There is something cozy about having a pot of soup simmering on the stove. From bone broth to corn bisque, this section gives you a range of soups unlike any you have ever tasted. What’s great about soup is that you can freeze it in single portions and have a meal ready for you at any time—no muss, no fuss.
Serves: 4
Serving size: 1 cup
Calories per serving: 15
Every four-star restaurant has a big stockpot simmering on a back burner all day long, because freshly made broth has great flavor and endless uses in the kitchen. You can use broth in soups, stews, sauces, and reductions. I like to sip on broth throughout the day. Bone broth is a powerful health tonic that soothes and boosts the immune system.
This recipe calls for beef bones, but broth can be made from beef, lamb, poultry, or fish with vegetables and spices. You can usually get broth-worthy bones from any good butcher or the meat department of your local grocery store, especially if you ask for them ahead of time.
I recommend having a supply of bone broth in your freezer. You can freeze the broth in ice cube trays and store them in a plastic bag once frozen. Freezing bone broth in small portions makes it easy to use it in your everyday cooking.
If you are concerned about leaving the bone broth to simmer on the stovetop largely unattended for 8 to 12 hours, use a large slow cooker set on Low or Medium.
4 pounds beef bones, preferably a mix of marrow bones, oxtail bones, short rib bones, and knuckle bones
2 medium carrots, unpeeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium leek, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup fresh mushrooms (any variety will work)
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
10 garlic cloves, smashed and halved
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
12 cups water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
On a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, toss the bones with the carrots, leek, mushrooms, onion, parsley, garlic, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, vinegar, and lemon juice and roast for 25 minutes.
Stir the ingredients around, then roast for an additional 15 minutes.
Transfer the roasted ingredients to a 6-quart stockpot.
Add 12 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer slowly for 8 to 24 hours, skimming the foam and fat from the top occasionally. The longer you simmer, the more flavorful your broth will be.
When finished, remove from the heat and strain thoroughly, using cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the solids. Press the ingredients to extract every drop of liquid.
I freeze broth in ice cube trays and transfer the cubes into sealed plastic freezer bags, so that I have small quantities on hand to use in other recipes. I use broth to sauté without using oil.