Bowyn Baird RD, LD, CYT-200

bone broth

Low Glycemic Zuppa Toscana with Turnips Recipe

This soup is one of our favorites on a cold day. And it’s SO EASY and QUICK to make. This Zuppa Toscana Soup recipe is low glycemic thanks to utilizing turnips in place of potatoes. Potatoes are a great option. However, if you are on a food-as-medicine diet trying to lower your A1c- swapping potatoes for turnips will probably lend you a better postprandial blood glucose reading. It also lends you a little wiggle room to add in a rustic Sourdough bread, if you are on a carb controlled meal plan.

Let’s dive right into how to make this! Its so easy!

Ingredients needed:

  • 1lb Italian sausage (avoid ones with added sugar and nitrates)
  • 6-8 slices bacon
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 medium sized turnips, peeled and chopped
  • 1 bunch of curly kale (dinosaur kale does not work as well), thinly chopped
  • 4 cups chicken bone broth
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • Red pepper, salt, black pepper

Low Glycemic Zuppa Toscana Recipe

  1. Cook chopped bacon on medium to low heat

    Add chopped bacon to large stock pot and brown on medium heat (about 5 minutes). Once the bacon is cooked, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave drippings in the pot for next step.

  2. Brown Italian Sausage on medium to low heat

    Add Italian sausage to the same large stock pot and brown on medium heat (about 7 minutes). Once the Italian sausage is cooked, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave drippings in the pot for next step.

  3. Turn heat down to low and add finely chopped onion.

    Allow onion to cook in the drippings for about 3 minutes or until slightly brown. Add additional fat if needed (butter works well).

  4. Add garlic and cook for one minute.

    Continue to stir the garlic and onion to avoid burning.

  5. Add 4 cups chicken bone broth

    Turn heat to medium high and allow to boil.

  6. Add chopped turnips

    Once broth is boiling, add turnips and then turn the heat down so the soup is at a simmer. Cook about 10 minutes or until turnips are tender with a fork (cooking time will depend on how you chopped them).

  7. Add chopped kale and cooked Italian sausage

    Add thinly chopped kale and cooked Italian sausage. Allow to cook at a low simmer until kale is wilted.

  8. Turn heat off and add heavy cream

    Turn heat off and add 1 cup heavy cream. Keeping the heat too high can cause the cream to curdle. Avoid boiling after adding cream.

  9. Season to taste and garnish with bacon

    Add salt, pepper, and red pepper to your preferred taste. Add cooked bacon as a garnish when serving. Enjoy!

Photo by: Jessica Isaacs Photography

Flavorful Beef Bone Broth using Instant Pot

Making really good beef bone broth takes a few extra steps, compared to chicken bone broth, but the effort is worth it. In this article I will show you step by step how to make beef bone broth.

PROCUREMENT OF BEEF BONES

Sourcing local, pastured raised beef bones is always the ideal. I usually find my bones from Farmers Market’s or when I haven’t been able to find them, I have ordered a large case of knuckle bones from Azure Standard. The local option is usually the cheapest. Connecting to local farms can feel intimidating and difficult. Many small farmers don’t have a large online presence. Thus, “googling” for local farms may not always yield the best results. This is why I encourage you to look through local Farmer’s Markets and even Facebook. Many farmers will have a page on Facebook.

TYPES OF BEEF BONES

Chicken broth is pretty straightforward: get a carcass and some feet if you can. Cows are a much larger animal and have more bones and a variety of bones. I suggest a variety of bones to make the best broth. The catch is that most farmers won’t sell their beef bones in a “variety pack”. This is something specific that would have to be communicated to the butcher. So, if you have that opportunity, it is probably easier to get the bones all mixed together. I’ve also learned over the years that many farmers have different definitions of “soup bones”. So, you may never know exactly what you will get.

In order to get a good mix of beef bones I suggest the three following types for a well rounded beef stock:

Meaty bones (have some meat attached to them)

Marrow bones (have marrow inside the bone)

Knuckle bones

MAKE IT EASY

Once you procure a variety of bones you can break them apart and make your own “variety” beef broth package of bones. Then, you just grab and make your broth!

