Homemade broth reminds us of home, the familiar smell of stock on the stove brings back memories of mothers, grandmothers, leftovers, and of course, hot soup.

Broth is one of those essential items to have in your kitchen. Not only delicious and comforting, it also is packed with health benefits. There’s a reason why grandmothers all around the world considered it a staple. It’s full of nutrients, comforting flavor, and it’s easy to make at home.

What is it exactly? It is essentially boiled down bones with some vegetables and spices for enhanced flavor. The classic vegetables added to stock are called a mirepoix, which includes carrots, celery and onions. Traditional spices include peppercorns, parsley, and thyme. Adding additional flavoring agents such as garlic enhance the flavor further but aren’t necessary. You can use chicken bones, beef bones, duck bones or even fish bones.

It’s best to use grass fed, organic animals because you will be boiling down the core of the animal and extracting all of those minerals and nutrients. When the bones are cooked, the structures breakdown and several beneficial compounds are released, including collagen and minerals such as calcium and magnesium. You can add stock to dishes to add depth of flavor or enjoy it on it’s own.

Next time you have leftover bones from your dinner, put them aside and start your own stock. Within a few hours (4-6 for chicken) you will have a delicious stock to either freeze for later use or have the next day with lunch. Now go try making your own!

Chicken Bone Broth Recipe

2 lbs of organic turkey or chicken carcass
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
3 carrots
2 celery stocks
2 onions
3 cloves of garlic
tablespoon of peppercorns
2 bay leaves
several springs of fresh parsley, lemon grass, rosemary or thyme (whatever you have handy)