Homemade Chicken Broth Soup

We love our roasted chicken and chicken soup in our family. It’s especially nice in the winter and to help boost nutrients when managing seasonal colds. Every time I make a roast chicken I use the leftover bones to make a yummy and nutritious broth for my soup bases.

Homemade Chicken Bone Broth

Ingredients:

• 1 leftover roasted chicken carcass, meat removed ( local & organic is best when available)

• 1 onion, chopped coarsely

• 2 stalks celery chopped coarsely

• 2 carrots chopped coarsely

• 2 cloves of garlic peeled & chopped

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• a pinch of each; rosemary, marjoram, thyme, sage, lavender ( a little goes a long way for flavor!)

• 8 cups purified water

Soup Ingredients:

• 2 stalks celery chopped bite size

• 2 carrots peeled & chopped bite size

• half a head of broccoli cut into bite size pieces

• half a head of cauliflower cut into bite size pieces

• 1 cup butternut squash cubed

• 1/2 a medium onion finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic finely chopped

• salt & pepper to taste

• any leftover chicken chopped into pieces ( from original roast or from after making the broth)

Directions:

The easiest way I’ve found to make homemade bone broth is in the slow cooker. Simply place all the ingredients in the slow cooker and turn the cooker on low for 8 hours. I usually put it on right before bed if I want the soup for lunch or first thing in the morning if I’m planning it for dinner. If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can make the broth on the stove top in a large pot and cook on the lowest setting for 6-8 hours, checking it periodically. After it has cooked for 8 hours, strain all the bones out and pick off any remaining meat so that you can add it back into the soup.

After straining, place the broth into a large pot on the stove and add the Soup Ingredients and cook until all vegetables are tender or until the butternut squash melts into the soup - whichever you prefer! Makes 6-8 servings.