Originally published August 18, 2016
A full-flavoured vegetable broth recipe with gut-healing properties, or a "vegan bone broth" alternative!
You might have seen a lot and heard a lot about Bone Broth and its "gut healing" properties in the news and media, as it seems to be a health trend at the moment.
So, in addition to creating a vegan bone broth alternative (recipe below) I decided to look into what exactly it is about bone broth is apparently so fascinating...
and was very underwhelmed.
I'm not a health expert and this article is simply a pool of resources I have combined.
I'd like to provide my thoughts as well as an alternative recipe...
Jump to:
🤷🏻♀️ Why Bone Broth is Nothing Special
Turns out, the most beneficial nutrients and electrolytes in bone broth can be found in vegan-friendly sources and the one thing that sets itself apart, the thing that is impossible for vegans to find a veggie replacement for is the collagen.
Collagen? I'll make my own, thanks
Our bodies can't even digest collagen whole.
We simply absorb the nutrients from our food which provides our bodies with the building blocks it needs to naturally create collagen, if and when it needs it.
There is no evidence that there is an advantage to consuming these amino acids and minerals from bone broth over other foods.
Eating collagen does not equal having more collagen.
As put in this article from TIME magazine, "Just as the dietary fat you swallow doesn’t directly translate to body fat, swallowing collagen doesn’t become collagen in or between your bones."
Kantha Shelke, a food scientist and clinical nutritionist, says "Eating a diet rich in leafy green vegetables is ideal.
Plants offer richer sources in collagen building blocks and, in addition, provide nutrients not found in sufficient quantities in meats or broth."
Healing the stomach lining
And as for it being healing for the stomach lining, particularly from the gelatin, there are some great plant-based alternatives for that too. Particularly fermented foods.
There are many other foods that have been shown to contribute towards healing the stomach lining and digestive tract, such as seaweed, aloe vera, healthy fats and turmeric.
Vitamins and minerals
Obviously, all the calcium, potassium and other minerals found in bone broth are more than easy to find in plant-based foods plus they contain much, much more goodness.
Not to mention you'll be avoiding lead and other harmful heavy metals.
So the animal product-reliant parts are not necessary and are over-hyped.
It's all in aid of making what our bodies already naturally produce and plant-sourced vitamins and minerals are the best option to actually help it do that.
🌱 A Plant-Based Option
So now we've established that the bones in this healing broth are not only unnecessary but also not as nutritious as plant-based sources, it seems pretty clear that using a bunch of wholesome plant-based ingredients is going to be healing.
And way more appealing, too.
Drinking broth has been a go-to, for centuries, as a healing food for when we're sick.
This study suggests that it's more the effect of hot liquid that is beneficial, and not necessarily the minerals or nutrients in the liquid.
Plus soup and hot liquids just feel good.
They're warming, comforting and can taste good.
🥣 Vegan Bone Broth Alternative
My version contains lot's of nutritional goodness that is great for overall health but particularly focuses on plenty of gut-healing properties.
Feel free to switch up, leave out or add in any ingredients you like, to suit your diet and taste.
The main stars are:
- Wakame seaweed:
Great source of omega 3 - one of the best for vegans, act as preobiotics which are great for intestinal health, full of vitamins and minerals (particularly good source of iron, calcium, magnesium and iodine).
Not suitable for SCD diets, leave out as necessary. - Shiitake mushrooms:
Aside from giving the most amazing flavour, these mushrooms have been shown to inhibit inflammation in the gut.
They're also full of amino acids, vitamin D, zinc and B vitamins. - Coconut oil or olive oil:
Mainly to aid in absorbing nutrients but coconut oil also has other properties that help destroy bad bacteria, yeast and lower stomach acid. - Turmeric:
Powerful anti-inflammatory to help with gut inflammation and gut permeability, plus adds delicious flavour and a beautiful colour. - Spinach or kale:
Full of vitamins and fibre.
Spinach has also been found to contain a sulfosugar that lowers gut inflammation. - Coconut aminos:
To add flavour, amino acids and the benefit of probiotics that comes with fermented foods.
May not be suitable for some diets as it's considered a sugar, so leave out if necessary.
You can find it in health food stores or on amazon.
