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
Kelsey says
Omg love this! Put very little seaweed in since it was the first time making and jarred up about 6 mason jars to bring to work! For dinner tonight, I sautéd mushrooms and spinach with a little soy sauce and garlic and added to as a soup. So freakin good! Thank you!
Harlowe says
Tried this broth last night. Quick and easy to make. The recipe needs more detail (like soaking and rinsing the seaweed, whether to cut off roots of onion, celery, garlic skins, etc. and to press the veggies through a mesh strainer to get all of the broth and nutrients out). I used 4 more cups of water than suggested because 12 cups really wasn't enough to even nearly cover the contents. Next time, I will significantly reduce the amount of seaweed as it dominated the flavor. Overall, this gave me great ideas on how to boost the flavor of my vegetable broth (seaweed, dried shiitake mushrooms, chili pepper, garlic) and I really appreciate that! I also enjoyed feeling like I was getting a lot of nutrients as I consumed it.
Mia says
I have Hashimoto's, so I'm leaving out the seaweed (it's a big no-no for folks with autoimmune diseases), but everything else looks beautiful! Can't wait to sip it on this chilly rainy winter day!
Izz says
Oh I didn’t know that! I thought it would be beneficial for autoimmune diseases, due to the omega 3 that helps with inflammation.
Amy says
Why is seed weed a big no no for autoimmune disorders?
I have a few.
Linda Thurber says
Seaweed is AIP compliant
Elle says
Can you please post some evidence/literature to these claims you make? To make such a bold statement as this needs some evidence to back it up...if you have any!
Sharon Thomas says
Yikes!! It’s veggie broth for Gosh sakes not a cure for ALS!
Super healing , love it so much.... I make it weekly and double the recipe.
alex says
as a clinical dietitian, I can tell you alot of what she has said is crap. Even so, it´s probably a pleasant thing to drink and I would imagine very comforting in winter. I intend to make it. What all these non nutrition experts fail to acknowledge is that there are alot of elements in food that we haven´t even discovered yet, so I would be taking any ¨discussions¨ by non-qualified persons as fiction.
Jack Wheatley says
Which parts are you disagreeing with?
Marie says
I have worked with a lot of clinically qualified dieticians who recommended a lot of “crap” processed food- way out of date with current research. These same dieticians recommend “crap” highly processed food to hospitalized patients - sad. Whole, unprocessed organic nutrient dense vegetables- food as Medicine- much better then listening to “qualified” fiction writers.
I love this recipe, and find it useful and adaptable to individual needs. Some people will do better on bone broths, others vegetable broths. Thank you for recipe.
Robyn Flynn says
I am in school for holistic nutrition. All the ingredients have an abundance of vitals minerals. You can look up each one and see the benefits for yourself .
Jane says
To flat out say bone broth is bad and this is better is questionable, and I would like to see the evidence that supports this. I'm sure it has a lot of great benefits that come from cooking the veggies down (because yes vegetables are GREAT for you), but I don't know if claiming that it is better for you than bone broth is accurate. I don't know how the two can be compared because they are foods from animals and plants which aren't the same in a lot of ways! What about the amino acids from the bones like L-glutamine, or from the blood of the marrow, or breakdown of the connective tissue from the bones? Would love to see the research as to how this is better!
Norah Hudson says
Not eating dead flesh & bones from a once suffering animal, with all the fear, hurt and abuse that soul had to endure.....Bone broth definitely will not be as good and healing as regenerating plants - so it goes without even saying...... :)
Eva says
Definitely refuse to go out and buy bones from a poor, severely abused animal. Just cut out added sugar or no sugar at all.
Sarah says
Harvard Health Dept. actually posted an article backed with scientific evidence and clinical studies as to why bone broth - while not necessarily ‘bad’ - does little to nothing to help with digestion, joints, etc.
It also mentions that the benefits people get from bone broth is most likely coming from the vegetables included.
Just google Harvard on bone broth.
Anyways, delicious broth + all ingredients are so beneficial/nourishing.
Christina says
It really is the basics of science of digestion. Whatever you eat your body breaks down by way of absorption which takes place through the villi (tiny hair-like structures, in the mucosa of the small inteatine. Within each villus is an artereole and a venule bridge (where arteries turns back to venous flow) with cappilaries. Simple sugars, small proteins or peptides, amino acids, a few simple fatty acids and most of the water in the digestive tract are absorbed into the blood through these capillaries. From Memmler's Structure and Function of the Human Body 10th edition, pg.346
It isn't collagen that is absorbed but what it is made up of. You get those nutrients from plants. How else do cows, rhinos, or elephants make collagen. And those are the largest and strongest herbivores on the planet.
teresa says
I made this broth and ate it as soup instead. Left out coconut oil, turmeric, and aminos. Woke up the next day with my eyes totally swollen which for me is a sign of too much sodium. Considering I've had no sodium the past few days, I knew it had to be the soup. But what?? After reading how much sodium Wakame has in it, I will leave it out next time.
Vasu says
Wakame has to be soaked for atleast 30 mins and washed well in order to get rid of all the salt. This is what I learnt when I initially started using wakame.
Vasu says
Additional details to my earlier comment:
Soak the wakame for about 30 minutes. Rinse 2 or 3 times thoroughly. Drain after each rinse, and squeeze or knead (as if you are working with bread dough) to remove excess salt used in the drying process and rinse off any hidden sand. Drain well and use.
Denise Maruna says
Thank you for these instructions.