Bone broth seems to be promoted as a cure all. In a way, it is. It has so much potential as a medicine. Being an herbalist, it only makes sense to me to add healing herbs, mushrooms and roots to the stockpot. Along with broth‘s base benefits, plants can help it become a powerful food medicine. Bone broth isn’t actually a miracle cure that will instantly heal your gut and joints. It’s more about the act of nourishing your body daily and getting those essential amino acids into your everyday diet. Healing amino acids protect us from disease, transport nutrients to where they need to go and can become an important aid in recovery. The body doesn’t naturally produce a lot of the essential amino acids so we need to get them from our diet. A deficiency can lead to poor immune response, digestive problems and even depression.
Bone broth is also an amazing source of gelatin which contains glutamic acid, a substance that can promote a healthy mucosal lining in the stomach. This helps the body absorb more nutrients from our food. When our intestines are constantly inflamed it can be an ideal environment for disease to grow. The broth, along with healing herbs, can help prevent this. The inulin in burdock roots is a great example as it promotes growth of beneficial bacteria and reduces inflammation. A lot of the herbs I work with are known as tonic herbs, which means they must be taken everyday to have an effect on the body’s system. Adding them to a daily bone broth ritual helps with this practice. One of the main reasons I work with food medicine is because we’ve all become so detached from what we use to fuel our bodies that we’ve forgotten it’s there to nourish, repair and heal.
Although cultures around the world have utilized broths for centuries, often citing their healing benefits, there is unfortunately limited scientific research on the subject. While both history and tradition support its nourishing qualities, modern science seems more focused on profit than preserving these practices. Some sources even claim that bone broth is a "complete lie." How can eating nutritiously be wrong? Even if it doesn’t provide an instant cure for conditions like arthritis, it remains a healthy habit that can strengthen the body and promote overall well-being—depending on the ingredients added. The combination of garlic, leek, and onion alone offers numerous gut-healing properties.
A word on beef selection...
Grass fed beef has about 5 times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids as regular grain fed beef. Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for preventing diseases and controlling inflammation. It is also leaner and has much less saturated fat. Grass fed beef is packed with more vitamins because the cows are out in the sunshine eating grass instead of in a feedlot eating unnatural soy and corn products. Grain-fed cows can also be given antibiotics and growth hormones which goes into your meat. This produces a meat that is high in inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids.
I choose food with the sun in it. I choose living food. -Meredith Leigh
Alright let’s get to the process! You will need:
Ingredient List
4 pounds beef marrow bones
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 large carrots
1 leek
1 onion
3 celery stalks
8 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tbsp peppercorns
Salt to taste
Herbs + Roots + Mushrooms of choice
Healing + Nutritive Plant Medicine
Nettle
Dandelion root
Burdock root
Oatstraw
Reishi
Chaga
Birch Polypore
Garlic
Dulse
Ginger
Calendula
Rose
Astragalus
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the bones and vegetables to a roasting pan, smear with tomato paste, and roast for about 40 minutes, or until aromatic and browned. After roasting, transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot, making sure to scrape up all the juices from the pan. Add the bay leaves, vinegar, peppercorns, and any additional mushrooms, herbs, or roots. The vinegar helps extract minerals from the bones. Add delicate flowers toward the end of cooking to preserve their flavor and nutrients.
Fill the pot with cold water until all contents are fully submerged and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for at least 8 hours, up to 24 hours. Never boil or cover the broth, as this can cause impurities and fats to blend into the liquid.
As the broth cooks, skim off any fat regularly and add more water if needed to keep the bones submerged. Once your preferred cooking time is complete, remove from heat and let it cool. After cooling, strain the broth into another pot or container and season with salt. When straining, try to avoid disturbing the bones and plant matter as much as possible. Keep in mind that when using the broth in a soup, you will likely season it again, so be cautious not to add too much salt. You can always adjust the seasoning later.
Store the broth in jars or containers of your choice and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage. Made every Sunday, this process can become a weekly healing ritual.
Pro tips: Use chicken bones instead of beef bones for a lighter broth(omit tomato paste). Both beef marrow and chicken bones are said to have healing properties for inflamed joints.
You can add a caramelized mirepoix near the end of the cooking time to add extra flavour.
mire•poix noun
a mixture of sautéed aromatic vegetables usually consisting of the classic combination of carrot, onion, celery and sometime leek.