Recipe of the week: Gut-healing Bone Broth

From traditional "pot au feu" to chicken soup, bouillon or broth has been a classic staple to our diet. Bone broth is the perfect ailment to your gut health. It heals and seals the gut lining often damaged by stress and erratic eating habits.

When you cook bones in water for a long time, the bones release nutritious and healing components such as collagen, gelatin, amino acids, glucosamine, chondroitin, and minerals.

Together they help repair our fragile gut lining, making our immune system stronger and improving digestion and skin.

For a good homemade bone broth that is nutrient-dense and rich in flavor follow this recipe.

Makes 3-4 litres

2-3 kg beef bones (oxtail works well because the remaining bits of meat add flavor), chicken carcasses, lamb bones, or fish bones (from organically raised or grass-fed animals so they are free of antibiotics and hormones)

3-4 litres of water

2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar (helps extract the nutrients from the bones)

1 white or red onion with 3 cloves inserted inside

1 -2 stalks of organic celery

2-3 organic carrots

1 -2 bay leaves or a “bouquet garni” (8 sprigs of parsley, 4 sprigs of thyme, 2 bay leaves and a sprig of tarragon)

½ tsp sea salt

8 black peppercorns

Place all the ingredients in a large pot or a crock-pot and cover with cold water.

Bring to a boil, skim, then simmer very gently for a minimum of 12 hours. (You can cook beef bones for up to 48 hours and chicken bones for to 24 hours and 48 hours).

Strain the broth. Enjoy!

You can freeze any leftovers in ice cube trays and defrost later to drink on its own or add up to your soups and stews.

Stéphanie Achar is a qualified nutritional therapist and health coach based in South West London. She is collaborating with Culture Whisper to create a series of seasonal, wholesome and nutritionally balanced recipes.

Find more recipes or book a free nutrition consultation with Stéphanie on her website, www.simpleandhealthy.com