It’s amazing the nutrients that lay hidden in vegetables, herbs, carcasses, and bones, that with some simmering, become bioavailable to us for our best health and well-being.
When I’m feeling less than my best, a chicken broth is my ideal. Yet, if I’m looking for thicker collagen, something so thick I can cut with a knife, beef broth is my choice. And yet, if I need a good top up of vitamins and minerals, outside of a supplement, vegetables and herbs are my way to go. Some of my favorite broths, however, include everything- vegetables, herbs, carcasses and bones.
An excellent resource for making ‘old-fashioned nourishing broths’ is, Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World by Sally Fallon Morell, wherein it discusses Basic Broth Science, The Healing Power of Broth, and Recipes. I love that this book not only includes how to make excellent broth but also gives tasty recipes to use your broth.
Regardless of which soup I may be cooking, I always add extra veggies. Not only does this allow for outstanding flavor, but an incredible dose of good nutrients.
Broth is an excellent, age-old way, of offering tremendous benefit to any wholesome diet! No matter how you make or consume your broth.
At home, here are my preferences for broths:
Owner and Founder of
Essence Vitality Wellness
1 or more chicken or turkey carcasses (feet optional)
Salt, to taste
1–2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Water (enough to fill a large slow cooker)
Place carcasses in a large slow cooker.
Add apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt.
Fill with water to cover everything.
Cook on low for 24–48 hours.
Remove bones and solids.
Chill broth in the refrigerator, skim off the fat, and store or use as desired.
This broth has a neutral flavor and works well for soups, grains, oatmeal, or sipping warm.
Beef bones (marrow bones optional)
Himalayan salt and pepper
Water
Season beef bones with salt and pepper.
Roast at 350°F for 1–2 hours, turning occasionally.
Transfer roasted bones to a slow cooker.
Add water to cover bones.
Cook on low for up to 3 days, adding water as needed.
Remove bones, chill broth, skim fat, and store.
For the thickest, most gelatin-rich broth, longer cook times work best.
Use any combination of:
Potatoes
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Garlic
Rosemary
Oregano
Thyme
Beets
Squash
Additional vegetables or herbs as desired
Plus:
Chicken or beef bones
Water
Salt, to taste
Add bones, vegetables, and herbs to a slow cooker.
Fill with water to cover.
Cook on low based on bone type:
Poultry: 24–48 hours
Beef: up to 3 days
Remove solids, chill, skim fat, and use as a nourishing base for soups or cooking.
1 large onion, chopped
4 or more garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp avocado oil
1–2 cups carrots, chopped
1–2 cups celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 cups zucchini or other squash
1–2 cups diced tomatoes
1 small jar organic pasta sauce
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup cannellini beans
Optional: chickpeas
1–1.5 cups small shell chickpea pasta
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp–1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes, optional
8 cups veggie & herb broth
Vegan cheese, optional topping
Sauté onion and garlic in avocado oil.
Add all remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot.
Pressure cook for 5 minutes.
Quick release pressure.
Serve warm and top as desired.
Assorted vegetables and herbs
Rice miso
Chickpea miso
Water
Add vegetables and herbs to a slow cooker.
Add water to cover.
Stir in miso (about 1 tsp–1 Tbsp per cup of water, split evenly between rice and chickpea miso).
Cook on low for 24 hours.
Remove vegetables and herbs before serving or storing.
This broth is thick, savory, and deeply satisfying.
Monique Bilodeau-Nestmann is the founder of Essence Vitality. A healer in the truest sense of the word, her life’s work was born through lived experience, deep faith, and a relentless journey from illness to vitality. Known professionally as a natural health practitioner, educator, and mentor, Monique’s path has been shaped by profound personal healing that awakened her calling to serve others. No matter the role she holds, who she is remains the same…a devoted guide of light, walking with courage and compassion, committed to helping others remember the body’s God-given capacity to heal and rise into the fullest expression of life.
