One of the most frequent questions I receive is whether I am vegan or 100% plant-based. I’m ‘plant-based’, meaning my plates are filled with mostly veggies and fruits, but healthy, responsible animal products like grass fed ghee, pasture-raised chicken, grass fed beef, and BROTH are also an important part of my diet. I discovered this by listening to my body and realizing I feel so much more grounded and stable when I incorporate these kinds of proteins.

 

I’ve also had hormonal issues with acne over the years and tackled this with a multi-pronged approach, including a gut healing/anti-candida program, ridiculously good probiotics, clean skincare routine, cutting back on wearing makeup, and a cup of bone broth literally every day.

 

Bone broth has been a thing for the last few years (but has been one of the oldest medicinal foods in many parts of the world) and it has staying power for good reason. If you are new to  bone broth, think of it more as the most delicious chicken broth from your mom or grandma’s chicken soup. Chicken bone broth is a good place to start if your new to bone broth – it’s the beef broths that can taste a bit gamier/rich.

 

The benefits of bone broth

Bone broth is amazing when it comes to gut health, joint health and nourishing your body with a ton of minerals. The benefits of bone broth are endless but here are a few of my favorites

 

  • Heal your gut
  • Heal your skin
  • Strengthen your hair + nails
  • Heal your digestion
  • Soothe acid reflux
  • Boost immune system
  • Support joint, bone, muscle health
  • Bioavailable source of minerals like calcium and magnesium

My recipe for bone broth

I’m providing my most basic recipe below. My base recipe uses chicken bones because I typically have a very high quality chicken carcass to make broth with after roasting a chicken for the week. I like to add additional chicken feet to the bone broth because joints carry the gelatin (you’ll want about ⅓ of your bones to be the joints but you can still benefit from broth even without all the joints). Sometimes I will add beef bones and beef knuckles, which will require more time to extract all the amazing minerals. Chicken bones are a bit quicker, and you really only have to simmer them 12 – 16 hours.

 

My only instruction is to make sure to get your hands on high quality bones. In NYC, I love the butcher in Chelsea Market or Hudson + Charles in the West Village and in Brooklyn I’m a fan of the Meat Hook. Belcampo is my go-to when I’m in LA. Feel free to make the rest of the recipe your own, whether you want to add in some extra immune boosting fresh ginger and turmeric this time of year or mineral rich seaweed. The broth below also makes the most delicious base for soups. Let me know if you know if you try this at home!  

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 pasture-raised chicken carcass
  • 1 lb additional chicken neck, feet, or wings (or beef bones if you prefer)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 yellow onion, halved
  • 3 large carrots
  • 3 stalks of celery
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • Few sprigs of parsley
  • Few sprigs of thyme
Method

Add all ingredients to a large pot or slow cooker. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Skim any foam that rising to the surface. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12 – 24 hours, or up to 72 if you are using beef bones as well. (If I’m using a pot I usually simmer on a night I’m staying in so maybe 5pm on a Friday until 10 am on Saturday – an excuse for a nice, lazy morning 🙂 )

Skim a couple more times to remove any excess fat. Remove bones with a fork or tongs, dispose, and strain the rest into a bowl. Store in glass jars in the fridge or freezer. (I like to keep half in the fridge for a small cup each morning and will keep an extra few cups out to make a soup). Season by the cup, or as you use in cooking.

 

I love to enjoy a cup each morning with eggs and avocado, or with these breakfast tacos. Enjoy!

PS if you’ve made it too far and you’re not ready to tackle this at home, BRODO is NYC is delicious and the closest to homemade that it gets! It’s just not quite as cost effective 🙂