HOW TO MAKE BEEF BONE BROTH IN INSTANT POT

Time needed: 4 hours

How to make flavorful beef bone broth, in an instant pot, from a variety of beef bones.
You will need:
-meaty bones, marrow bones, and knuckle bones. Start with one of each then decide if you have room for more.
-1-2 bay leaves
-10-15 peppercorns
-3-5 garlic cloves, peeled
-1 onion, quartered
-2 carrots, chopped into thirds
-2 celery sticks, chopped into thirds
-handful of fresh parsley

  1. Preheat oven and Soak marrow and knuckle bones

    Preheat oven to 350. Place marrow and knuckle bones in the instant pot with water, a few inches below the fill line and 1-2Tbs apple cider vinegar. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before cooking.

  2. Roast meaty bones

    Place meaty bones on roasting pan with edges (some juices will cook off) and place in the oven. Roast 5-15 minutes until lightly browned. Watch the bones carefully. It is hard to give an exact time because all meaty bones are cut different, have different amounts of meat, etc. Too much roasting will produce a burnt like flavor to your broth. I prefer just a small amount of browning.

  3. Place meaty bones in the instant pot with other bones

    Put all bones in instant pot. Check to make sure pot is not overfilled, add or subtract water as needed for instant pot. Make sure valve is on “sealing”. Cook on high pressure for 2 hours. Follow all manufactures instructions for operating instant pot safety.

  4. Naturally release pressure

    Do not manually release pressure. Allow pressure to naturally release, this usually takes about 30 minutes.

  5. Add aromatics

    After pressure is released and you can safely open the instant pot, add aromatics (1-2 bay leaves, 10-15 peppercorns, 3-5 garlic cloves, 1 onions, 2 celery stalks with leaves, 2 carrots, handful of parsley) Cook broth with aromatics for 30 more minutes on soup setting.

  6. Naturally release pressure

    Do not manually release pressure. Allow pressure to naturally release, this usually takes about 30 minutes.

  7. Cool and strain broth

    Allow broth to cool a little and then pour the broth mixture over a mesh wire strainer into a large bowl. Transfer to glass containers. Allow broth to cool until there is no steam coming off of the glass. Once the steam is gone, transfer the broth to refrigerator. Keep lid off until fully cooled.

  8. Skim fat

    Skim fat once fat has solidified. Fat in broth usually gives it a greasy taste which is not desired. The fat can be set aside and used for cooking.

  9. Store in fridge or freezer

    Broth in the fridge will last about 5 days. Broth in the freezer lasts several months. I enjoy freezing broth into cubes so I can easily pull it out and use in cooking.

HOW TO USE BONE BROTH

Bone broth can simply be a warming drink. You can also cook it into soups, stews, gravies, rice, or other sauces. It is a great way to add a depth of flavor and nutrition.

WHY CONSUME BONE BROTH

Refer back to this article on the benefits of consuming bone broth.

From my kitchen to yours, I wish you the best of health for years to come!

-Bowyn

How to Make Chicken bone broth with chicken feet

In this post I will explain in detail how I make chicken bone broth with both chicken carcass and chicken feet (also known as chicken”paws”). Firstly, chicken broth is simple and inexpensive to make. For instance, I make it a to habit to cook one whole chicken one per week. I save the carcass in my freezer if I do not have time to make the broth a few days after cooking the chicken. However, if you feel uncomfortable with cooking a whole chicken, purchasing a rotisserie chicken could be an alternative.

If you feel intimidated to make bone broth; I’m here to tell you- don’t be! Above all, aways take steps to at least try! You can do this. Just begin somewhere. You will be amazed at how delicious bone broth tastes with just a few ingredients.

I used to slow cook mine on the stove top for 12-24 hours on a low simmer on the stove. It always felt like a huge chore. If you don’t have an instant pot, this may be a method you try. I absolutely love making my bone broth in the instant pot and I never plan to go back to the stove top version! In conclusion, this is quicker, easier, and I make it more often because it is so simple. I asked for an instant pot for Christmas, solely because I wanted to use it to make bone broth!

A Very brief overview of the Benefits

Firstly, the benefits of bone broth revolve around its unique amino acid make up which comes from the gelatin structure. This gelatin structure and the amino acids that make it up are beneficial to digestion, gut, skin/hair health, and even sleep.

GELATIN STRUCTURE

The gelatin structure of bone broth is what makes it congeal. Simply the structural make up of bone broth is what attracts liquids, thus aiding in digestion. In conclusion, this science suggests that when drinking bone broth, it will bind to liquid in the digestive track- helping to pass things through more easily.

