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
Kim Kauffman says
What kind of chili pepper do you recommend? Fresh, dried?
Thank you!
Aimee says
I used fresh but dried would work too!
Kali says
How many calories are in a serving? My wife and I made it today and really enjoyed it!
Polly says
I'd like to know this too!
Michaela says
Hi, I put the ingredients into an app called "Easy Diet Diary" and created a Recipe.
The ingredients I entered were:
1 tsp Olive EV Oil, 1 medium red onion (151g), Garlic cloves 15g,
1 mini fresh chilli 5g, 1 x 5g fresh Ginger, 1 cup (45g) English Spinach,
1 x small regular unpeeled carrot (74g), 45g red cabbage,
35g fresh common mushrooms, 35g leek, 1 small 5g stick of celery,
123g Dried sliced Shiitake Mushrooms,
30g Wakame seaweed,
10g Yeast Flakes and 3g Coconut aminos Seasoning
(turmeric, peppercorns water, and coriander did not have an entry, presumably the calories are negligible).
All this gives the following nutritional information for the entire recipe:
Energy 2928kJ (700 cal), Protein 42.9g, Fat 10.1g, Sat-fat 1.6g, Carbs 93.8g, Sodium 145mg
craig says
i assume it will be less than this because you strain out the vegetable matter. but thanks for the effort!
Brandi says
I LOVED this broth! I do have a question. How long does this stay good in the fridge? I made it five days, on Jan 6th, ago and I forgot to freeze it so I want to know if it’s too late to drink or freeze.
Randy Rogue says
The ethics of bone broth does matter, even in a P.E.T.A world; mainly, because over 3 billion human beings cannot just give up eating meat overnight…FOR ANY REASON. As for some, their day-to-day survival depends on it!
All the ‘sane’ arguments in favor of not-eating animal by-products for religious or ethical reasons, I am in full agreement with, even though I am a meat eater myself. Ethics and our Environment seem logical enough to me. ‘Protect and preserve life about all else’ has been my personal motto for most of my adult life. Despite being an ethical ‘meat eater’. It certainly ain’t going to happen this P.E.T.A century!
It is sheer fallacy and farce to expect 3 billion people to give up eating meat, as tasty, and delicious as it is; especially, almost overnight. It will take decades, if not centuries, for this kind of change to actually take place around the globe.
In the meantime, the sad and grim reality is that billions of chickens and pigs are slaughtered each year around the world, to feed the insatiable cravings of far too many meat-loving human beings like myself. Bone Broth anyone?
Colleen P Ashley says
You really need to do more research! I am a Vegan and have peace of mind that I am not only healthier but saving the world one meal at a time. You think Climate Change is a hoax? Anyone who loves animals wouldnt dare eat meat. Would you eat your cat or dog??
alex ferreira says
oh god here we go with the holier than thou mentality
randy rogue says
I am an independent health research scholar, with over FIFTY-FIVE years of expertise on the value of meat protein over vegetable protein to reduce inflammation in our body and brain. Oh, I guess my three Ph.D.'s in Biochemistry, Molecular biology, and Nutrition mean nothing to you. By the way, please let me know where I can send my data, re over 8,400 studies on meat and nutrition. I love my cat, I would never consider eating her, or my leg; yet, if that's all the food there is...Bon Appetite to either one. LOL Please keep in mind, we have differing points of view, thus my ideas, as an alternative reality seem dangerous, subversive, and radical; yet, we've been eating bone broth for over twenty thousand years! How radical is that?
Christi says
Randy, I have a (respectful) question. I gave up all animal products in an attempt to figure out why my body stopped working as normal (bloating, arthritis, headaches, sluggish metabolism, heart palpitations and panic attacks and worsening asthma). Really, I cut out all allergens and have slowly added things back. I know unequivocally that dairy isn’t my friend. I’ve tried chicken and turkey but the heart related symptoms came back. I haven’t had the nerve to try beef or wild game again (we are a family of hunters so deer is a normal protein). Is there something I am doing wrong or am I just one of those people that can’t go back? I would love your insight if you’ve seen this kind of thing before. I’ve wondered if it’s more about meat production and if ethically harvested meat would be different. Thank I’m advance!
randy says
Hi Christi, I will do my best to refer you to the right information or source. I am an ethical meat eater; which means, I eat humanely and organically-raised meat products. The list of added ingredients in non-organic meats is long and filled with polysyllabic chemicals most people can't even pronounce. Additionally, the added antibiotics and hormones the meat source receives can also add to your toxic load.
Dr. Sherry Rogers is one of the best environmental Dr's out there. Her books can give you some info on what you may be facing. There are over 10,000 legal and approved additives the US Government allows in our foods!
That's a lot of possible allergens to check off your list!
They use nitrates and other preservatives in most commercial non-organic meats. The heading, 'Spices' can also include many other unknown ingredients like insect parts, and human as well as animal feces, in parts per billion, of course.
In my educated opinion, to re-acclimate your body to meat, you should try a cup or two of organic bone broth; preferably from a reliable source, or you can make it yourself. After a cup, wait and see what happens for a few hours; if no reaction, have another cup, and then, monitor your response.
