Bone broth soup, the ‘elixir’ of life

Bone broth really is all the healthy hype now. And eating bone broth soup is a very tasty way of helping to build your body. You have always been told to drink chicken soup by your grandmother when you were ill and there really is so much truth to it. Bone broth can treat leaky gut syndrome, improve joint health, help you to overcome intolerances and allergies and boost your immune system. For people who suffer from auto-immune illnesses, it can make all the difference to healing your body.

But, it is a bit of a hassle to make it yourself because it can take a good 48 hours. If you are not quite that domesticated you need to buy really good quality bone broth from a reputable organic store like Jacksons or directly from Farmer Angus.

The usual bone broths in supermarkets will not quite cut it and will probably be laden with preservatives.

Bones from any animal can be turned into broth.  It is best to you use marrow or knuckle bones that are high in collagen. Also, make sure that you are using the bones of pasture fed animals that are free of hormones and antibiotics

But why are bone broths so great you may ask?

Well, it is because they are nutrient-dense, easy to digest rich in flavour and they boost healing. When simmering bones it causes the bones and ligaments to release healing compounds like collagen, glycine and glutamine. (It’s basically the compounds found in all the expensive joint health supplements).

How to make bone broths?

Place bones into a large saucepan and cover with water. Add apple cider vinegar to the water. This helps to pull out the important nutrients from the bones. Leave plenty of room for the water to boil.Heat slowly. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for at least six hours. Remove scum as it arises.

Cook slow and at a low heat. Chicken bones can cook for 24 hours and beef bones can cook for 48 hours. You can also add vegetables such as onions, garlic, carrots and celery.

Bone Appetit has some great tips on how to make your own bone broth.

My bone broth soup recipe

For this recipe, I used beef bones and my slow cooker. And then added lentils and potatoes to thicken up the soup.  Add the end I added some lovely fresh swiss chard from my Munching mongoose order. And served it up with freshly baked sourdough brown bread. We ate a lot of soup this winter. There really is nothing better on cold days than having a warm bowl of soup that also nourishes your body.

You can also play around with adding different vegetables, gluten free pasta’s and extra meat.

Bone broth soup

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 120 minutes
• Total Time: 135 minutes
• Category: Soup

Print

Pin

---

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Bone Broth

• 1 kg beef bones with marrow
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbs apple cider vinnegar
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 sticks celery chopped
• 2 carrots chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• Handful fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary
• salt to taste

Bone broth vegetable soup

• 1 cup lentils or barley
• 2 potatoes chopped in cubes
• Big handful swiss chard chopped

---

Instructions

1. While the pot is on medium heat, pour in the oil then add the sliced Onions and Garlic, once onions start caramelizing add the bones, add a pinch of salt and start mixing the bones and onions together, this should be done for at least 7-10 minutes without the onions burning. This is to caramelize the meat.
2. Now add the ingredients for the bone broth. Add water and the apple cider vinnegar. You can either cook it in the saucepan on a low and slow heat for anything between 3-48 hours (depending on how much goodness you want to get from the bones) You can also add the ingredients to your slow cooker and cook it for the recommended 48 hours). Remember to take the scum off.
3. When your broth is ready add the potatoes, lentils (wash lentils before cooking) and even extra vegetables. Cook until potatoes and lentils are soft. You might need to add extra water depending on the thickness. If your soup still needs flavour you can add soya sauce, salt or something I often use; Knorr stock pots. 
4. Lastly, remove all the bones and large pieces of herbs. Add the chopped swiss chard and cook for a few minutes until it has wilted. Serve with fresh sourdough bread.

---

Notes

Don’t over complicate this recipe and be creative with what is available in your fridge or pantry. If you can make a large batch to freeze for emergencies.

If you don’t have the time or energy to make your own bone broth just buy really good quality bone broth and start by frying the onions, garlic, and carrots. Then add the broth, potatoes and lentils and cook until everything is soft. And you have a nice thick soup. If the soup is too thick add more water.