GLYCINE

Bone broth is an especially high source of glycine. Glycine is an amino acid which is not found in high concentration elsewhere. It is non-essential, meaning your body is able to make it itself if you do not consume it. Glycine is a neurotransmitter that works in the central nervous system (1). Supporting your body with additional glycine itself may have benefits such as helping you sleep! (2) This may be why I have started to enjoy a warm cup of broth at the end of my day!

Glutamine

Bone broth contains high amounts of glutamine. This is another non-essential amino acid that plays an important role in gut health. Research suggests that this amino acid helps maintain the intestinal walls, keeping your immune system (and your entire body) healthy! (3)

But, What about lead?

The concern for heavy metals in bone broth comes from this research article.

the study

The study looked at how much lead was in bone broth and they found 9.5 and 7.01 μgL−1 (skin and cartilage and bone broth, respectively). (4) Without zooming out at the big picture the numbers look frightening. Especially as they compare it to control group of tap water with a concentration of 0.89 μg L−1.(4). However, the upper safety limit for lead in drinking water, as set by the Environmental Protection Agency, is 15μgL. (5) These are well below this upper limit.

other factors to consider

Other factors to consider: where were the chickens sourced and what was the broth cooked in? It is always best to cook bone broth in stainless steal. In addition, it is important to source your chicken from small, local farms that allow chickens access to outdoors as much as possible.

While lead can be a serious contaminant to our bodies, it is important to remember that lead is a naturally occurring element. “Naturally occurring” does not imply that it is 100% safe or not harmful in high quantities, but it is something that surrounds us. (6)

Consuming a nutrient rich, whole food based diet will also provide your body with antioxidants and vitamins that can help fight lead exposure with nutrition. (7)

How to Make Chicken Bone Broth with Chicken Feet

Chicken bone broth made in the instant pot is a quick and affordable way to provide yourself and family with nourishing bone broth on a consistent basis.

  1. Place Chicken Bones and feet into the instant pot

    Add at least one chicken carcass and 3-4 chicken feet. Claws must be cut off and removed before cooking. You can use 2-3 carcass or additional bones from drumsticks if you have the space in the instant pot.

  2. Cover Chicken bones with filtered water

  3. Add 1-2 Tbs apple cider vinegar and allow to soak 30 minutes

    This is a traditional method to help with the release of minerals from the bones.

  4. Put instant pot lid on according to manufacturers instructions. Make sure vent is closed.

  5. Set instant pot to high pressure for 2 hours. Keep “warm” function off.

  6. After the 2 hours, allow the pressure to naturally release. Do not vent the pressure. This can take about 30 minutes.

  7. Add aromatics and herbs: 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves of peeled and smashed garlic, 7 peppercorns, 1 onion (quartered), 2 carrots (cut in thirds) and 2 celery stalks (cut in thirds) to the cooked mixture.

  8. With aromatics and herbs added, set instant pot to soup/broth mode and set to 20 minutes.

    This step helps give the broth flavor and a bit of color from the carrots. Doing this step separate from the two hour pressure cooking period keeps the vegetables from becoming completely mushy into the broth.

  9. After the 20 minutes, allow the pressure to naturally release. Do not vent the pressure. This can take about 30 minutes.

  10. Strain broth through a thin wire strainer into jars.

  11. Allow broth to cool slightly before moving the fridge.

    After the broth has chilled, skim off the fat and move to freezer for long term storage if desired. Broth will keep 5 days in the fridge.

CITATIONS

(1) López-Corcuera B, Geerlings A, Aragón C. Glycine neurotransmitter transporters: an update. Mol Membr Biol. 2001;18(1):13-20.

(2) Kawai N, Sakai N, Okuro M, et al. The sleep-promoting and hypothermic effects of glycine are mediated by NMDA receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015;40(6):1405-1416. doi:10.1038/npp.2014.326

(3) Wang, B., Wu, G., Zhou, Z. et al. Glutamine and intestinal barrier function. Amino Acids47, 2143–2154 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-014-1773-4

(4) Monro JA, Leon R, Puri BK. The risk of lead contamination in bone broth diets. Med Hypotheses. 2013;80(4):389-390. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2012.12.026

(5) https://extension.psu.edu/lead-in-drinking-water

(6) Almansour KS, Arisco NJ, Woo MK, Young AS, Adamkiewicz G, Hart JE. Playground lead levels in rubber, soil, sand, and mulch surfaces in Boston. PLoS One. 2019;14(4):e0216156. Published 2019 Apr 25. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216156

(7) https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/how-to-fight-lead-exposure-with-nutrition