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Healthy Made Easy: Simple, Nourishing Solutions to Healthy Eating and Living

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Instant Pot Chicken Broth

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I’ve got nothing against using store-bought chicken broth, but sometimes it’s just too easy to make this homemade version instead (and cheaper than store-bought, too!). And nothing compares to the delicious and complex flavor of homemade broth. I will warn you . . . your taste buds will find it hard to go back to store-bought broth after they’ve experienced this homemade version. It’s a harsh truth, I know.

Fortunately, this broth is ridiculously easy to make, so you can give your taste buds the pleasure of this version without spending a lot of time and energy in the kitchen.

If you need a reliable roasted chicken recipe to actually have some leftover chicken bones to make this broth, check out my recipe for Simple Roasted Chicken Breasts.

An Asian-inspired chicken soup, loaded with garlic, ginger, and greens, and made with Instant Pot broth

Oooh, collagen!

Maybe you’re here because you’ve heard a lot of hype about “bone broth”, because it’s a source of collagen. Collagen is a protein, and is a main component of connective tissues throughout the body. It’s true that collagen does contain a wide variety of amino acids. And perhaps it’s a good nutritional strategy to consume a wider variety of those building-block amino acids than you would get from eating meat alone.

The bottom line, though on collagen? I’ll leave it at this: it’s complicated, and there’s a lot we don’t know for sure yet. I am a measured, evidence-based kind of gal, so I am not going to unjustifiably oversell you on the benefits of the collagen present in broth. Check out this helpful article if you want to determine for yourself if the current evidence lives up to the hype.

what you’ll need:

  • Your Instant Pot Yes, you can also make broth on the stovetop, but this version is all about the Instant Pot. I actually prefer to make broth in Instant Pot versus stovetop because 1) it doesn’t take as long, and 2) because the Instant Pot is so sealed up during the cooking process, the entire house doesn’t smell like broth. Sure, broth smells great, but I don’t like every corner, every bedroom of the house smelling like broth for hours and hours (as seems to happen when cooking broth on the stovetop). Maybe I am just hypersensitive to that, and it wouldn’t bother you at all. You do you.
  • Leftover chicken bones If you roast a chicken, or some bone-in chicken breasts or thighs, save the bones to make this broth. (You can even add chicken feet if you want. I haven’t gone there yet, but I’d love to learn from you if you have.) If you can’t get around to making the broth right away, feel free to toss the bones in the freezer until you’re good and ready to make the broth. Just thaw your bag ‘o bones in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before you start up your broth.
  • Aromatics In this case, onions, carrots, celery, and a little bit of garlic
  • Herbs and spices In this broth recipe, you’ll need black peppercorns (whole), parsley, dried bay leaf, and salt.
  • Cider vinegar The small amount of cider vinegar helps to extract the collagen from the bones during the cooking process. Cool fact, right? Fortunately, the amount used is so small that it doesn’t impart any kind of vinegar flavor to the broth. Whew.
  • Other tools needed Cutting board, chef’s knife, some sort of colander or mesh strainer to separate out the solids after cooking

Ways to enjoy this amazing broth you’ve made:

Fill with water up to about two inches under the max fill line. Ready to cook!

Print Recipe
 Instant Pot Chicken Broth
Course Soups & Stews
Cook Time 120 minutes
Servings
or so cups
Ingredients
Course Soups & Stews
Cook Time 120 minutes
Servings
or so cups
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Add chicken bones to Instant Pot.
  2. Add remaning ingredients except for water.
  3. Add water up to two inches from max fill line.
  4. Cover. Set valve to "seal". Set to Manual/high pressure for 120 minutes.
  5. Allow for natural pressure release.
  6. Once broth has cooled, use a large slotted spoon to remove the bones and larger pieces of vegetables. Using a mesh strainer or colander, strain broth and store in container until use. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Instant Pot Beans: How to Cook Dried Beans (and three reasons to try it)

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Dried beans are one of those foods that will have you singing the praises of cooking with an Instant Pot. No fussing, no watching the pot like when you cook beans on the stove. The Instant Pot reliably delivers perfectly cooked beans once you’ve determined your cook timing preference (and I’ve got you covered with a handy cook-times chart below). Also, check out my step-by-step video below to get you started!

Beans are a powerhouse food, providing both protein and fiber-rich slow-acting carbohydrates, leaving you feeling satiated and satisfied. They are delicious and incredibly versatile, and come in a wide variety of flavors and textures. Black beans, chickpeas, lentils (french, green, black, brown, red, beluga), white beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, cranberry beans, and tons more options. Each has its own unique texture and taste, so it’s fun to experiment to discover your favorites! And, if you want to get into the weeds on beans vs. legumes vs. pulses, check out this helpful read from Harvard School of Public Health.

Three Reasons to Cook Dried Beans in Your Instant Pot

  1. They taste so much better than canned. The flavor and the texture are a completely different experience than canned. So much so, that if you think you don’t like beans, consider cooking your own, and reevaluate. You might be surprised to discover that you actually DO like beans.
  2. They are very budget-friendly. True, canned beans are also pretty budget friendly. If you’re super-stretching your budget, though, dried beans are definitely less expensive than canned.
  3. It might be a good idea to minimize canned foods if possible, due to some emerging research on potentially harmful effects of BPA-lined cans. Dried beans help you minimize your use of canned goods.

