A restorative broth to help soothe, nourish and detoxify. This vegan broth has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties to help heal the gut and boost your immunity. Start your morning with a cup of broth or sip it throughout the day as an alternative to tea or coffee. Use instead of vegetable stock in sauces, casseroles, curries and stir-fry’s.
Ingredients
2 medium carrots
3 stalks of celery
6 okra
2 large or 3 medium whole cloves of garlic, crushed 1 large onion
1⁄2 cup fresh or 1⁄4 cup dried shitake mushrooms (or a blend of mushrooms) 1 handful fresh flat leaf parsley
1 large piece of kombu (seaweed)
1 or 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, skin removed and grated
1 or 2 inch piece of fresh turmeric, skin removed grated (or 1⁄2 tsp dried ground)
1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 12 cups filtered water
Instructions
1. Coarsely chop the vegetables into even sized pieces. 2. Place all the ingredients into a slow cooker and add the water to cover. Set to 5 to 6 hours on high or 10 to 12 hours on low. (You can simmer it for longer for a more flavourful and reduced broth) (To make on the stovetop) In a large stock pot, cover the vegetables, herbs and spices with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and barely simmer on low for about 90 minutes. 3. For a brothy vegetable soup with chunks of vegetables: Serve as is with a drizzle of olive oil and additional salt to taste. 4. For a strained broth: Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer (set vegetables aside). Salt to taste. You can use the strained vegetables in vegetable patties or nut roast. 5. For a velvety soup: Place the strained vegetables and about 1 cup of broth together into a blender. Add a Tablespoon of butter or olive oil and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Blend on high until liquefied. 6. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing. 7. Store broth and soup up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze for up to three months.
Benefits
Shiitake mushrooms are a non-animal food source of iron and excellent way to protect the lining of blood vessels which aids in improved heart health. They also contain vitamin B2 and 86, niacin, folate and choline. Mushrooms have been found to improve immunity (Hearst et al 2009)
Okra is rich in high quality protein and dietary fibre which help lower serum cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. The insoluble fibre found in okra helps keep the intestinal tract healthy. It is also abundant with several carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins and has a high antioxidant activity (Xia et al 2015)
Curcuma longa (Turmeric’s) antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anticancer activities decrease free radical and cell death, improve hepatic metabolism, protect brain and cardiovascular system and can trigger tumour cell death and its naturally occurring MAIO inhibitor antidepressant properties (Fadus et al 2017; Maheshwari et al 2006)
Kombu (seaweed) has benefits for both health status (digestive health, weight management] via its thyroid modulating effects and iodine content, as well as some chronic disease management (diabetes, osteoporosis] (Panth et al 2019; McArtain et al 2007)
Zingiber officinale (Ginger) has long been used to treat degenerative disorders, depressive disorders, cardiovascular disorders, vomiting, vomiting and nausea, due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial properties (Afzal et al 2001; Ali et al 2008).
Happy cooking!
Angela Marshall
References
Afzal. M, et al. (2001). “Ginger: An Ethnomedical, Chemical and Pharmacological Review.” Drug Metabolism and Personalized Therapy 18(3-4): 159-190.
Ali, B. H., et al. (2008). “Some phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): a review of recent research.” Food and chemical Toxicology 46(2): 409-420.
Fadus, M. C., et al. (2017). “Curcumin: An age-old anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic agent.” Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine 7(3): 339-346.
Hearst, R., et al. (2009). “An examination of antibacterial and antifungal properties of constituents of Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) and Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) mushrooms.” Complementary therapies in clinical practice 15(1): 5-7.
MacArtain, P., et al. (2007). “Nutritional Value of Edible Seaweeds.” Nutrition Reviews 65(12): 535-543.
Maheshwari, R. K., Singh, A. K., Gaddipati, J., & Srimal, R. C. (2006). Multiple biological activities of curcumin: A short review. Life Sciences, 78, 2081-2087.
Panth, P., et al. (2019). “A Review of iodine status of women of reproductive age in the USA.” Biological trace element research 188(1): 208-220.
Xia, F., et al. (2015). “Antioxidant and anti-fatigue constituents of okra.” Nutrients 7(10): 8846-8858.
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