It’s officially bone broth and soup season! Bone broths are all the go at the moment, and with very good reason. Bone broths contain gelatin, which helps heal gut inflammation and is also great for inflamed joints and the immune system.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 kilo of fresh free range chicken legs (or chicken pieces, carcass)
• 1 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon garlic oil or 2 x garlic cloves
• green part of 3 spring onions
• green part of 1 x leek
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon either freshly grated or ground turmeric
• 1 x large carrot
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (you must use this to help leech the nutrients out of the bones)
• 1-2 sticks celery, diced
• 4 litres filtered water or more if needed depending on how long you cook the broth for. 
• Salt n pepper to season.

METHOD:

Add olive and garlic oil to a low cooker, then add chicken legs with herbs, ginger, garlic oil, spring onions, leek, turmeric, chopped carrots, celery and tamari. Cook for a couple of minutes on a medium heat to brown the chicken slightly then add enough boiled water to cover the chicken. Turn it to high heat and let it cook for a minimum of five hours (preferably overnight or 12-18 hours) to let all the minerals out of the cells of the chicken bones, which is where all the beneficial marrow and T cells are. (Vegetarians would be disgusted in this! ) But this, combined with the gelatin, is what helps heal the gut. The minerals from the bones are also much more absorbable in this form. Keep topping it up with water every 20  minutes or so when the water has reduced, the bones should be covered with water at all times preferably. Then, scoop the chicken bones out and slice the meat off them. Make sure you use this chicken in another dish, as this chicken is full of goodness! Season with broth with salt n pepper to taste. Strain the broth of bones, meat and vegetables, and store in air tight containers or jars in the fridge.

The broth should keep in the fridge for approximately 7 days or in the freezer for at least 3 months.