It's Broth Season!

Vegan "Bone Broth"

It is BROTH season!

The truth is, we believe that every season is broth season, but especially Winter.

Broths are a powerhouse for combating winter cold and supporting wellness throughout the season (and every season). Broths warm, nourish, cleanse, and hydrate the body.  They also open the heart, and provide vitamins and minerals plus protein and collagen. Broths are comforting, soothing, and deeply nourishing making them foundational for winter health. 

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In my practice, I recommend broths more than anything else for simple, accessible healing.  Adding broths daily can significantly improve nutrient absorption and support gut healing.

You can use broth as a warming drink or you can add broths to soups, stews, sauces, and grains!

Here are some of my favorite broths: Vegan “Bone” Broth, Beet & Nettle Herbal Broth, & Bone Broth

Collagen-rich bone broth, and its earthy plant based neighbor Vegan "Bone Broth", are nutrient-rich, gut-nourishing, immune-supportive, and anti-inflammatory!

The Real Food Dietitians do an amazing job of explaining some of the incredible science behind bone broth's healing prowess.

-“Slow cooking the bones with a bit of acid (in this case, apple cider vinegar) releases calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, glutamine, proline and glycine into the liquid along with a slew of other amino acids (protein building blocks). One of these amino acids is glutamine, which is particularly important for gut health because the cells lining the gut wall turn over rapidly and glutamine is their preferred fuel.” (1) 

- “The amino acids glutamine, proline and glycine also support tissue repair and speed the healing of injuries, wounds, burns and have also been shown to decrease recovery time after surgery and major illnesses.” (1) 

-The Real Food Dietitians go on to explain that “this regular turnover of cells is what helps to repair and rebuild damaged intestinal villi (the finger-like projections where much of digestion takes place). People suffering from “leaky gut syndrome”, celiac disease, colitis or Crohn’s disease often have flattened or damaged villi which leads to malabsorption.” (1)

- Bone broth is also associated with natural liver detoxification. “Glutamine, along with cysteine and proline, is necessary for the production of glutathione which is the major antioxidant that supports the liver in its ability to keep up with our daily toxic burden.” (1)
Vegan broths are also loaded with vitamins and minerals and provide a ton of nourishment!

Broth also creates a beautiful opportunity to infuse in other nutrients and plant medicine which offer us incredible health benefits like carrot (beta-carotene), garlic (antimicrobial), ginger (anti-inflammatory, anti-viral), and countless herbs like thyme (anti-inflammatory) and oregano (gut healing, anti-microbial).

Ideas for Enjoying Broth
-Simply sip 8-16 oz of broth as part of breakfast or snack

-Try Anytime Miso Soup: Warm broth to desired temperature. Add 1 serving miso (rice or chickpea) at the very end of cooking (to keep the live probiotic-awesomeness alive). You can also cook in an egg, add tons of fresh herbs like cilantro, or include chopped onion and carrot. Boost your miso soup by cooking in spinach and add a splash of lemon juice at the end (heat-sensitive vitamin C boosts non-heme plant-based iron in spinach).

- On a cold winter day, Broth Oatmeal is seriously comforting. This recipe is inspired by @chefjulie_rd & @chefabbiegellman’s Savory Oatmeal with Poached Egg and Roasted Vegetables. Soak gluten-free oats for 8 hours or overnight. Once soaked, drain the oatmeal, and cook oatmeal per package instructions using broth rather than water. While oatmeal is cooking, you can reheat pre-roasted vegetables to desired temperature. Combine the cooked oats, roasted veggies, a drizzle of olive oil, salt/pepper, and any other herbs and toppings and enjoy!

​- Add to soups, stews, and other dishes!

Getting Started

-Use a scape bag to collect vegetable peels, skins, and ends and store them in the freezer for the week until the next broth is made, helping to decrease waste.

- You can still make broth even if you do not have everything! Broth can be made with minimal ingredients and still be super supportive.

- Cooked broths are super freezer-friendly and nice to have available when you want a mug!

Resources:

1. The Real Food Dietitians. Bone Broth. Found on: https://therealfoodrds.com/bone-broth/

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