Gut-loving Organic Chicken Broth *recipe*
The endless wonders of bone broth - firstly, it’s such a versatile ingredient that can be used as the base for stews, casseroles, soup, curries, ramen or just put in a mug and consumed on its own. Secondly and most importantly, it’s rich in minerals, collagen, amino acids (such as glycine and L-glutamine) and many nutrients. These help to promote gut-health, repair the gut lining, support the immune system and contribute to overall vitality.
Making bone broth is also a great way of making the most of a Sunday roast, so that nothing goes to waste afterwards.
It’s best to make the broth using a slow cooker, for ease, but it can also be done in the oven. Here’s the recipe:
What you’ll need
Organic chicken carcass - you can get these from your local butcher or buy an entire chicken for a roast and use what is left
2 x Bay leaves
Pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
Splash of apple cider vinegar
2 litres of cold filtered water (or enough to cover the entire chicken by an inch)
Optional - chopped onion, carrots and celery
Optional - pinch of any herbs of your choice
How to make it
Add the chicken carcass to a slow cooker
Add the water, bay leaves, seasoning and a generous splash of apple cider vinegar
Add optional vegetables and herbs
Place on lid and switch the slow cooker to the high heat setting, until the water begins to simmer
Then switch it down to the low heat setting (slow cooker heat settings vary depending on the brand, so use the medium setting if this is a better option on yours)
Leave to simmer for 12 hours
Once ready, turn off the cooker and leave the broth to cool
Once cooled, use a fine sieve to pour the broth into a large bowl to separate the liquid broth from the chicken and carcass
Store this liquid broth in sealed glass jars / containers (which you can store in the fridge for up to three days or freeze)
Carefully separate any chicken meat from the carcass and store the chicken meat in glass containers / jars - this is a great way of having shredded chicken which you can use in the broth or other recipes (you can store this in containers and freeze until needed too)
There are so many great ways to use the broth in meals - I’ll post more recipes on this! :)