Rich and Nourishing Vegetable Broth Recipe

Finding a nourishing bone broth recipe isn’t very difficult – there are so many available. But, if you want a more plant-forward or low-cost option, finding a vegetable broth that can hold the depth, colour, and flavour that most bone broths carry can be a bit more challenging. 

After plenty of searches that fell a bit short, we’ve come to develop our own. Adapted from an old Bon-Appetit recipe, our version features an additional medley of herbs that will support your body through the winter and give your kidneys that extra boost of Qi energy they need during this season. (Learn more about the relationship between winter and the kidneys here.)

Why we love this recipe

This vegetable broth is full of vitamin and mineral-rich vegetables, and packed with flavour. We have it on repeat at home for months at a time; it can be enjoyed on it’s own, as a base for heartier soups and stews, or as a cooking liquid for your favourite grains. 

Health Benefits

• Parsley promotes digestion, eliminates toxins, tonifies the blood, and regulates kidney function
• Cilantro is a powerful heavy metal detoxifier and helps to purify the blood
• Ginger, a warming food in TCM, is anti-viral and anti-inflammatory. It relieves pain, and promotes energy and circulation.
• Leeks help strengthen the yang energy of the Kidneys (In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Kidneys are associated with winter)
• Kombu – a kind of seaweed high in calcium, iron, and magnesium – regulates water metabolism and helps to dissolve phlegm in the body, while balancing the warmth of other herbs in this recipe

We hope you enjoy this vegetable broth as much as we do! 

Vegetable Broth Recipe

Ingredients:

2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 leek
2 onions (use entire onion, including skins)
1 large bunch herbs (we use parsley and cilantro for the above benefits, but anything like rosemary, thyme, and sage will work too) 
1 bulb garlic, cut in half (transverse)
1-2 knobs ginger, cut into thin slices
2-4 pieces Kombu*
1 handful dried mushrooms (we like shiitake)**
2 tbsp miso paste
Neutral-tasting cooking oil
Salt and/or pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
2. Using a mandoline (if you have one) thinly slice carrots, celery, leek, and onion (including skin) onto a baking sheet. Add garlic bulb halves.
3. In a small bowl, combine the miso paste with a splash of the oil and a splash of water. Mix together until smooth and massage into vegetables.
4. Roast in oven for 1 hour. 
5. When vegetables are done, toss into a large soup pot. Add ginger slices, herbs, dried mushrooms, and kombu, and fill the pot with water. 
6. Bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until broth has reduced by ⅓ volume. 

Recipe Notes :

This broth has so much flavour on it’s own, that we don’t usually add salt until serving. If you’re avoiding salt, you might try a squeeze of lemon instead. 

*Kombu can usually be found at Whole Foods or any asian grocery store. 

**You can use fresh mushrooms instead of dried, but dried mushrooms have more flavour.