Staying warm is vital during this time of year. You should, of course, layer up with sweaters, socks, hats, and scarves. But it’s also very comforting to get warm internally. Probably the most nourishing and satisfactory method of warming your body both internally and externally is to enjoy a delicious soup made from bone broth.
Why Make Bone Broth?
Bone broth is a broth made from boiling beef, chicken, pork, or any other type of bones. You can roast the bones first or you can throw a whole chicken in there - as long as you give the broth time to extract the nutrients from the bones and herbs you include, you will end up with a great soup base or nutritious drink.
You may be wondering why you shouldn’t just make broth from bouillon or some other pre-made item that you can buy in stores. Your answer is that homemade bone broth has a ton of essential nutrients including glucosamine, collagen, magnesium, calcium, amino acids, and more. Bone broth can:
- Strengthen the lining of your gut.
- Protect your joints from wear and tear.
- Keep your skin looking youthful and healthy.
- Support your immune system.
- Assist during detoxification.
- Boost metabolism.
- Ward off fatigue and assist in getting a good night’s sleep.
- Improve bone health.
Bone Broth Recipe
Here is my favorite bone broth recipe, which includes a great soup in which you can use the broth. I've also created a video here so you can see many of the ingredients in this recipe, plus a vegan version of the broth recipe. I hope you enjoy them!
Ingredients:
For the broth
1 whole chicken trimmed of fat, 3 ½ - 4 lbs
11-12 cups of water
4 shallots, cut into thin slices
6 slices fresh ginger, smashed lightly
4 whole star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 American ginseng root
⅓ cups fish sauce
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the soup
6 oz rice noodles (flat or vermicelli)
2 cups bean sprouts
¼ cup minced scallion greens
¼ cup minced cilantro
1 cup Thai holy basil leaves, shredded
1 lime, cut into 6ths
1 fresh hot red pepper, cut into thin slices
Instructions:
For the broth
- Cut the chicken through the bones into 10-12 pieces.
- Add all broth ingredients except fish sauce and pepper to a large, heavy pot and bring to a boil.
- Turn heat on low and let the broth simmer, uncovered, for at least 1 ½ hours, periodically skimming the impurities from the top of the broth.
- Strain into a bowl and set aside all solid broth ingredients. Pour liquid back into the pot and skim again.
- Add fish sauce and black pepper to broth and reduce heat to a bare simmer - just to keep it warm.
For the soup
- Place rice noodles in a deep mixing bowl.
- Pour boiling water over them until they are completely submerged.
- Allow the noodles to soak for about 20 minutes, stirring them periodically to loosen.
- While noodles are soaking, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Strain the noodles and then put them into the large pot of boiling water.
- Cook until noodles are just tender.
- Drain in a colander and then rinse under warm water. Drain again.
- Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and cut or shred meat.
- Ladle equal portions cooked noodles into 6 serving bowls.
- Add bean sprouts to hot broth, turn heat to high and cook for 1-2 minutes. Skim surface once more.
- Ladle chicken, bean sprouts, and broth over noodles. Sprinkle scallions, cilantro, and basil on top.
- Serve with lime wedges and hot pepper slices on the side for extra seasoning.
This makes a hearty soup that not only tastes wonderful but is full of vital vitamins and minerals.
If you’re looking for ways to stay warm this fall and winter - or would like to find new ways to add nutrition to your diet, contact AOM Health today. We are here to help you get and stay healthy, all season long.