Astragalus Immune-Boosting Bone Broth (Stovetop + Slow Cooker)

Craving something warming to build up your immune system and boost joint health? There’s nothing better than a steaming mug of homemade bone broth infused with immune-boosting astragalus.

Bonus: I’ve included two versions of my recipe for Astragalus Immune-Boosting Bone Broth – one recipes uses your stovetop and the another utilizes your slow cooker. Feel free to go with the recipe you find most convenient. The best part – simmering this bone broth for hours on your stove or in the slow cooker makes your house smell like heaven on earth.

The Benefits of Bone Broth

Bone broth has been made by many home cooks for decades – just ask your grandparents – in order to make full use of the bones left over from cooked meat.

This shifted with the appearance of convenient, store-bought stock bouillon, which usually contains more preservatives and artificial flavors than any real nutrients. People started using processed stock cubes in lieu of homemade broth.

Luckily, bone broth is easy to do once you get the hang of it and the health benefits you’ll reap are worth the time.

You’ll boil down animal bones and connective tissue, resulting in a liquid rich in vitamins and minerals that are extracted from the bones and joints over the long simmer time. Most importantly, bone broth is rich in gelatin, which is formed as the collagen in the bones and joints break down.

What is Astragalus?

The astragalus root (also known as “huáng qí” in Mandarin) has long been used as an herb in traditional Chinese medicine. Its main health benefits include immune-boosting, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory effects.

In this case, adding astragalus root to your broth as it cooks makes the benefits of the bone broth much more potent.

Note: Don’t use astragalus if you already have a cold, as it might make it worse.

Recipe Tips

• While this recipe uses beef bones, you can easily use pork bones or chicken bones as well. If you have bones left over from a previous meal, simply freeze them until you are ready to make bone broth. Broth made from chicken bones will require less cooking time than beef bones or pork bones.
• Adding vinegar is important as it helps to extract the nutrients out of the bones into the water, which is ultimately what we are looking for. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, you can use lemon juice instead.
• If using as a base for soups, chowders, risottos or other sauces, use broth as it is and add salt once the final dish is ready.

Slow cooker version of my Astragalus Bone Broth recipe, below.

PS: If you’re in a pinch and still want the immune-boosting benefits of bone broth, I recommend Broth Masters. The small-batched, artisanal bone broth is cooked for 48 hours and made from grass-fed beef bones, free-range chicken bones, and potent anti-inflammatory veggies and herbs. Use code HBGIFT to get $15 off your order here.

Resources

Samonina, Lyapina, et al. “Protection of gastric mucosal integrity by gelatin and simple proline-containing peptides.” Department of Human and Animal Physiology, School of Biology, Moscow State Lomonosov University. Apr. 2000.

Zhong, Wheeler, et al. “L-Glycine: a novel antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, and cytoprotective agent.” Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Pharmacology, Surgery and Environmental Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Mar. 2003

Fu, Wang, et al. “Review of the botanical characteristics, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi).” Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China; College of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jinlin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China. Sep. 2014.