Chicken Broth 

Avoid low-sodium broth if you are a GLP-1 or post op surgery, since you lose significant sodium post-surgery. Once you have stabilized your weight, we want you to have a low sodium broth. This simple homemade stock is nourishing, inexpensive, and flavorful—and smells amazing.

Makes about 4 cups of richly flavored broth.

Ingredients

• Roasted chicken bones (backbone, ribs, pygostyle/"pope’s nose")

• 4 cups water

• 1 bay leaf

• ~9 peppercorns (or ½ Tbsp ground pepper)

Instructions

1. Prepare the bones: After roasting a whole chicken, reserve the bones including the backbone and "pope's nose" (a rich, fatty section).

2. Roast if needed: If bones aren’t already roasted, place them in a pan on medium heat, turning until they’re golden and fragrant.

3. Simmer: Transfer bones to a stockpot, add 4 cups of water, bay leaf, and pepper. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises.

4. Finish: Once foaming stops, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain the stock into a clean container. Discard the bones.

Storage Tips

• Short-term: Store in jars in the fridge with a layer of fat on top—good for up to five days.

• Long-term: Freeze in ice cube trays, then vacuum-seal the cubes—keeps for up to one year and makes quick soup bases.

Notes & Context

• Named the “Post-Op Chicken Broth” because healing requires both energy and sodium.

• The pope’s nose (pygostyle) adds great flavor in roasted birds—though some chefs remove it for bitterness, it’s valuable in this stock.

• Myth-busting: bone broth isn’t magical—chicken collagen doesn’t replace essential amino acids. For most purposes, a simple stock is just as effective and a lot more economical.