Beef Bone Broth Soup
This beef bone broth soup is built on a foundation of deeply roasted bones simmered low and slow for up to 12 hours, producing a rich, collagen-packed broth that gels when cooled — a true sign of quality. Loaded with tender seared beef chuck, hearty root vegetables, and layers of savory aromatics, it's the kind of nourishing, from-scratch meal that warms you from the inside out and puts store-bought soup to shame.
Equipment
- Large stockpot (8–12 quart) or Dutch oven
- Dutch oven alternative to stockpot
- Rimmed baking sheet for roasting bones and vegetables
- Fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth-lined colander for straining broth
- Large heatproof bowl for collecting strained broth
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Ladle for serving
- Fat separator pitcher (optional) for skimming fat from finished broth
- Airtight containers or mason jars for storing broth
Ingredients
For the Beef Bone Broth
- 3-4 lbs beef bones 1.4–1.8kg; mix of marrow bones, knuckle bones, and/or oxtail — grass-fed preferred
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 30ml; raw, unfiltered preferred
- 2 large carrots roughly chopped
- 3 celery stalks roughly chopped
- 1 large onion halved, skin on — skin adds color to the broth
- 1 whole head of garlic halved crosswise
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns 5ml
- fresh thyme and flat-leaf parsley stems small bunch; stems only — leaves reserved for garnish
- 10-12 cups cold water 2.4–2.8 liters; enough to cover bones by 2 inches
- salt to taste; added only after broth is finished simmering
For the Soup
- 6-8 cups finished beef bone broth 1.4–1.9 liters; from above recipe
- 1 lb beef chuck or stew meat 450g; cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) cubes
- 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced into rounds
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) cubes
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes 411g; 1 standard can, with juices
- 1 tbsp tomato paste 15ml
- 1 tbsp olive oil 15ml
- 1 tsp dried thyme 5ml
- 1 tsp smoked paprika 5ml
- salt and black pepper to taste
For Garnish
- fresh parsley chopped; for serving
Instructions
- Place all beef bones in a large stockpot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10–15 minutes until gray foam rises, then drain, rinse each bone thoroughly under cold water, and clean the pot.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Arrange blanched bones on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30–40 minutes, flipping halfway, until deeply browned. Simultaneously roast the carrots, halved onion, and garlic on a separate baking sheet for 20 minutes until caramelized.
- Transfer roasted bones and vegetables to the clean stockpot. Add celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, herb stems, and apple cider vinegar; let sit 20–30 minutes, then cover with 10–12 cups cold water.
- Bring the pot to a gentle boil, skimming foam from the surface, then reduce heat to the lowest setting and barely simmer (just a bubble or two) for 8–12 hours, partially covered, adding water if the level drops below the bones.
- Cool slightly, then strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, discarding all solids. Remove excess fat using a fat separator or by refrigerating overnight and lifting off the solidified fat. Season generously with salt.
- Pat beef cubes dry, season with salt and pepper, then sear in olive oil over medium-high heat in batches (2–3 minutes per side) until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same pot, cook diced onion for 4–5 minutes until softened, add garlic for 1 minute, then stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes until darkened. Add dried thyme and smoked paprika and stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Return browned beef to the pot, pour in 6–8 cups of bone broth, scraping up browned bits, then add diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook 30 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and potatoes and simmer uncovered 20–25 more minutes until vegetables and beef are fork-tender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or a small splash of apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavor. Ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
- Blanch first, always. Don't skip blanching the bones before roasting — it removes bitter impurities and produces a noticeably cleaner, clearer broth.
- Dark roasting = deep flavor. The bones should be a deep mahogany color, not just lightly tan. Pale bones make pale, flat-tasting broth.
- Keep it at a bare simmer. A hard rolling boil makes the broth cloudy and bitter. You want just a gentle bubble or two breaking the surface throughout the entire simmer.
- Start with cold water. Cold water draws collagen and flavor from the bones gradually — always start cold, never hot.
- A gel means success. If your finished broth solidifies like jello in the refrigerator, that's a sign of high collagen content — exactly what you want. It will melt back into liquid when reheated.
- Slow cooker option: Add roasted bones and all broth ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on LOW for 18–24 hours for a hands-off method.
- Instant Pot option: Pressure cook roasted bones on HIGH for 3–4 hours for a faster result, though stovetop or slow cooker broth tends to develop more depth of flavor.
- Storage — broth: Refrigerate finished bone broth in airtight containers for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months. Freeze in 1- or 2-cup portions for easy use in other recipes.
- Storage — assembled soup: Refrigerate complete soup for up to 4 days or freeze (without noodles or pasta) for up to 3 months. Reheat gently over medium-low heat.
- Add-in ideas: Stir in cooked egg noodles or pearl barley before serving for a heartier bowl. For an Asian-inspired version, add fresh ginger, soy sauce, and star anise to the simmering broth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 26gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 720mgPotassium: 780mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 80IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 20mg
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