Bone Broth- Does it really benefit you?
- Imogen Rossiter-Slade
- Jul 23
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 25
What is bone broth, and how is it made?
Bone broth is a form of stock that consists of animal bones being stewed in water. Its consumption is a growing trend in the UK that has traditional Chinese heritage, dated from over 2500 years ago. Later, in the 12th century, it became commonly known as ‘Jewish penicillin’ after a physician started prescribing chicken soup, containing bone broth to their patients to improve their health. It became a staple as a base in several East Asian dishes, and has now recently gained popularity in modern times due to better understanding of its many health benefits. It is frequently used in soups to enhance the warming flavours, or just drank on its own!
Bone broth is made by simmering your chosen animal bones, usually fish, beef, or chicken , over a low heat for a long period. Most recipes recommend at least 24 hours, but some recommend up to 48 hours to release the optimal amounts of nutrients from the bones, the timing is based mainly on the size of the bones with smaller ones releasing nutrients faster and larger ones slower.
In most cases, herbs, spices, and vegetables are added to enhance the flavours of the broth, and add a new depth to the flavour profile. Some of the common ingredients added are, garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and onions. A sharp flavour that can cut through the richness of the broth is lemon juice, or in turn, you can add ghee to thicken the broth further, making it more filling to drink by itself.
What is the difference between stock, broth and bone broth?
Despite the confusion of the name, bone broth is in fact a form of stock, rather than a broth like the name suggests. The main difference between broth and stock is that stock contains animal bones, whereas broth is simply made from meat and or vegetables.
What are the benefits of bone broth?
The list of benefits that bone broth provides is endless. It is a traditional, ancient remedy, and with good reason too! The bones simmered release many vital amino acids that help improve gut health by fortifying the intestinal barrier, whilst also reducing inflammation within your gut, making it a great candidate as a natural remedy for those with inflammatory bowel disease. In addition to this, bone broth contains high levels of collagen, from the connective tissue between the bones, and thus can have benefits for both our skin by replenishing its elasticity, and for our joints, by increasing the amount of cartilage, preventing excessive wear on our joints. It’s astounding how such a simple concept can provide so many benefits, and bone broth definitely covers many bases!
A review of Freja Chicken Bone Broth- Putting this Famous Bone Broth to the Test
Freja’s collection of bone broths is certainly not unknown in today’s world. From their naturally long shelf lives, to their high protein levels, with the added bonus that they are all sustainably sourced from Norway with extremely high welfare standards , there is very little to criticise about their bone broths! With no additives, these small-batch bone broths are bringing tradition back to our cupboards.
However, the real way to measure these is by a taste test, and it is safe to say that I was not disappointed. I tried Freja Chicken Bone Broth both directly from the carton, and incorporated into a ramen recipe mentioned below, and, the bone broth had a beautiful, rich flavour, with an astounding depth to it with all of the aromatics used, with a similar impact of eating a roast dinner. Whilst I personally prefer it incorporated into my meals, drinking it from the carton is amazing for those who are on the go, or even having it warm during the winter months for comfort. Overall, I couldn’t recommend Freja Bone Broth any more; it added an amazing level of warmth to my meal that made it feel so homely.
What recipes can I use bone broth in?
If drinking bone broth straight doesn’t appeal to you, there are many ways to incorporate it into your recipes! Any stock based soups are perfect when made with bone broth, particularly chicken bone broth to provide a comforting, classic flavour to your soups. I decided to make a popular traditional Japanese dish called ramen, which traditionally used bone broth with various aromatics, depending on the region, as the base for this dish.
BONE BROTH CHICKEN RAMEN RECIPE:
Ingredients (serves 2):
-1 carton Freja Chicken Bone Broth
-200-250g chicken breast
-1 pak choi, halved lengthwise
-1/2 tin bamboo shoots
-3 sliced spring onions
-1 egg
-125g wheat Asia noodles (I used biona organic noodles, but any will do!)
-Dark soy sauce
-1/2 teaspoon of white miso paste
-Mirin rice wine
-2 cloves of garlic
-1 teaspoon sriracha (optional)
-1 teaspoon shredded ginger
-1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
-A dollop of kimchi on each portion- the spice cuts through the salt and umami flavours perfectly and adds a perfect punch to the broth! - I wholeheartedly recommend Bath Culture House’s range, I used their broccoli kimchi for this recipe!
-Salt and pepper to taste
1.)Slice your chicken breast into even strips, and then place into a bowl and add honey, soy sauce, mirin, and chilli flakes to create your marinade. I used Ruxstons Organic Chicken Breast, which has impeccable taste, and is immensely tender and juicy. Set your marinating chicken to the side during the following steps.
2.) Whilst your chicken is marinating, it's time to prepare the rest of your ingredients! First, bring a pot of water to boil and place your eggs in for 5 ½ minutes for a runny yolk, and transfer immediately to a bowl of cold water and, once cooled, peel the eggshells off. Make sure to prep the veggies by washing and halving the pak choi, finely slicing the spring onions, and draining the tin of bamboo shoots. Finally, mince the garlic cloves and finely chop the ginger as much as possible.
All of your ingredients, prepped and ready to cook
3.) Now it’s time to fry our bamboo shoots. Add a small drizzle of oil into a pan and fry on medium-high heat for 4 minutes and place to one side.
4.) Next, top up the pan you just used (if required) with another drizzle of oil, and add your chicken to the pan. Cook for 6-7 minutes at medium-high heat, or until it has a golden brown appearance, with a white centre. The juices should run clear from the chicken once it is cooked. Place to one side.
5.)Whilst your chicken is cooking, you can start preparing the broth. In a large enough saucepan, drizzle some oil and sauté your garlic and ginger for approximately 2 minutes on medium-high heat. Then, add your miso paste, as well as a dash of mirin rice wine and dark soy sauce alongside chilli flakes to allow the flavours to meld together, ensuring you turn down the heat to low-medium prior to this to prevent spitting.
6.)Add your bone broth into your saucepan over medium heat and stir well, leaving to simmer as you prepare your noodles. If you want to add a teaspoon of sriracha, do so at this point. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7.) Place your noodles into a separate saucepan of boiling water and follow the packet instructions (mine were to boil for 4 minutes). In the last 1 ½ minutes, put your pak choi halves in to boil before removing them, and drain your noodles.
8.) Halve the egg, and plate up everything you have prepared, including a dollop of kimchi to add further depth to the flavour profile of the dish, mix up and enjoy!
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