Healing Vegetable Broth

Ingredients

• ●2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• ●2 onions, roughly chopped
• ●4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• ●3 carrots, roughly chopped
• ●6 cloves garlic, smashed
• ●1 cup chopped mushrooms (shiitake are excellent — rich in minerals and B vitamins)
• ●1 large piece of kombu seaweed (about 4 inches — adds minerals and umami)
• ●1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
• ●1-inch piece fresh turmeric, sliced (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
• ●1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• ●2 bay leaves
• ●A few sprigs of thyme and parsley
• ●1 tablespoon miso paste (added after cooking — not during)
• ●8-10 cups filtered water
• ●Sea salt to taste

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized.
2. Add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the kombu, ginger, turmeric, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley. Pour in the water.
4. Bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat for 1-2 hours. Don't boil — a gentle simmer extracts the most flavor and nutrients.
5. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids.
6. Stir in the miso paste while the broth is warm but not boiling (high heat destroys the beneficial enzymes in miso).
7. Season with sea salt to taste.