Mutton Yakhni Soup Recipe: Pakistani Style Bone Broth

Mutton Yakhni Soup

Mutton Yakhni soup is a Pakistani style of bone broth cooked in spices and herbs. Yakni is an Urdu word for soup or broth. But, it particularly refers to the bone broth made with meat bones and whole spices that are often cooked for when someone is not well.

At least that’s the main reason for the bone soup made in my family.

First introduced by my husband’s family, I now almost always make Yakhni whenever hubby or our kids are not well. 

Unlike the other bone broth recipes, the one that I’ve learned from my extended family is the way most Pakistanis make yakhni. 

We put certain whole spices to get the best of each and every spice. And of course, we know that spices are beneficial for our health and that it’s only we who should try to make the most of them. 

The Benefits of Bone Broth

We believe that yakhni can improve our immune system and help us to sleep when we are unwell. And of course, it’s also comforting to enjoy the soup on cold or chilly days. 

According to the article by BBC Good Food, bone broth is also good for joints and weight loss apart from being a good source of beneficial amino acids and being good for digestion.

So really, I think we all should aim at having it more often than not. 

What You Need For The Best Bone Soup

Mutton bones and some whole spices such as ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, fennel seeds and cinnamon. And you also need brown onions, a few bay leaves and turmeric.

Although I put turmeric powder in this recipe, I suggest you try to get fresh turmeric root for the broth. Not only will it give a better aroma to the soup, but I believe it also makes the broth taste better. But don’t despair if you can only get the turmeric powder. It’s all good too. 

How To Make The Best Mutton Bone Broth

There is no hassle at all to make mutton Yakhni soup. It’s pretty much like you dump everything in the stockpot, turn the heat to boil and simmer it for a good 2-3 hours.

Though I was taught to put the onion as a whole, I prefer to thickly slice it before cooking it in the soup. The reason is simply to extract the onion better and quicker. Also, you can enjoy the soup with some of the onion slices too. It’s rather tasty. 

The only thing I must mention is that make sure you wash and rinse the bones before you cook them. And skim off any excess fat and dirt that float on the surface of the soup once the water reaches the boiling point. 

And please be patient when you make the soup, as it takes at least 2 hours for the water to take the good from the bones. I personally prefer to simmer the broth for at least 3 hours. I find it tastes way better. And I believe the longer you cook it, the more health benefits you can get from the bones and the spices. 

Ways To Store The Soup

The ready-made soup keeps well in the fridge/ refrigerator for about one week. Make sure you let it cool down completely before storing it in a food container with a well-tight lid on. 

And you can freeze the soup for about 2 months. Just don’t forget to label your food container so that you won’t forget. 

Once you need or want to enjoy your Yakhni, you can reheat it in a pan until it reaches boiling point before serving. 

If it’s frozen, try to thaw the soup overnight in the fridge/ refrigerator and then reheat it as above. 

You can also reheat the broth in the microwave as long as it does reach the reboiling point. It takes approximately 2 ½ minutes for me to reheat it in the microwave at high watts. 

Make The Most Of Your Mutton Soup

The nice thing about making this mutton soup is that you can also use it as stock for your dishes. 

I often add the soup when I make vegetable pilau rice, kitchari or mung bean dal. 

Therefore, I like making the Yakhni in large quantities and keeping some in the fridge as well as freezing it for when I need it. 

Related Recipes

Thank you for checking this mutton Yakhni soup recipe. I hope you’ll try it. When you do, please share what you think about the recipe in the comments below. I’ll really appreciate it. 

And please follow me on Facebook, Instagram and/or Pinterest to sneak a peek at what’s cooking in my kitchen. 

Before you go, don’t forget to check out my other comforting food recipes that you may like.

• Aloo Gosht: meat and potato curry Pakistani style.
• Lamb Kofta Curry.
• Chicken and sweetcorn soup: Indonesian style. 
• Soto Ayam: Indonesian clear chicken soup.
• Lontong Sayur Betawi: vegetable curry in spicy coconut milk with hard-boiled rice cakes.

Thank you and all the best.