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
shannon mills says
this is honestly the best broth recipe ever, I hate canned veg broth, this recipe has soo much flavor and very satisfying. I love it by it self and also as a base for other soups. THANK YOU
Naomi Oakley says
I need to heal my stomach from sensitivity of garlic and onion and I was recommended bone broth - I've been vegetarian for 3 years, so I'd prefer to stay meat free. Would this broth be just as effective without garlic and onion?
Colin Powers says
Hey! This looks so amazing. I also love your information on this crazy bone broth craze. Seems ridiculous to me. Thanks for the good read! I was curious if I could just make this into a soup by chopping the veggies a little smaller and not straining them out? Let me know if you think that could work! Thanks
Colin
Tessa says
Hi there, I can’t have onion or garlic either, I use garlic infused olive oil as it’s low fodmap, and the green part of a shallot. Works well without the tummy pain! I’m going to try the broth too.
Tami says
Today was the second time making this. I love it! It is so tasty and comforting. I will forever keep this recipe in my rotation. Thank you!!
planetary herbalist says
while this recipe sounds tasty ad nutritious...it is not a substitute for bone broth.
btw, bone broth doesn't contain collagen...it contains the amino acid building blocks of collagen...which the body can and will use to create collagen. this is not the only misleading statement....the article makes other unsupported claims as well.
so enjoy this tasty and good for you broth, but do not expect it to have the same benefits as bone broth.
Aimee says
Bone broth does contain collagen - why do you say it doesn't? The point I'm making is that plants can offer the amino acids to build collagen in the body. So why drink bone broth? I mean, you can if you want, of course, but what does it offer that plants can't?
Dan says
Much more of an amino profile and precursors that the body uses to create collagen. Also a good amount of extremely digestible protein, the brand I use is 10g per cup. They are both but this is somewhat misleading information wise.
Sky says
Hi! Looking forward to making this today. Wondering how this recipe might translate in a pressure cooker. Do you know about how long it might take to cook in the Instant Pot? Thank you.
Aimee says
Hi Sky, please see Cindee's comment here. I haven't tried it in an instant pot myself but a few people in the comments have with success!
Erin says
I’m cooking mine now, and it smells delicious, but is a lovely (not) clear grey color. How is hers creamy and orange? I’ve got turmeric in it. I do not have the yeast. I’ve added several other veggies as well. I’m wondering where her creamy look came from. This looks like mud water. Very much not pretty.
Melissa says
Nutritional yeast adds both body and a yellow-golden tone when I use it in soups and other recipes. It will slightly thicken and give an umame taste reminiscent of cheese. I definitely add it to all of my veggie stocks if I want more warmth and texture like a chik’n soup.
alex says
bone broth contains complete amino acid profile - the building blocks of collagen + other elements we haven´t discovered yet! They are also much more readily absorbed by the body. Your claims are garbage.
rain says
Why would you kill an animal to make bone water when you can eat somthing healthier and way more delicious? Animal products are unessisary. They cause diseases, perpetuate animal cruelty and contribute to climate change. Its 2020, its time to wake up.
Alexis says
Your claim is also unsubstantiated and has no real benefit as far as using bone.
Hooloo says
The vegetable aminos do the same thing , they provide you with the aminos so that you can build your own collagen and no animals hurt
Suzanne Garner says
Thank you, can you list the amino acids that are contained in this recipe? Also, does it contain alkylglycerols, glycosoaminoglycans, omega-3s and chondrotinsulfate? I'm trying to determine whether the claim of equivalence is correct. I would prefer to eat the vegetable version of this if it is indeed equivalent, but otherwise it is a lot of work to go to.
Melissa says
This is a tasty recipe and soothing. I am also curious if this recipe is to be vegan source of the amino acids that one would absorb from digesting the collagen in bone broth OR are you stating. Very few vegans write about balancing foods to ensure we get the proper building blocks for protein and so many people now avoid many traditional food combinations - such as hominy corn, beans, and squash.
Also, as a person with medically diagnosed gastrointestinal disorders, to include the lining of my stomach, I have to modify the recipe and others might as well. First, chilies must be omitted or subbed for medical inflammation of the stomach, it burns us and for many, so does black pepper corn (heat or irrritation of seeds) - cinnamon stick, anise, cumin, ginger are different seasonings that may be tolerated by some people and you can protect the stomach lining by using whole spices putting whole spices in cheesecloth bag or strained with veggies. My umbrella disorder causes me to be sensitive to oxalates so I limit them and will choose kale or collards over spinach, and sub parsnips for celery. And for some with GI issues, we need to limit or avoid fructose and/or certain types of plant sugars, to include those in garlic and onion roots. As one commented, using green tops of scallions and low-FODMAP garlic-infused oils are yummy substitutes - as well as garlic scapes, green leek tops, or infusing your garlic or onion olive oil on low heat then straining into a bottle. Hope that helps people who might
Kristi says
Very Good Homemade Broth!!!!!! I have a BIG family and this recipe was able to feed us all and we still had leftovers!!! I added just a few more spices for a little kick but this recipe is by far my favorite!!! Will definitely make many many more times!!!!!