I was worried the seaweed might be overwhelming, as I don't like sea flavours, but it wasn't really noticeable and the little bit that was noticeable was actually delicious.
It paired wonderfully with the mushrooms, ginger, chilli and coconut aminos for an Asian-style flavour.
SO good and wonderfully comforting.
❓FAQ
Do I have to strain the vegetables?
No. I created a broth so it would be completely gentle on the stomach, since a lot of people trying this are experiencing gut issues.
However, keeping the vegetables in the broth or blending it will make a delicious soup, if you prefer.
Do you have nutritional information for this broth?
It is too difficult to try and calculate the nutritional information for broths as the amount of nutrients are too variable.
Adding all the ingredients won't work because the vegetables are strained and therefore difficult to tell how much of the nutrients remain in the broth.
If you want to know for dieting purposes, I can tell you it's very low calorie and the only fat is the small amount of oil that is optional to include.
To add it to your food diary, I would just input it as "vegetable broth" with a small amount of oil.
It is likely to be under 50 calories.
How long does the broth keep for? Can it be frozen?
Once made, allow to cool slightly and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it.
I recommend pouring it into an ice cube tray to freeze as it makes it easier to defrost and is handy for small amounts of stock needed for soups, risottos and stews.
📖 Recipe
Gut-Healing Vegetable Broth
A nutritious, gut-healing broth as a vegan alternative to bone broth. If you don't like or can't find any ingredients, don't worry. Add what flavours you like and try to get as much variety and nutritional goodness as you can!
Ingredients
- 12 cups / 2 ¾ litres filtered water
- 1 tbsp coconut oil , or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion, quartered (with skins)
- 1 garlic bulb, smashed
- 1 chilli pepper, roughly chopped (with seeds) - avoid if you have a very sensitive stomach
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, roughly chopped (with skin)
- 1 cup greens, such as kale or spinach
- 3-4 cup mixed chopped vegetables and peelings, I used carrot peelings, red cabbage, fresh mushrooms, leeks and celery
- ½ cup dried shiitake mushrooms
- 30 g dried wakame seaweed
- 1 tbsp peppercorns
- 1 - 2 tbsp ground turmeric (use less for a milder taste)
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos, (see notes)
- A bunch of fresh corriander, or other herb of your choice
- (optional) ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes, for extra flavour and vitamins
Instructions
- Simply add everything to a large pot. Bring to a boil then simmer, with the lid on, for about an hour.
- Once everything has been cooked down, strain the liquid into a large bowl.
- Serve immediately with some fresh herbs, for decoration or cool for later. It also freezes well.
Notes
*Coconut aminos can be very salty, depending on what brand you use so taste before adding any additional salt.
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📖 References and resources
Studies
- The risk of lead contamination in bone broth diets
- Essential and toxic metals in animal bone broths
- Effects of drinking hot water, cold water, and chicken soup on nasal mucus velocity and nasal airflow resistance
- Shiitake Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Lentinus edodes (Agaricomycetes), Supplementation Alters Gut Microbiome and Corrects Dyslipidemia (animal study)
- Efficacy and safety of Ayurvedic herbs in diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: A randomised controlled crossover trial
- Sulfoquinovose is a select nutrient of prominent bacteria and a source of hydrogen sulfide in the human gut
LaTricia Morris says
Love this article and thank you for chiming in on this topic. Too many people miss the fact that our bodies still have to build the proteins, collagen, etc. and that them doing so from raw plant materials over recycled nutrients from animal products is a great way to build quality bones, tissues and all. Thank you!
Ck says
Good idea on the broth. Too bad all the ads on the page are for animal bone broth. For me that ruins the message you are trying to give. I'm on my phone so maybe it's different on computer.
Aimee says
Oh dear! Yes, i don't choose specific ads - it's from an ad network, which I don't have an awful lot of control over :( Sorry you had to see that though!
LaTricia Morris says
The ads from the ad network run off things you've been researching on your own computer so, it's not the author's choice but is auto-generated based on your browsers history, cookies, etc. Most of the ads I see throughout this article are for the National Academy of Sports Nutrition because that's what I was looking at earlier today.
