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
Angelina Helene says
I think this is an excellent broth but please coming from a Nutrition expert and one that has helped hundreds overcome leaky gut in the past 12 years - this broth will NOT provide the same healing as a bone broth or collagen/gelatin. This isn't something that I came to from a biased standpoint (because I mainly identify as a vegetarian and raw vegan at times) nor is it something that I deducted from research online but through years of first hand experience with clients with severely impaired guts (a huge part of my client base is Lyme disease patients, leaky gut is just one of the many devastating symptoms experienced). I also had chronic Lyme disease and while I was able to make a full complete recovery, leaky gut is something that persisted for many many years after. Clearly as a Nutritionist, I have an advantage in knowing exactly what to eat - organic, no processed foods whatsoever, gluten free, mostly grain free, homecooked and loaded with homemade cultured foods/drinks. By all accounts I was living a pretty strict lifestyle but one thing I couldn't help but notice was that my non vegetarian clients were not experiencing the lingering leaky gut that I was. My clients come to me with various food backgrounds - I treat them all - whether vegan, vegetarian, paleo etc - I teach them how to implement the healthiest ways to make their diet work for them - most of my lyme patients fared well on auto immune paleo - so far from me to make them change. For years, I stubbornly stuck to a vegetarian/raw vegan diet as I've been a lifelong vegetarian (with the exception for a few questionable years in my 20's that included bodybuilding!), I was convinced that I was doing the right thing BUT how was I still dealing with something that my clients were easily recovering from - the only difference was they were including bone broths and eliminating some key foods that I was eating - like beans/lentils etc. As disheartening as it is - I decided that I would begin to incorporate grass fed, pasture raised collagen/gelatin and bone broth and then began to add some fish and pastured eggs to my diet (simply because I was soo limited in what I could consume once I had to eliminate starchy veg and legumes/lentils/pulses)- with these changes, my body was finally healing (keep in mind, I had been gut healing for 10 years with no real results). Will I go back to my vegetarian ways - absolutely but I also can't disregard that sometimes what we want for our bodies is not always what we need.
Nicole says
Can you add the collagen/gelatin to this broth? I noticed that in other broth recipes he calls for collagen. Do you know how much you would add. I am new to this and I am looking to heal my gut. I would love a little direction on this recipe to make it the most potent and healing broth. Thank you.
Angelina Helene says
Hi Nicole - my apologies as I just saw your comment now. Yes - you can add collagen (I recommend Vital proteins as it's grass fed and one of the best out there plus no taste!! The collagen peptides is what you would want to use as it dissolves and doesn't gel). I would use 2-4 scoops depending on how much soup you're making - for the above recipe definitely go with 4 scoops as it makes quite a bit.
Crystal Garcia says
Hello Angelina, I am an IBS advocate for many and have been IBS free for 2 years now. I have so many questions to ask you in regards to veggie broth vs bone broth. Could you e-mail so we can touch base? my e-mail is [email protected] and my instagram account is ibs_healing. I look forward to speaking with you! Crystal Xo
traci rogers says
Angelina Helene, thank you for that powerful comment. I will take your words into great consideration. I would be so thrilled if that could move me closer to seeing my food sensitivities improved which would be proof my gut is actually healing.
thanks again for writing!
Angelina Helene says
You're very welcome Traci! YES - food sensitives are a thing of the past when the gut is healed!!! Everyone with allergies has varying degrees of damage to their gut, so some healing will be quicker than others - but all worth it. Leaky gut is just an awful insidious condition with serious health implications when left untreated. Good luck to you!!! It's a journey I've been on myself so I know that it can be difficult at times but it's necessary....
Elle says
Do you think that fish collagen would work the same benefits as bone broth and gelatin? I feel if I can do fish that is slightly less bothersome ethically for me than eating cow-based collagen or gelatin. Trying to heal myself too while being able to maintain my ethics as much as possible! Knowing I may have to give up beans, however, makes me super sad!! Thank you!
Lesley says
Totally agree
Jime Martenson says
Angeline Helene
You know what bothers me about people like you, is that you are coming to a vegan website to spew your animal eating habits and passing them as healthy eating. Unlike you, REAL VEGANS, do not see animals as food. How would you feel if I go to your page and tell you that having DOG bone broth will help you heal you leaky gut. Would you do it? I'm pretty you will not. That is how us vegans see ALL animals. They are NOT food. It bothers me that I find this awesome page with yummy, healthy, gut healing recipes and than I have to be subjected to BS crap about how eating dead animals will help me heal my leaky gut.
The next time you decide to post your dead animal eating advice, please find a website that has carcasses eating people. And please stop calling yourself a vegetarian, you are FAR from that.
With that said, Thank you to this website for the wonderful VEGAN recipes. This broth has helped me so much. I feel better just a week in
AC says
Geeze, get off your vegan pedistle people here are just trying to help one another. If you read more comments, someone mentioned a vegan could add food grade diatomaceous earth in the vegan broth to add collegen. Some people don't listen to the conversation after they find a topic they feel like attacking. Wait till the end of a conversation before judging others.
Stevie says
I think you mean pedestal
Kierra says
Not everyone can be vegan. Health conditions don’t allow it. I personally have hypothyroidism and my medication contains animal thyroid. Also, how do you explain the millions of seniors today who live to be 80+ who have never eaten vegan or have cancer and have never eaten a super food a snack mostly ate white potatoes and meat all their life? Come on.
