Restorative Vegetable Broth – A Nourishing Soup

This hardy and restorative vegetable broth is perfect to sip on when you want something warm and nourishing during the winter months (cold and flu season), or any time of year.

These immune boosting and vitamin / mineral rich ingredients (including garlic, shitake mushrooms, ginger, kombu and turmeric) can be thrown into a slow cooker or soup pot for a flavorful, nutritious and comforting broth.  Leave the vegetables in or blend for a more creamy, velvety soup.

This soup is easily adaptable and simple to make and store.

Sip on it all day long, in place of coffee or tea!

restorative vegetable broth

YIELDS MAKES ABOUT 2 1/2 QUARTS OF STRAINED BROTH

A nourishing vegetable broth made in the slow cooker or on the stovetop.
Prep Time 30 min | Cook Time 6 hrs

 Ingredients

  • 1 small to medium leek, sliced lengthwise and well cleaned (use white and light green parts)
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 3 stalks of celery
  • 2 large or 3 medium whole cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 very small or ½ large regular or Japanese sweet potato
  • 1 cup winter squash (like butternut)
  • ½ a small bunch bunch kale or chard (or a mixture of leafy greens), leaves only
  • ½ cup fresh or ¼ 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 ½ tsp dried ground if fresh is not available)
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 quarts/12 cups filtered water
  • 1 Tablespoon of butter or extra virgin olive oil for serving

restorative vegetable broth

Instructions

  1. Coarsely chop the vegetables into even sized pieces.
  2. Place all the ingredients except for the butter or olive oil into your 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 flavorful and reduced broth)
  3. (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.
  4. For a brothy vegetable soup with chunks of vegetables:  Serve as is with a drizzle of olive oil or pat of butter and additional salt to taste.
  5. For a strained broth:  Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer (set vegetables aside). Salt to taste. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing.
  6. For a velvety soup:  Place the strained vegetables and about 1 cup/240ml 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.
  7. Store broth and soup up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze for up to three months.

Notes:  Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free

Share this restorative vegetable broth recipe with your friends!


Source:
“Restorative Vegetable Broth | A Nourishing and Cleansing Soup” gourmandeinthekitchen.com, Retrieved 10 Dec 2016 <http://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/detox-vegetable-broth-recipe/>.