MAKES: about 3 quarts (1 cup per serving) · PREP TIME: 20 minutes · COOK TIME: 24 hours

While the process of making your own bone broth can seem a little daunting and can even get a little messy, the health benefits alone make it so worth the effort. Bone broth is amazing for gut health and digestion. It also helps inhibit infection and fight inflammation. You can use this broth in any recipe in the book that calls for beef or chicken stock.

INGREDIENTS

•3 pounds beef or chicken bones

•5 cloves garlic, peeled

•2 medium carrots, cut into large chunks

•2 ribs celery, cut into large chunks

•2 bay leaves

•1 medium red onion, cut into large chunks

•¼ cup fresh herbs (parsley, dill, thyme, oregano, rosemary)

•2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

•1 tablespoon sea salt

•2 teaspoons black peppercorns

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lay the bones in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until browned, about 20 minutes.

2. Preheat a slow cooker on the low setting. Put the garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaves, onion, herbs, vinegar, salt, and peppercorns in the slow cooker.

3. Put the roasted bones on top of the vegetables and fill the slow cooker with water. Cover and cook for 24 to 48 hours. The longer you cook it, the more minerals and nutrients will be drawn out of the bones.

4. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the bones and vegetables.

5. Transfer to jars and store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for later use.

tips: For chicken bone broth, I use whole chicken carcasses from rotisserie chickens and leave any remaining bits of meat on the bones. For beef bone broth, I like to use a combination of oxtail, knuckles, and short ribs. You can usually find large packs of soup bones in the butcher’s section of the grocery store. If you do not see them, ask someone at the deli counter.

A good bone broth will develop a gel-like consistency in the fridge and have a thick layer of hardened fat on top. Scrape the fat off and discard, or use it for cooking. When you heat the broth, it will return to a liquid state.

PER SERVING:

CALORIES: 33

FAT: 0.9g

PROTEIN: 6.5g

TOTAL CARBS: 0g

FIBER: 0g

NET CARBS: 0g