If you live in a big city, chances are you’ve seen a bone broth joint—or two, or three—pop up in your area. Even food delivery services, such as Bare Bones, have gotten in on the trend to ensure no one is left out.
The bone broth bandwagon keeps getting bigger for good reason: Each sip of it typically delivers protein, nutrients like glucosamine, and tons of savory flavor. We asked dietitian Mary Jane Detroyer, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., to help us break down some easy ways to work bone broth into your diet, without even having to leave the comfort of home.
Related: Why The Bone Broth Trend Is Here To Stay
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Make Your Own Soups
“Use the bones left over from your own roasts, or from the butcher or fish store to make bone broth,” says Detroyer. “Simmer roasted bones in water for up to 24 hours, adding herbs like thyme, sage, bay leaf, ginger, garlic, or parsley for more intense flavor, if desired.”
Make It: For an easy chicken bone broth, save the bones and carcass from a rotisserie chicken or cooked bone-in pieces, says Detroyer. Save up your bones in the freezer until you have a large bag-full. Bring bones and water to a boil in a large soup pot, then simmer. Add salt and desired herbs and seasonings to taste. Let simmer for anywhere from five to 24 hours. Once finished, let broth cool and pour through a sieve to separate broth from bones. Use as a base for other soup recipes, or drink it straight from a mug.
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Add Flavor To Your Grains
Bored with plain rice, quinoa, or couscous? “To give your gains some extra flavor, cook them in bone broth instead,” says Detroyer. (Try a mix of half-water, half-bone broth for a milder flavor.)
Make It: Whip up Detroyer’s couscous and veggie side dish: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a two-quart sauce pan on medium heat. Sauté chopped onion, carrots, and zucchini for about five minutes, stirring frequently. Add ¼ cup chopped parsley. Separately, bring 1 and ½ cups bone broth to a boil, then add to vegetables. Stir in 1 cup couscous. Cover for five minutes, then mix and add additional oil if desired.
Related: No time to cook up your own broth? Try one of these packaged varieties.
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Give Meat New Life
We all know the struggle of reheating leftovers in the microwave and sawing our way through a super-dry steak afterward. “Keep small containers of bone broth in the fridge and add a few spoonfuls to meat or poultry before reheating for more moist, flavorful leftovers,” says Detroyer.
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Whip Up Some Gravy
“When roasting chicken, turkey, pork or beef, serving gravy on the side adds flavor to your meal,” says Detroyer. Use bone broth as your base for a richer flavor.
Make It: After your roast is done cooking, remove it and place onto a platter. Pour drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan into a bowl and skim most of the fat from the top. Add 2-3 tablespoons of flour and stir in a saucepan over low heat. Once blended, add 2 cups of bone broth and continue to blend until smooth and slightly thickened.
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Make A Post-Workout Drink
Nope, not kidding. “Bone broth contains nutrients like protein and collagen, including the amino acids glycine, glutamine, and proline,” says Detroyer. Many people lose water and salt while exercising (especially if the workout lasts for over an hour) and a serving of bone broth can help to replace that fluid and sodium while delivering the amino acids your muscles need to recover, she says.
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Blend A Savory Smoothie
“If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, or are just looking to switch up your usual fruit smoothie, try a savory blend instead,” says Detroyer. “This bone broth-based smoothie is packed with veggies, nutrients, and a kick of spice, for an energizing boost when you’re on the go.”
Make It: Blend 1 cup cold bone broth, 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (no seeds), ½ cup packed chopped spinach, 2 or 3 teaspoons olive oil or flax seed oil, ¼ cup each chopped parsley and basil, and hot sauce to taste until smooth. Bottoms up!
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Mix Up Mashed Potatoes
“If you’re lactose intolerant, or just looking for an easy way to add extra savory flavor to otherwise bland mashed potatoes, try swapping out the milk you’d usually add for your favorite bone broth,” says Detroyer.
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Pump Up Veggie Rice Or Mash
Mashed and riced cauliflower have become hugely popular as substitutes for mashed potatoes and rice in low-carb diets. “Add even more flavor by using bone broth to steam your cauliflower before chopping or mashing it,” says Detroyer. “Then add bone broth to mashed cauli instead of water to reach your desired consistency.”
Pin this handy graphic to make sure you use your bone broth to its fullest potential!