Aimee says
Thank you LaTricia :)
Angela says
I loved this broth. To each cup I added fresh chopped parsley and coriander, ground black pepper, an extra sprinkle of nutritional yeast, pinch of salt, drizzle of olive oil and, because I love my soups on the sour side, about a teaspoon or so of apple cider vinegar. It was absolutely delicious and nourishing.
ann says
A lot of recipes call for veg stock. I hate all the healthy stock cubes on the market (love oxo but has MSG in it); tried my own vegan bon broth as a stock but hate it. Tried a few variations but didnt like any of them. Not sure what I did wrong. If I could find or make a decent veg stock life would be brilliant!!
Sophie Higgd says
A company called Essential Cuisine do a fantastic Veg Stock! I would recommend all of their stocks, a little higher priced than the average but they are worth the extra spend! They do make a lot more than the normal stocks - one pot makes 8 litres!
anne says
Thanks for the reply. However Im avoiding glucose and also yeast extract; yeast extract acts similar to msg on the brain (although free glutamate is a lesser evil) and I have ocd. Thanks though.
Jenny K says
Do coconut amino's taste of coconut? I just bought some steamed coconut oil as it doesnt smell or taste of it... yay! But as for the coconut amino's I cant seem to find out without buying and wasting money. Could anyone tell me please? Thanks
Anthony says
No not in my experience.. but it is sugar so it will affect blood glucose
It did for me..
Teresa Herlinger says
I'm not a fan of coconut flavor, and I strongly dislike the taste of coconut aminos. So I just used Bragg's Liquid Aminos (a soy product) in this broth.
Barbara says
Taste like soy sauce. I dip sushi in coconut aminos to avoid soy. Delicious. I cannot discern any coconut flavor.
Ruthy says
Can't we consider this to be a vegetable broth used in other soups? I too would love to make a flavorful vegetable broth instead of buying boxed "low sodium" broth.
Kendra says
Pretty late to the party here but make your own veggie stock! Celery, carrots and onion make up the bulk of brotha flavorings.
I make mine with all my leftover vegetable trimmings: onion skins, celery ends, bell pepper membranes and seeds, carrots ends... Pretty much everything except bitter things like eggplant skins or broccoli/cauliflower, etc. Whenever I cook, I throw the vegetable trimmings in a gallon Ziploc in the freezer, and once the bag is full I put it in the slow cooker, add garlic and depending on the mix of trimmings maybe and an extra onion or some carrots. I never add salt, as I'll add that to the recipe I use the broth for. Cook it for 4-6 hours, strain and cool. Not stirring the broth while it cooks makes it nice and clear. You could always brown the onions for deeper color and flavor but I don't think it's really necessary. Hope that helps!!
VJ says
Thank you much for this information, I will definitely try this broth. I have been trying to follow a recommended plan which includes bone broth - I am a 'almost vegetarian' as I normally only eat a small portion of chicken or turkey once or twice a week. The idea of bone broth grossed me out but recent pain and inflammation have pushed me to try anything that might help. Day 4 after forcing these bone broth smoothies down I woke up in pain, ended up vomiting and having continuing distress throughout the day. I believe everyone is different and maybe some of us are just better off NOT consuming animals. I look forward to this option.
KailuaGirl says
While I am not a strict vegetarian, I was happy to see several sources for vegetarian healing broths (I like the sound of this one the best). I am on a quest to heal my gut and have done a lot of research. I have chosen to do a combination of various diets to custom fit them to my eating restrictions. For those who do choose to use animal based broths, DO NOT START with bone broth it can result in headaches, pain, and vomiting just as VJ experienced. Making meat/chicken "stock" in which the cooking time is only about 2-3 hours does not have these effects. (To keep this short, I will not get into details here - it has to do with excess glutamates - research "when bone broth is bad for you.") My hope is that we can all find healing for our autoimmune and other diseases by eliminating toxins in our foods, our environments, and in our emotional lives; and that we can be supportive (or tolerant) of each other in our individual food choices.
Jenelle Smith says
Try Safe Soda for inflammation. I have been on it for the last month and didn’t realise until it ran out how much it helped the arthritis in my hands. I too would be the same on an animal broth, gave up red meat because I couldn’t stomach it. Love this broth and have used it in a few recipes. About to make my second batch.
Roma says
What is safe soda?
Steve says
What is "safe soda"?