chicken, this is when I like to remove the chicken breast and thighs and shred the meat to use in meals throughout the week.
Cover and simmer on low for several hours (at least 3-4 more hours, but it's best if it is simmering all day). Broth should have reduced by about 1/3 throughout this entire process.
Strain and let cool. Once cool, jar it up!
Sip on broth throughout the week for its gut-healing benefits and use for your soups/stews/meals.
To expedite the cooking process, a slow cooker or pressure cooker would work as well. This should last about 3-4 days in the fridge and up to a year if frozen, but always check for freshness first.