Take two cups a day for a week, in the morning and one at night, while you monitor your body's response. If all is well and no negative reactions, after a week or more, try some organic chicken, or turkey, with ZERO additives, try a small amount at a time and see what happens.
The bone broth will actually heal your insides and ease your transition back to meat. Again, I am an ethical and organic meat eater. My meat has been humanely raised and allowed to live a good life, and NOT, just grown for slaughter!
I only eat meat a few times a week, max. We have a planet to consider, and I must also do my part.
I hope this helps...
21st century male says
Thanks Dr. Randy for enlightening us lowly peons with your invaluable wisdom. Take your condescending attempts to bolster your ethos on a fucking recipe forum and have a lovely week at your mansplaining laboratory polishing your big boy diplomas.
Feline says
Christi,
The brain is constantly creating neurological pathways with everything that we do. A lesser known study conducted by Pavlov (of Pavlov's bell) showed that despite healthy animals healing upon exposure to a large toxin (tetany), a less toxic stimuli presented in the future can prompt lethal side effects. Today's theory is this: the same neurological pathways, for reasons yet unknown, can be traveled in the brain at any time, triggering things like flashbacks, multiple chemical sensitivity, allergies, and nervous system disorders.
I comment because I too react to any meat that was store-bought (sometimes even organic, immediately exposing the label as a lie) with allergies, arthritis, fatigue, and twitching. In my case, I suspect a toxic dose of antibiotics made me hyper-sensitive to their presence in meats. I highly recommend finding local farmers whom you trust (farmer's markets and local food co-ops are great places to start!), where clean, wild food is the norm, and chemical interventions (like antibiotics) are not used. As far as wild game goes, inspect the surrounding area to determine how healthy the animal itself is. Are the deer eating from GMO corn fields that are sprayed copiously with pesticides...?
So YES. Ethically makes a difference, not just to fuel a better and more just world, but one our bodies can feel. Hope this helps.
Kate O'connor says
3 phds?
Yet you say LOL and have a questionable grasp of grammar and spelling....
randy rogue says
I blame our education system for my grammatical and spelling failings, and I thank you for making it seem 'questionable'. LOL
Rose Barile says
Yes, 3 PhDs doesn’t necessarily have to correlate with spelling and grammar. I’ve met a few PhDs, incredibly knowledgeable, with grammar and spelling quirks. It’s less likely yet they do exist.
Brittney says
Not everyone incarnated with the same karma as you. YOU may be able to survive as a vegan, but those with heavy shadow work and ancestral trauma need animal products to ground their energy... that’s for the spiritual aspect. SOCIOPOLITICALLY not everyone is as privileged as you to be able to give up eating flesh in this life. That’s all the guy was trying to explain
taylor says
it sounds like you would consider eating your cat, randy
Kandace says
You would be correct they mean nothing to us… You have an education heavily influenced by the meat and dairy industry good on ya
J says
Climate change is a hoax. Just because the corporate main stream media doesn't show it doesn't mean the science disproving climate change isn't there. And there is ample evidence that the factory farming techniques and corn subsidies that ruined the natural farming systems are to blame. Proper farming techniques treat the animals well, rebalance the soil nutrients, reduce the carbon emissions, allow more nutrient dense vegetation enabling more animals per acre with higher nutrition and lower omega 6s, and denser vegetation prevents soil erosion. Farming animals isn't the problem
Kate O'connor says
Everything stated there is untrue and there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Many of your points are puzzling vague also. I suspect you are not impartial and may well have vested interest in pushing the intensive farming agenda.
Rene says
You are well informed! Regenerative farming is and always has been the answer. See Savory Institute. Many vegans have reverted back to eating meat after educating themselves, not to mention decline in health.
Chris Andersen says
Yeah sorry you have been indoctrinated it's a hoax do some research and stop watching fake news. Veganism is a fascist bs made up diet!
Niki says
Not at all. There were no grocery stores or refrigerators. Hunting and killing animals was harder than driving 2 minutes down the block. The meat was then immediately cooked and consumed and it may have been days or weeks before you could eat meat again. The animals weren’t pumped full of corn and antibiotics. Also, who said it was safe to crossbreed animals and then eat them? I won’t answer. This blog is too cool for trolling based convo. You actually are indoctrinated who needs to really do research.
Jade says
Im a meat eater too, and I am sick of vegans pushing their agenda.
Bone broth tastes nasty which is why I am looking for an alternative. The OP doesn't include any nutritional values for the recipe and hasn't even supplied citations.
I'll keep searching for a more reputable evidence based source.
Stephanie says
Bless your heart. Sounds as if you’re just really defensive over your decision to eat innocent factory farmed and slaughtered beings, when you don’t need to do so. Maybe research cognitive dissonance.
Bon says
Why are you here on a vegan website pushing your meat eating agenda?
Stephanie says
Exactly. Come on to a vegan site and troll it? Come on, people- don’t you have anything better to do? Smh.
Niki says
Randy, check on the origin of the pig and chicken. I won’t reply, it doesn’t need to be discussed. Just want you and anyone else who’s interested, to be informed. Fish is the BEST choice. Bison is okay if you must eat land animals.
Tia says
Lol