The possibilities are endless with beans . . . they’re great in soups, chilis, in a breakfast skillet with eggs (like these Huevos Rancheros), or pureed in a dip. They work beautifully as a side salad, simply dressed with some oil, vinegar or citrus, herbs, and a bit of alliums (i.e. onions, shallots, scallions, chives, leeks, garlic, etc.).

I love making my Black Bean Soup recipe using beans I’ve cooked in the Instant Pot.

bowl of black bean soup

I am a huge fan of beans based on taste alone, but check out these health benefits, too:

  • increase healthy gut bacteria
  • reduce cholesterol
  • stabilize blood sugar levels

Better than popping a pill, right? And beans are a lot cheaper than medication, too. Just sayin’.

To Soak or Not to Soak?

I am firmly in the camp of soaking beans before cooking, and here’s why:

Increases digestibility. Soaking dissolves the membranes that make up the outer covering of beans. This outer coating contains sugars that can be difficult for your intestines to handle, resulting in the “magical fruit” effect. Soaking first means less gas later. That’s probably good for you, and for those around you.

Helps remove debris. Soaking removes the small amount of dirt, gravel, and other debris that sometimes can be found on beans. Soaking is very effective at removing the debris.

Makes it easier for your body to absorb minerals present in the meal. Soaking reduces the effect of phytic acid, a substance naturally present in legumes. Reducing the effect of phytic acid enhances the bioavailability of zinc and other minerals.

So, have you given it a try? Which beans are your favorites in the Instant Pot?

Stupid-Easy Steel-cut Oats, Instant Pot or Stovetop

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Oats are the ultimate meal prep staple, providing a hearty backdrop to everything from apple-pie oats to a savory version loaded up with eggs, avocado, bacon, and black beans. I prefer the steel-cut oats versus rolled oats or quick-cooking oats because steel-cut oats are a fantastic “slow carb”. A slow carb is a slower digesting carbohydrate, resulting in steadier blood sugar levels and insulin response. This is key to helping you feel steadily fueled and filled from one meal to the next. Also, keeping your metabolic hormones like insulin in check has a huge impact on your overall health. And that is why I get so excited about slow carbs!

These oats are stupid-easy to make, meaning that they take little effort, time, and clean up to prepare (the Holy Grail of meal prep, right?!). We make a big pot of these once or twice a week, and it definitely makes our breakfasts easier to throw together, and even are great in a pinch for a quick savory lunch or dinner.

Overnight oats, berry, and Greek yogurt parfait, paired with hard-boiled eggs makes a hearty, filling breakfast.

Add this one to your meal prep today! This breakfast-in-a-hurry is a favorite in our house. You can prep the oats and hard-boiled eggs at the beginning of the week, and then you’ve got breakfast for your household for several days. And, with no extra prep effort, everyone can have it their own way by changing up the toppings. The oats recipe is easy-peasy, and can be doubled, tripled, etc. if needed. Also, you can freeze any extra to use at another time.

Feel free to experiment with the liquid amounts a little bit to figure out your favorite texture/ level of chewiness.

Make-your-own oats bowl buffet

We start with plain, steel-cut overnight oats, and some hard-boiled eggs on the side for a protein boost. Topping choices for the oats include fruit, nut butters or nuts, plus a random selection of whatever we have stocked – chia seeds, shredded coconut, cacao powder, cacao nibs, homemade roasted nuts, hemp seeds, etc. Finishing touch options include honey, real maple syrup, and spices. When using frozen fruit (we love the frozen berries and cherries), a quick reheat in the microwave along with some of the prepped oats gets the job done. One other option is to thaw your frozen fruit in the fridge overnight.

Savory oats bowl: oats topped with avocado, egg, turkey bacon, wilted greens, black beans, tomatoes, chives, and a smidge of cheddar

oats with cottage cheese, blueberries, toasted walnuts, and cinnamon
delicous with cottage cheese, too
Print Recipe
 Stupid Easy Steel-cut Oats
Course Breakfast
Servings
1/2 cup servings
Ingredients
Stovetop Version
Instant Pot Version
Course Breakfast
Servings
1/2 cup servings
Ingredients
Stovetop Version
Instant Pot Version
Instructions
Stovetop Directions:
  1. Combine all ingredients in a pot, uncovered, and bring to a gentle boil.
  2. As soon as it begins to boil, quickly remove from heat, cover, and set aside until morning.* Do not refrigerate until morning. * It is perfectly safe to soak the oats overnight without refrigeration. The soaking process enhances digestibility of the oats.
Instant Pot Directions:
  1. Combine oats, water, milk, and salt into Instant Pot.
  2. Place lid on securely, and set valve to "sealing"
  3. Set to manual/ high-pressure for 5 minutes.
  4. Allow for natural pressure release.