3 Low-Sodium Broth Recipes

A rich, flavorful broth can certainly elevate the taste of any soup. When preparing soup, we often rely on various methods such as using a box of broth, a bouillon cube, or even a homemade pot of stock. So, I asked my colleagues about their broth preference and found that most of them opted for the more convenient option of buying boxed broth or bouillon. I, too, resort to using boxed broth or a cube of bouillon. However, there are occasions when I prefer to take charge of what goes into my food, and I take on the effort of making my own broth when I have the available time.

Why Make Your Own Broth?

Making your own broth has a multitude of benefits that are often overlooked. We've been receiving feedback from some customers that are concerned about the sodium content in our soup mixes. Our response is that the mixes themselves have very little sodium. What sodium there is occurs naturally from the ingredients and we do not add any salt or preservatives. To control the sodium in our soups, we recommend customers use either a low-sodium broth or make their own. Here are a few more reasons why you might want to consider making your own broth:

• You have control over the ingredients: when you make your own broth, you get to choose the ingredients that go into it. This means you can customize the flavor to your liking and use high-quality ingredients.
• You can use leftover vegetable scraps, bones from a roast chicken or beef, or other ingredients that might otherwise go to waste.
• It's healthier: homemade broth is typically lower in sodium than store-bought versions, and it doesn't contain any artificial ingredients or preservatives.
• It adds depth of flavor to your dishes: homemade broth has a richer, more complex flavor than store-bought versions.

Homemade Chicken Broth Using a Pressure Cooker

Now that we have established the 'why' of making our own broth, let's dive into the recipes. This recipe is from the founder of Frontier Soups, Trisha Anderson. This recipe uses roasted chicken with the meat removed. While we have another recipe that features whole uncooked chicken, let's turn our attention to this one for now.

Recipe:

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

Read the directions here.

Here is another chicken stock recipe from my colleague, Sue Rozema. She also uses a whole roasted chicken that is deboned completely.

Recipe:

1. Roast the bones and any leftover vegetables from roasting the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour.
2. Remove the pan from the oven and place roasted bones and vegetables in a pot.
3. Add the chopped onion to the pot with the roasted bones and vegetables. Add water to the pot until the bones and vegetables are covered.
4. Cover the pot and simmer for an hour.
5. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer. Get rid of the solids.
6. Cool the broth and skim the fat off the top. Use the stock right away or store it in small containers to freeze it for later use.

Vegetable Stock

Vegetable stocks can be made with a variety of vegetables! It is easy and healthy and sometimes it can save you money if you have leftover vegetables in your fridge. This broth is a great way to add flavor to a soup while keeping it vegetarian or vegan.

Recipe:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a 4-quart pot. Make sure that everything in the pot is covered by water. If not, add more water until it is completely submerged.
2. Bring the water to a boil using high heat, without a lid. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium or low.
3. Boil the contents gently for an hour, unlike meat and fish stocks, vegetable stocks can be boiled rapidly since there are no proteins present to cloud the stock.
4. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer. Get rid of the solids.
5. Use the stock immediately or store it in small containers to freeze it for later use.

Beef Stock

Beef stock is one of my favorites! I personally make my own beef stock whenever I make a Filipino beef dish. Traditionally we cook our beef stock on an outdoor fire, but for this version, we'll use a regular pot. In my experience, beef neck bone, shanks, or beef marrow bone discs are the best choices. The bone is what provides the rich flavor. It's important to keep in mind that when preparing this broth, there may be some “film” that forms - a brownish foam that rises to the top of the pot as it simmers. This is a denatured congealed protein that comes from the meat, not the bones. Most people remove the film for a clearer broth.

Recipe:

Preparing the beef (boiling with just water)

1. Rinse the beef shank/beef neck bone with cold water.

2. Place the beef shank/beef neck bone in the pot and fill it with water until everything is fully submerged.

3. Bring it to a boil for 20 minutes and then drain the residual water.

Preparing the broth:

1. Place the meat back into the pot and cover it with cold water. Add the onion, peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt together. If the water level is too low, add additional water until everything is fully submerged.
2. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat. As soon as you see bubbles break the surface, reduce the heat to low and let simmer. Skim the film that accumulates on top.
3. Use the stock immediately or store it in small containers to freeze it for later use.

With these points in mind, you are well on your way to discovering the joys of homemade broth and all of the delicious and nutritious meals you can create with it. Happy cooking!!