As soon as the temperatures start coming down, I love to make soup. It is not only a healthy option for lunch or dinner, but soups are typically easy on the wallet. With inflation high right now, there is no better time to find ways to feed your family more economically. There are many different soup recipes and ideas. Today we are going to focus on making a healthy bone broth base and then give you two soup recipes.
Chicken Bone Broth
Bone broth is one of the most nutrient-dense and versatile liquids. It is made by cooking bones in water for a long period of time with an acidic element like vinegar to help extract the nutrients from the bones. Bone broth is high in collagen, amino acids, and proteins. According to Health.com, it has been found to improve gut health, joint pain, skin elasticity, and more. In a stock pot, bone broth usually takes up to 8 to 16 hours to make. However, it is easy to make in an Instant Pot, which is the recipe I am going to give you.
When I roast a chicken, I save the bones and put them in a freezer ziploc bag. When I have two to three carcasses, then I am ready to make bone broth. I also like to buy chicken feet from the grocery store. HEB usually has them with the chicken. Chicken feet are not necessary, but they add a ton of collagen to the bone broth. For flavor, I like to add garlic cloves, carrots, and celery. I personally find onion makes the broth have a slightly bitter taste, but you can be the judge. In addition, you can add other herbs like sage, parsley, or thyme. Adding tumeric can also help with inflammation. Of course, you must add an acidic element to draw out the nutrients. I love to use apple cider vinegar with the mother in it.
Bone Broth Recipe-
2-3 chicken carcasses
6 chicken feet (optional)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 cloves of garlic
2 carrots, cleaned and peeled
1 celery stalk, cleaned
pinch of sea salt
2 bay leaves
small amounts of your favorite herbs for flavor
In your Instant Pot, place the bones and chicken feet in the pot. Add 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Then place the garlic, carrots, celery in the pot. Add the sea salt, bay leaves, and any other herbs. Fill pot with water until it is right below the maximum fill line.
Place the lid on securely, make sure the vent is set to “sealing”, and set the machine to cook at high pressure for 120 minutes. Then allow it to naturally release pressure. This takes up to 30 minutes. Let it cool down. Then you can strain the broth and store in mason jars or even freezer bags. It will keep for four days in the fridge or three months in the freezer.
***Note: I usually set this to cook right as I am going to bed. Then the Instant Pot simmers it for hours while I am sleeping. When I wake up, I turn it off and later strain the broth once it has cooled.***
Minestrone Soup
Now that the chicken bone broth is made, you have a wonderful and delicious base on which to make minestrone soup. I first heard about this soup on the Netflix show, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones. People of Sardinia eat this soup on a daily basis. Although, their recipe uses vegetable stock, unless you are a vegetarian, chicken bone broth is a great substitute. Here is their recipe.
In addition to changing vegetable stock for chicken bone broth, I also use sweet potato instead of a regular potato so that it will have a lower glycemic index. Soup recipes can easily be altered based on your personal preferences or health needs.
Tumeric and Kale Chicken Soup
I found this recipe at The Inspired Home. It has all the makings of preventative medicine in a bowl—bone broth, garlic, and tumeric. I haven’t changed a thing with this recipe. Use your Instant Pot again to have this delicious soup ready in just minutes. If you have just made your chicken bone broth, save some of the deboned roasted chicken for this recipe, which allows you to skip the browning of the chicken step and go straight to sauteing the veggies.
Feel confident this fall with these delicious and healthy soup recipes all made with a chicken bone broth base. Build up your family’s immunity with nutrient-dense and economical soup recipes that feed the body and warm the soul.