Healing Broth | Year of Wellness

I’ve become smitten with subscription services lately. You know, the kind where you have a standing monthly surprise that seems to magically arrive at your doorstep. Of course, there’s no magic at all. You sign up, give them your credit card, and then wait. And sometimes you get so inspired by what arrives that it leads to flipping the switch you’ve been meaning to. That’s what happened last week, and how the recipe for this Healing Broth came to be.

I first began with subscription boxes when Birchbox launched way back when, and loved it. It became a bit too much, though, and getting monthly samples felt a little counter productive to finding, and sticking, with a consistent beauty routine. I think they’ve since changed the model a bit, and have been meaning to check it out again.

Since learning about LEAF from someone on snapchat, I’ve become mildly obsessed, but in a good way. I love their videos, and while it’s based in L.A., the city of fabulous people, the founders, Geri and Erin, just seem down to earth. I decided to take the leap wth their Year of Wellness subscription, and am really loving how the first month’s box inspired me to finally take the leap to make some changes I’ve known I needed to. I wrote about it in this post (which also has a wonderful recipe for Turmeric & Ginger Roasted Cauliflower).

Once you go back and read this post, you’ll see I’ve been doing a little detox. Okay, it’s not so little. No coffee, no alcohol, no nightshade vegetables, (mostly) no refined sugars (and very limited unrefined sugars), no meat, no dairy, no eggs, and I’m being mindful of the gluten I consume, too. As I wrote about previously, my gut hasn’t been feeling great for a while now. I knew some changes needed to be made, but I always managed to make an excuse to say “later on”.

The theme for the first month of Leaf’s Year of Wellness Subscription was Detox. I love everything in it, and feel it was well worth the $60. | In Jennie’s Kitchen

That all changed with the Year of Wellness detox kit. The moment it arrived, I made the commitment to dig deep, and find the willpower to make some necessary changes. I’m not crazy militant, but I am incredibly mindful about what I’m eating, and why I’m eating it. Am I hungry? Is it an emotional fix I want? How is it going to make me feel after I eat it?

The same goes for my physical health. I’m stretched thin more than ever these days. Do I really have the time to do meditation in the morning? I already rise around 5:30am to get a jump on my work day before the kids wake. The real question I ask myself when this thought pops into my head is “can I afford not to meditate?”. Even if it’s just 10 minutes, every second of them sets the tone for how I want to feel the rest of the day.

In keeping with this inside-out approach to my overall wellness, I decided to create this Healing Broth.

I came across this article doing some Google search, of which I can’t remember. The headline intrigued me, pure foodie clickbait, so I read on. While I don’t necessarily believe all the challenges that a vegan broth like this is better than bone broth, I do believe it can be as good for your body. Semantics, perhaps.

I’d set my mind to create my own version, one more mild so I nixed all possibly inflammatory ingredients like the peppercorns and chili pepper. I really love the version I came up with, and will try adding some seaweed next time around, if I remember to buy it from the food co-op. Another bonus is that putting up a pot of this Healing Broth made a little dent in the vegetable peelings and tidbits I’ve been collecting in the freezer.

A soothing way to start the day, or base for your favorite soups, this vegan Healing Broth is gentle on the stomach, yet full of flavor. | In Jennie’s Kitchen

This Healing Broth has become part of my morning ritual, a steaming cup replacing coffee, followed by herbal tea made with lemon verbena and mint clipped from the garden. You can certainly use this broth as the base for soups, too. I decided to make the broth in my slow cooker since it was a busy Sunday, and I wanted to be free to leave and run errands, if needed. If you want to put this up before leaving for work, I think that would be fine. Just use the low setting (this broth cooks on high), add an extra cup of water, and you should be okay.

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5 Years Ago: How to Cook Dry Beans

4 Years Ago: The Great Unknown

3 Years Ago: Pumpkin Scones

2 Years Ago: Turmeric Tea

1 Year Ago: Wilted Kale Salad & Warm Shallot Vinaigrette

Healing Broth | Year of Wellness

This soothing broth is a gentle way for your stomach to start the day, or to swap in for your afternoon tea or coffee break. Nama Shoyu is a type of soy sauce, and you can read more about it here. While it’s a bit pricey, I prefer it’s flavor over regular tamari and soy sauce.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 9 cups 2 1/4 liters water
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion cut in half (with skins)
• 1 garlic bulb smashed
• 2- inch 5-cm piece fresh ginger, sliced (you can leave the skin on)
• 2 cup kale leaves compost stems or save them for pickling
• 3 cups mixed chopped vegetables and peelings I used carrot peelings, celery ends, and onion trimmings from the freezer
• 1 pint fresh shiitake mushrooms including the stems
• 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
• Generous handful of fresh mint and thyme or other herb of your choice
• Few shakes of Nama Shoyu

Instructions

 

• Add all of the ingredients to the pot of your slow cooker. Set the cooker to high, and let the broth cook for 4 to 6 hours, until the vegetables have completely wilted down, and the broth has a rich flavor. Once cooled, strain the broth, transfer it to glass jars, and store in the fridge, or freeze for longer term storage.