October 14th, 2021
By Nick Polizzi
Guest Writer for Wake Up World
I’ve got a delicious and nutritious treat to share with you today!
Our resident herbalist Tara has put together a video for an easy-to-make medicinal broth that’s packed with healing ingredients. (The best part is that you can tweak it to fit your family’s dietary needs and tastebuds, which is always a plus.)
Drinking herbal broth on a regular basis is one of the simplest ways to get concentrated herbal healing into your diet every day. Whether you put some in a bottle and drink it at work or you use it as a base for your favorite dishes, you’re benefiting from the medicinal qualities of up to 10 herbs and veggies that you may be missing from your regular old diet.
Think of a broth as a really strong tea. You can boost digestion, overall feelings of balance, strengthen your immune system and calm your mind in just a few sips.
I hope you enjoy this soul-nourishing recipe as much as we do!
Ingredients:
- 8-12 Cups of Water
- 1 Large Onion, Chopped in Half
- 2 Carrots, Chopped
- 1 Stalk of Celery Chopped
- 3 Large strips of any seaweed per 1 Cup (Kombu, Alaria, or Digitata Kelp Seaweed are some solid options)
- 1-2 Cups Mushrooms- dried or fresh is fine (Shiitake, Porcini, Reishi, Lions Mane are a few good starters)
- 1/4 Cup Calendula Flowers
- 1 Cup Loose Nettle Leaf
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger, chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Turmeric Root or add 1 Tablespoon Powdered
- Optional but recommended: 1 Tablespoon each Burdock Root, Dandelion Root & Astragalus
- Meat-eater option: add bones to the broth with 1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar and let it cook in a slow cooker for at least 12 hours.
Preparation:
This recipe can be made in a slow cooker or on your stovetop. If using a slow cooker, set it on low for 8 hours or overnight-this is usually how I make my broths!
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot and simmer on very low heat/flame for 4-8 hours.
- Strain and press as much goodness as possible through a mesh sieve.
- Salt to taste
- add a squeeze of lemon
- Add a tablespoon of Miso if desired (don’t simmer or boil miso as it is alive! Mix it into warm broth.)
PRO-TIP: If using a combination of mushrooms, know that certain mushrooms have a more bitter flavor, like reishi, so add a smaller amount if you are sensitive to bitterness.
Where to find the herbs:
Many of the dried herbs/flowers and mushrooms can be purchased online from places like mountainroseherbs.com. But as always, work with what you’ve got and what’s in season in your area.
Stay curious,
Nick Polizzi
