Nutmeg Free Ginger-Garlic Chicken Bone Broth Tonic
This slow-simmered tonic is the kind of thing that makes your whole kitchen smell incredible — warm, earthy, and deeply savory from the very first hour on the stove. Chicken bones, fresh ginger, smashed garlic, and ground turmeric do the heavy lifting here, building a broth that's golden, fragrant, and genuinely nourishing. A splash of apple cider vinegar added before the heat goes on is the quiet trick that helps pull minerals from the bones, giving the finished liquid real body and depth. Celery, carrot, and fresh thyme round everything out so the flavor is complex without being fussy. Many warming broths and tonics lean on spice blends that sneak in nutmeg, but every single ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify — no hidden blends, no mystery seasonings. A squeeze of lemon stirred in at the end brightens the whole thing and makes it feel almost restorative. Sip it straight from a mug, use it as a base for soups, or freeze it in portions so you always have something good on hand.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 lb chicken bones (backs, necks, or carcass)
- 6 cups cold water
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced into coins
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken bones in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and cover with the cold water. Add the apple cider vinegar and let the bones soak for 10 minutes — this helps draw minerals from the bones before heat is applied.
- 2
Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. As the liquid heats, skim off any gray foam that rises to the surface, until the foam subsides and the liquid is mostly clear, about 5 minutes.
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