There’s something about cooking with leftovers that brings a smile to the face. Squeezing every last drop of flavour and goodness from your food is a satisfying feeling.
One of the best dishes to make from bits and bobs in the kitchen is bone broth, a simple soup that continues to occupy a position as one of the most talked-about trends among devotees of healthy eating.
Warming and full of goodness, bone broth is a nutritious soup made from bones, herbs and vegetables that can be added to a host of other dishes to add flavour. When used as a base ingredient – almost identical to stock – it provides a depth of flavour to soups, sauces, gravies and stews.
Cooked gently and slowly, sometimes for up to eight hours, a healing batch of bone broth is simple to make and can be stored in the fridge for around a week, ready to be added to your home meals.
Especially good for bolstering immune systems and helping you recover from a sniffle during winter, bone broth is a tried and tested old-fashioned ingredient that’s still widely used in world cuisines and acts as a delicious and aromatic dose of medicine.
As well as being immensely satisfying, this comfort food provides your body with plenty of protein, glucosamine and vitamins. The collagen in the meat or poultry bones turns into gelatine when cooked, which can ease aching joints. Brittle hair, tired skin and broken nails will all benefit from a dose of collagen, too. Niacin and riboflavin, meanwhile, are good for your digestive system and metabolism.
Bone broth also makes good economic sense as it utilises those meat bones you might usually have thrown away after cooking them. Whether you choose chicken, beef or turkey – all can be used to make a tasty broth. Place the bones in just enough water to cover them, add onions, carrots and perhaps celery or leeks, plus a few herbs, a sprinkling of salt, and something acidic such as apple cider vinegar to bring out the collagen and let it simmer. Eventually, after its healing aromas have filled your home, you will have transformed a pot of leftover bones into a wonderfully restorative broth.