If you’ve wandered down the soup aisle of a grocery store lately, chances are you’ve noticed chicken stock and beef bullion’s new cousin: bone broth. Whether you like to sip it like a medicinal tea or use it as a base for soups and stews, bone broth (or broth, as your grandmother would call it) is frequently touted for its wrinkle-erasing, bone-building, inflammation-fighting properties that can cure everything from the common cold to arthritis.

While most of these claims are based on anecdotal (not scientific) evidence, one thing is certain: A warm bowl of scratch-made broth will almost always ease sniffles and body aches, and instantly warm you on a cold day. Also worth noting, bone broth is a good source of protein –– providing 6 to 12 grams per cup — which makes it a great post-winter workout sip.

Whether you’re roasting prime rib for a party or picking up a rotisserie chicken on your way home from work, using leftover bones to make homemade broth is simpler, and quicker, than you might think. Traditional homemade bone broth takes hours of simmering low and slow on the stove, but it takes less than an hour in an electric pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot. All you have to do is add a few aromatics and seasonings, then set it and forget it!

Homemade bone broth freezes well and can be used in a number of ways. Use it instead of water when cooking quinoa or rice, make a quick and delicious homemade soup like this one-pot lemon chicken orzo soup, or whip up a quick stir-fry sauce by combining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch with a cup of broth. Yum!

One-Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Makes: 8 cups bone broth

INGREDIENTS

• bones from 1 cooked, 4-5 pound organic chicken
• 2 large carrots, quartered
• 2 celery stalks, quartered
• 1 onion halved, with skin
• 2 cloves garlic
• fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 lemon, halved
• 8 cups water (keep water level 1 inch below the MAX fill line)

DIRECTIONS

Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE –– MEDIUM. Add chicken bones and saute for about 3 minutes, or until browned bits begin to stick to the bottom of pot. Press CANCEL to turn off Instant Pot.

Add remaining ingredients. Secure the lid onto Instant Pot, making sure the steam release is set to “SEALING.”

Set Instant Pot to PRESSURE COOK –– HIGH for 45 minutes. When done, hit CANCEL to turn off Instant Pot. You may carefully release the pressure using the quick-release valve or allow pressure to release gradually over 10 to 15 minutes.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and transfer stock into bowl. When you get to the bottom, carefully pour remaining broth through strainer. Season with additional salt, if desired.

Once cool, store bone broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze broth by laying it flat in a freezer bag for up to 1 year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu-t3y5lZvU

Video and Photo credit: Elle Penner, RD MPH

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