Roasted Garlic Chicken Bone Broth Soup Recipe

I turned roasted garlic, fresh herbs, scallions, and root vegetables into a Garlic Chicken Bone Broth Soup that opens up surprising ways to use Bone Broth Soup in simple, everyday meals.

I’ve made a lot of stock but this Roasted Garlic Chicken bone broth soup caught me off guard. With roasted garlic and chicken bones and carcass at the center, the bowl kept revealing new little things in the flavor, you know?

It reminded me of the Bone Broth Soup Recipes I save, but it felt simpler and more alive than the photo perfect ones online. I cant promise dramatic fixes, but it does something quietly useful to the day, like resets your appetite and makes you notice smells.

If you like deep, honest broth, this one is worth a try.

Ingredients

• Chicken bones give collagen, protein and minerals, body and depth to the broth.
• Roasted garlic adds mellow sweet savory notes, warms and rounds the soup.
• Onions bring natural sweetness, some fiber and umami, they caramelize nice.
• Carrots and parsnips add sweetness, beta carotene, earthiness and a bit of texture.
• Apple cider vinegar helps pull minerals from bones, faint tang that brightens.
• Thyme and parsley lift flavor, add freshness and subtle herbal notes.
• Scallions finish the soup with mild oniony sharpness, dont overpower.
• Olive oil contributes healthy fats and mouthfeel, helps flavor carry.
• Black peppercorns give warm spice and subtle heat, wakes up your palate.

Ingredient Quantities

• 3 to 4 lbs chicken bones and carcass (leftover roasted chicken or mixed raw bones)
• 2 heads garlic, roasted
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions
• 3 large carrots
• 2 parsnips
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 small leek (optional)
• 4 scallions
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 10 to 12 cups water
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (optional)

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Put the 3 to 4 lbs chicken bones/carcass on a rimmed baking sheet with the 2 medium yellow onions halved, the carrots and parsnips cut into large chunks, and the celery roughly chopped; drizzle the 2 tbsp olive oil over everything and toss so it’s lightly coated. Roast 30 to 40 minutes until browned, flipping once for even color. Meanwhile wrap the 2 heads garlic in foil with a little oil and roast with the bones.

2. When the garlic is soft and caramelized, unwrap and squeeze the cloves into a large stockpot. Add the roasted bones and vegetables to the pot. Roasting is a hack for more depth and color, don’t skip it if you can.

3. Add the optional small leek (sliced), the 4 scallions (reserve 1 or 2 for garnish and slice those), 4 sprigs thyme, 4 sprigs parsley, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns to the pot.

4. Pour in 10 to 12 cups cold water to just cover the bones and veg by about an inch. Add 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt now; the vinegar helps pull minerals from the bones. Start cold, it helps draw out the good stuff.

5. Bring the pot up to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then immediately reduce to very low. You want a barely-moving surface, not a rolling boil. Skim off any scum that rises during the first 30 to 60 minutes with a slotted spoon.

6. Partially cover and simmer low and slow for at least 6 hours, preferably 12 to 18 hours for max gelatin and flavor. You can go up to 24 hours if you’ve got the time. Check occasionally and skim if more foam appears, top up with a bit of water if the bones aren’t covered.

7. Turn off the heat. Remove the big solids with tongs or a slotted spoon, then strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot or bowl. Press gently on the solids for flavor but don’t force grit through.

8. Let cool, then refrigerate until the fat congeals on top. Scrape off and save the fat for cooking if you like, or discard. Taste and adjust salt. The fridge trick makes it easy to skim and gives a clearer broth.

9. To serve, reheat the strained broth and stir in the 2 cups shredded cooked chicken if using; add reserved sliced scallions and a few chopped parsley leaves. Warm just until the chicken is heated through. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Equipment Needed

1. Rimmed baking sheet (for roasting the bones and vegetables)
2. Large stockpot, about 8 to 12 quarts (for simmering the broth)
3. Chef’s knife and cutting board (for chopping onions, carrots, parsnips, etc.)
4. Tongs and a slotted spoon (to remove bones/veg and skim foam)
5. Fine mesh sieve and/or cheesecloth plus a large bowl or pot (for straining)
6. Ladle (for transferring and serving the broth)
7. Measuring cups and spoons (for the water, vinegar and salt)
8. Aluminum foil and oven mitts (foil for the roasted garlic, mitts for hot pans)
9. Wide-mouth containers or jars for cooling and storage (fridge or freezer)

FAQ

Roasted Garlic Chicken Bone Broth Soup Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Chicken bones and carcass: use a turkey carcass the same way, or beef marrow/knuckle bones for a richer, deeper broth (longer simmer time needed).
• Roasted garlic: if you dont have roasted heads, add 6 to 8 smashed garlic cloves and simmer till mellow, or stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons roasted garlic paste at the end for that sweet, soft garlic flavor.
• Apple cider vinegar: swap with white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, same amount, to help draw minerals from the bones without changing the soup too much.
• Fresh thyme and parsley: use 1 teaspoon each dried thyme and dried parsley, or replace with a few sprigs rosemary and a bay leaf for a different but tasty herbal note.

Pro Tips

1. Get the bones and veg seriously browned, not just a light tan. The deeper the color the more flavor you get, and if you want extra oomph scrape the browned bits from the pan with a splash of water and dump that into the pot. Don’t let stuff burn though, burnt = bitter.

2. Always start with cold water and add the apple cider vinegar before you heat it, that actually helps pull minerals and gelatin out of the bones. Wait to heavily salt until the end since the broth will concentrate as it reduces and can easily become too salty.

3. Keep the simmer barely moving, around 180 to 190 F if you use a thermometer, and skim the foam during the first hour. If it boils hard the fat and proteins emulsify and the broth clouds and gets greasy, so patience here pays off.

4. Cool fast and chill overnight so the fat solidifies on top, then scrape it off and save it for cooking if you like. Also strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and freeze in small portions so you only thaw what you need, and label dates because you will forget.