Health Benefits of Bone Broth: Simple Bone Broth Recipe

If someone had told me a decade ago that bone broth would become so trendy that across North America we’d be buying it in to-go cups from restaurants and street vendors, I would’ve been simultaneously amused and fascinated by this utopian future. (I would also have suggested we bring our own reusable cups if we’re getting broth for takeaway). Now that bone broth is firmly entrenched in our food culture, and for great health reasons, perhaps some of my other dreams (like unicorns!) aren’t far behind? Let’s dive in to the health benefits of bone broth and my recipe for a simple immune powered bone broth is down below. Grandmothers have known for centuries that bone broth is good for us. They may not have known exactly why, but there was some kind of innate wisdom that urged them to simmer broth when we’re sick and incorporate it in a wide variety of cooked dishes.

Only Quality Bones for Bone Broth

What we eat becomes what we’re made of – our food is literally the building blocks of our physical body, from our cells to our bones and joints to our skin to our brains. With animals, it’s the same thing. So when you eat any animal product, you’re eating what that animal eats. That means it’s equally important to use bones from organic, pasture-raised animals wherever possible to glean the powerful nutrition benefits from bone broth. You can get your bones in a few ways:

• Visit your local butcher, grocery store or farmer’s market and ask them for organic bones or the bones from pastured animals. It’s often wise to call your butcher ahead and ask them to set bones aside. They are a hot commodity these days.
• If you have roasted a chicken or turkey, save the carcass and use it to make bone broth. You can also save the bones if you’ve only eaten chicken thighs or legs.

Bones That Make The Best Soups

The Jewish grandmothers and great aunts in my family swear by the tried and trusted chicken bone broth, often opting for the necks and feet as these are the cheapest, but also typically create the richest, most gelatinous soups. That being said, my mom has recently began creating her soups with a mix of chicken and beef bones, as the beef gives it that much more of a gelatin kick. Generally, the most common types of bones used for broths include:

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Beef
• Lamb
• Fish
• Wild game (venison, etc)

Each has its own distinct taste. Chicken and turkey are typically the mildest tasting and so these are a great place to start if you’re new to the broth game.

Vegan Broth Options

I recognize that not everyone is down with brewing broth from bones. Though bones hold unique properties that can easily be replicated with non-vegan sources, a quick google search for vegan bone-building broth will land you on some awesome recipe options that typically include high amounts of sea vegetables. In the case of vegan broths, you won’t be getting the collagen and gelatin that build the bones, but you will be getting high doses of complementary minerals that lend to bone and connective tissue healing and that also carry similar anti-inflammatory properties.

The Immune Power Broth in The UnDiet Cookbook offers both a vegan and non-vegan broth option.

My Immune-Powered Bone Broth Recipe

Bone broth is great for you with only bones and water for sure, but you can also amp up the nutritional properties of bone broth by adding in more nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, herbs and superfoods. Some of the amazing things you can use to round out your bone broth are:

• Onions. These guys are rich in immune-supportive Vitamin C, are anti-inflammatory and high in chromium, which is great for balancing blood sugar. And they make a kick-butt dairy-free French onion soup.
• Garlic. It has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Garlic is fantastic for the immune system and for improving heart health.
• Shiitake mushrooms. The beta-glucans in shiitakes help to modulate the immune system – ramping it up or dialling it back as needed.
• Turmeric. This highly anti-inflammatory spice can be used in so many ways (19 of them and counting, in fact). Aside from turmeric tea, bone broth is one of my favourite ways to incorporate more turmeric into my diet.
• Ginger. Another anti-inflammatory, immune-supportive root.
• Goji berries. These little red gems are rich in amino acids and antioxidants, and help to boost the immune system and energy levels.
• Apple cider vinegar. This fermented food helps to pull the nutrients from the bones.
• Parsley. This herb is high in the immune-supportive anti-oxidant Vitamins C and A. It is also great for detoxifying heavy metals.

Of course, any vegetables that you have lying around are great to use in bone broth! It’s handy to save the vegetable trimmings from your regular meal prep and stash them in a bag in the freezer. When the bag is full, it’s time for bone broth! (This is also a fantastic way to cut down on food waste.) This soup is based on the chicken soup I grew up eating. My mom perfected this magical potion and inspired me to take it to the next nutritional level. You should always have a jar of this in your freezer, because it’s pretty much the cure for everything. Give this immune power bone broth recipe a try! Print Note: This recipe cooks up amazingly well in a slow cooker as well. Cook your bones first as outlined in the above recipe, and then add all ingredients to your slow cooker. Set it on low and let is simmer away for 24 hours.

Feature Image: iStock/alleko