If you're ready to move on from a basic bone broth recipe and try something new, this mineral-rich sipping broth is perfect. It has a rich, savory flavor punctuated with delicate notes of sage, basil, and thyme.
Homemade broths are the cornerstone of my kitchen. While we work them into plenty of recipes for soups, I also lean on sipping broth in the wintertime, when its delicate warmth is a delicious comfort against cold weather and dark days.
It's a great way to add a little more nourishment to your diet. Adding plenty of mushrooms, aromatic vegetables, and fresh herbs ensures a great flavor.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's a nutrient-dense sipping broth. Mushrooms and sea vegetables contribute a good dose of minerals to this broth, while slow-simmered chicken bones provide plenty of protein-rich gelatin.
- If you're feeling low, broth is an excellent pick-me-up. It provides a little protein, some hydration and many of its nutrients support gut health and the immune system.
- Making your own broth is far more affordable than buying it at the health food store where markups are high and quality is questionable.
- Sipping broth in between meals instead of snacking on treats conveys many health benefits, especially for blood sugar balance.
- This sipping broth recipe is packed with flavor thanks to plenty of herbs such as basil, thyme, and sage.
- In addition to culinary herbs, you can also add medicinal herbs, such as ashwagandha, which helps support the body's stress response system.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken bones give the broth a boost of collagen, which lends plenty of nutrition, plus a deliciously silky texture and savory flavor to the broth. I make this with raw chicken bones, but you can use leftover bones from a roast bird.
- Miso paste amplifies the savory quality of the broth, and, when roasted, tastes even richer and more savory.
- Extra virgin olive oil is a healthy fat that's loaded with antioxidants.
- Mushrooms lend vitamins and trace amounts of minerals to the broth. You can use just about any mushroom you like, but button mushrooms and maitakes seem to work well here.
- Aromatics include onion and fennel. They give this sipping broth recipe an underlying sweetness and deepen its flavor.
- Kombu is a sea vegetable that is rich in iodine and other minerals. It gives the broth a savory flavor and improves its mineral content.
- White wine lends much-needed acidity to the broth. The alcohol cooks off as the broth simmers, leaving only its beautiful flavor.
- Fresh herbs include basil, sage, and thyme. Stirred into the broth toward the end of cooking, these herbs add a pleasant uplifting note. They also contribute plentiful antioxidants and have a reputation as calming herbs.
- Ashwagandha is an optional, but valuable ingredient. It is an adaptogenic herb that helps buffer the body against stress. Its flavor is light, sweet, and earthy.
Recipe Tips
- The best way to ensure great flavor is to roast the bones and vegetables. If you skip this step, your broth will taste weaker and less flavorful.
- Bring the pot to a boil, and then turn down the temperature so that the broth simmers slowly. This low temperature allows for plenty of time for gelatin to develop and for all the flavors to work their way into the broth.
- Mind your timing. Well-made broth should simmer for a long time - several hours. However, extra long cooking times can break down the collagen and muddy the flavors. A few hours work best.
- Adding fresh herbs at the very end of cooking allows them to release their flavor without overcooking. As a result, you have a bright, vibrant herbal note.
Serving Suggestions
Sipping broths are delicious simply served on their own without much fanfare. I like to pour mine into a mug or into a wide-mouth pint jar for easy sipping.
For extra flavor, I recommend chopping up additional fresh herbs and sprinkling them into the broth. Finely chopped basil and parsley are lovely, but sliced green onions and minced garlic are favorites, too.
A little sprinkle of parmesan cheese is also a nice addition, especially with the garlic. Occasionally, I might stir a little fire cider into the mix, too.
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Variations + Substitutions
If you don't cook with alcohol, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for the white wine.
If you don't care for fennel, replace it with chopped fresh celery.
For a more intense herbal flavor, add 2 bay leaves to the broth at the same time that you add the kombu.
If you don't have chicken bones, you can substitute beef bones. Choose options that are rich in connective tissue, such as knuckles and neck bones, as they will make the broth particularly gelatinous.
For a veggie broth, skip the chicken bones and roast the remaining ingredients only for 20 minutes. Vegetable broth also needs to cook for less time since you don't need to break down the connective tissue on chicken bones, so only simmer the broth for about 30 minutes.
Remember that skipping the chicken means your sipping broth will have much less nutritional value, especially amino acids.
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Recipe Questions
You can store this sipping broth in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Alternatively, freeze it for up to 6 months.
Yes. Since broth is so liquid, you will need to allow at least 2 inches of headspace to allow for it to expand in the freezer. This is especially important if you're freezing the broth in glass jars, which may break if you do not allow enough space.
You can keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months. To serve, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight, and then warm it in a saucepan on the stove until it reaches 140 F.
Yes. If you want to make this sipping broth in a slow cooker rather than in a big pot on the stove, roast the ingredients as you normally would, and then transfer all the ingredients except for the fresh herbs (basil, thyme, sage) to a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, then add the herbs during the final 10 minutes of cooking and strain.
Yes. After roasting the mushrooms and chicken bones, transfer all of the ingredients (except for the basil, thyme, and sage) to an Instant Pot.
Pressure cook for 90 minutes, and then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Add the fresh herbs and let them steep in the hot broth for 10 minutes. Strain and serve.
Barbara M says
Loved it. I’ve been making bone broth for years, but I liked this version a lot.
Eileen says
I love this recipe. If I can find burdock root (I live in the PNW and have seen it in even in big chain grocery stores), I like to add that in as well.
Jenny says
Hi Eileen -
Burdock is one of my favorite vegetables.
Julie says
Super delicious, creamy broth. I think I might make it into a soup though with some broccoli.
angelina says
Thank you for this recipe. In my country we make lots of bone broths.. and now that I am dealing with cancer, I have for some reason been craving such broths, to the point i had asked my neighbor to make me some bone broth, and he being from Laos made it for me with the beef bones, and then the veggies.. I just can tell you this saved me I was absolutely ill, ill, ill, and within a day or two of taking the soup I felt a bit better and you could tell i was revived. So thank you for keep reminding us that we need these minerals..
I love your recipes, thank you kindly and I appreciate your time and input here even so I dont answer or post much I read them..
Dee says
Jenny, thank you for this! And, thank you for looking out for us. Given the difficulties in getting properly nourished these days, I truly appreciate your efforts in helping us eat healthier. I look forward to making it!
Ursula says
I just made this for the first time. It was delicious. I might never drink plain bone broth again!
Andrea says
Hi! Love this sipping broth! How long would you say it would keep fresh in the fridge? Or better to freeze in servings? You may have mentioned it above, but I don’t see it. Love your blog! Thank you!