Immune Enhancing Herbal Broth

The broth, like Herbal Medicine, is humble in origins. They both have been consumed across time and culture and made to be simple or decidedly complex. When you fuse the two into one, the humble broth takes on a simple yet distinctive depth that is both deeply comforting and profoundly medicinal. The long slow simmering of a broth gives the appropriate atmosphere for effective extraction of the immune enhancing medicinal properties of plants and food. It is a beautiful and simple way to explore the therapeutic realm of food as medicine, we all need to eat, why not make it medicinal why we’re at it? The long simmering process is an inviting way to keep the kitchen warm in the winter to boot!

Broths are remarkably versatile in the way they can bolster fundamental immune responses and give us deep and sustaining nourishment as we feed the pot a variety of different food and herbs. A nourished body is a resilient body capable of swiftly responding to any unwelcome pathogens and with the added support of immune enhancing herbs and mushrooms to bolster immune function, you are approaching preventative health in a deeply impactful way.

This broth recipe I share with you today is one that I have been perfecting over the years. It deeply replenishes vitamins and minerals, awakens the inherent immune responses of the body, is anti microbial and activates the circulatory system, enhances metabolic cleansing via supporting the liver, kidneys and encouraging lymphatic flow and leaves you feeling profoundly well nourished at the end of the meal. Put a bit of your own flair and creativity into your creation or simply follow my favorite broth recipe, whatever feels best for you!

——-Immune Enhancing Herbal Bone Broth——

Ingredients

• 1-2 pieces of Kombu Seaweed

• Handful of Calendula

• Handful of Nettle

• Handful of Dandelion Root

• 1 Tbs Licorice Root

• 5-6 Shiitake Mushrooms

• 5-6 slices of Reishi Mushroom

• Garlic Head

• Ginger Rhizome

• Large Onion

• 1 1/2 pounds of bone (a bit of meat/fat on them will add flavor though whatever you find locally is just fine)

• Fish Sauce

Other

• 7 qt Stock pot

• Muslin

• Cotton String

• Quality Water
  

1. With quality water, fill up your stock pot leaving a couple inches of room and put on the stove to heat.

2. Cut in half the ginger, onion and garlic head and broil in the oven to awaken their flavor, flip after 5 minutes or so to repeat on other side (should be aromatic and starting to brown).

3. In muslin or an old tea towel (whatever you have on hand), place the herbs and tie off with cotton string (I have many times just put the herbs directly in the pot though this does make the clean up much easier)!

4. Place all of the ingredients into the pot (Herbs, mushrooms, bones, kombu, ginger, onion, garlic and a few dashes of good fish sauce) and bring to a boil.

5. Once at a boil reduce heat to light simmer and leave to its own devices for 4-5 hours or so, stirring every now and then.

6. Voila! Strain out all ingredients and enjoy in whatever way suits you best.

My favorite way to enjoy this broth in the winter is with noodles (egg or ramen are my preferred), roasted veggies, a hard boiled egg and nori flakes on top. Yumm. I also really love to use the stalk to do a baked Farro dish in the oven or simply to cook grains in instead of plain water. There really are so many different ways to utilize broth, its wonderful.

Key Ingredients for an Impactful Herbal Bone Broth

• Seaweed

• Medicinal Herbs

• Medicinal Mushrooms

• Garlic head

• Ginger rhizome

• Large onion

• Bones (or root vegetables if you are vegetarian/vegan)

• Fish sauce (optional but oh so good)

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and have fun with making it your own!

May your bodies be nourished and your kitchens warm.

Best,

Sabrina