Naomi says
Its been opposite for me. I have had to become vegetarian (except for seafood) as my gut wasn't digesting meat. I do still make chicken bone broth but I do much better and feel much better with vegetarian meals and rice. I did paleo for 12 months and nothing happened. I actually got worse. I think everyone's body is different and it can be trial and error. So ur right, it's not always what u want for ur body that ur body needs. Essential oils healed my leaky gut.
Tamara says
Hi Naomi. Thanks for sharing. Our circumstances sound very similar. I have been doing AIP for a year & trying to heal my gut. My MS has got worse and I have also had to become vegan as my body could not process meat. I am very glad to find this website as was looking for a veggie broth to replace the chicken broth.
Do you mind sharing what essential oils you used?
Thanks
Barbara says
I can also vouch for bone broth,and a combination of glutamine slippery elm powder and inulin,my life was nearly ruined through leaky gut,Ibs and severe diverticulitis ,only found broth through have t fast every time i had an attack,Ialso gave up wheat and sugar in all forms took me two yrs of different approchs before my gut felt relieved i can even go off diet every now and then with out flare ups
Marina says
The whole point of this article is to offer an alternative and I find it distasteful that you would claim that it will not help leaky gut. There is no evidence to the contrary. Bone broth however has high levels of lead. As all animals are vaccinated (yes organic animals too) their bones will also contain aluminium and mercury while the flesh will contain other vaccines toxic ingredients. So take your paleo point somewhere else.
Debra Bowers says
Once again...humans think that they have to use other animals lives to heal themselves or improve their lives. Most people probably harmed themselves through eating animals...
I am so sorry that some people on this feed don't see that your recipe option as viable and cruelty-free.
Stephanie says
I really appreciate your response and experience here. I am a vegetarian who is now going back to being vegan. I appreciate personal experiences regarding lifestyle changes and the reasons behind why people make them. I'd love to learn more on why the elimination of lentils and grains was beneficial. You've given me a starting point to look at new information.
Antonia says
Hi. I saw your question about lentils. My understanding is thatvitvis the lectins in food that cause the autoimmune system tooverreact and cause inflammation in the body and a whole lot of other chronic related issues. From what i have tead lentils in particular have very high levels. Soaking them overnight and cooking thenin a pressure cooker helps but still not ideal. There are a couple of books by dr Grundy that go into a lot of details. There is a growing realisation that chronic disease is a result of inflammation in our digestive system. His books give everyone hope
Kat says
thank you, very well expressed and i very much agree with you,also from personal experience. from studying bachelor health science, like you, understand the benefits you receive from bones, which is not in vegetables... i dont think this article should be stating all this information, without taking into consideration
The Chinese use bone to support kidney and digestive function and to build blood.
Cindy Micleu, instructor at the Jade Institute complementary healing center, says "bone marrow contains myeloid and lymphoid stem cells. The foundations for red and white blood cells, these cells build immunity, assist with blood clotting and help provide oxygen to cells. Collagen, the protein-rich substance that cooks down to gelatin, can also help repair the body. Collagen deficiency can lead to poor wound healing, easy bruising and bleeding gums. Collagen in bone marrow can help the body rebuild itself"
this is just a quick paragraph i found {(please no one comment too harshly on that, as i just looked for it quickly to explain to some people who might not realise blood is formed inside bones)
Tom says
Angelina, thank you so much for your informative and reasonable comment.
Janice says
Hi Aimee,
What do you think about adding Gelatin to get that animal factor into a great nutritious broth?
Aimee says
haha no
Steph says
i love this even more for the number of apparently registered-dietitian omnis it has pissed off, bless u
would u like me to share my entire medical history and rant about why we need to consume animal products to be healthy now? cool, ok
Aimee says
hahaha
<3
Trish says
Thank you for this recipe! I've been struggling to find a nice vegan broth. Most are bone broths (ick!) I was wondering if you have any vegan gut healing recipes? Would love some more of those!! Amazing site btw.
karen says
As a fellow blogger, its nice to see others take a real interest in the health and wellness of others. A good healthy broth can have many healthy feel good nutrients. However, as a dietician, nutritionist, and trainer..I don't understand the need to compare bone to vegetable, as you know, you are not consuming meat in either way. As a cancer survivor, who also deals with thyroid issues, I consume more veggies than meat. However, for the health of my body, after trying both ways, my body does better with regular consumption of gluten free foods, wild seafood, turkey, poultry..with more fresh low glycemic fruits and balanced starchy veg. Every human body is different. What works for some may not work for others. I have clients who are vegans but, for the sake of feeling good and maintaining healthy blood tests, consume a batch of homemade bone broth every month. Science shows strong evidence in relation to meat and bones. Nevertheless, I was looking for a vegetable broth to try before recommending. Your broth sounds good with the exception of mushrooms, and some of the healers like tumeric or ginger. It may be best to add them after cooking to individual bowls. Over cooking it for long periods can really aggravate the tummy for some. Thanks for the recipe.
Christy Jackson says
Hi Aimee,
Thank you so much for your investigation and this recipe. My two children get serious stomach aches and have lots of food sensitivities, so we've finally started the GAPS diet. But I'm vegetarian and the smell of that bone broth makes me gag (luckily their father makes it, not me). I think the fear for my children's health overrode my own gut instincts about food for a while. Reading your post re-grounded me. I so appreciate it.
I wondered if I could ask your opinion on another question I've been pondering. Is boiling veggies to make stock better than juicing to make a liquid base for soup and then just warming it (and watering it down if necessary)? I would think juice is better, because of all of the live enzymes in uncooked veggies. Even if you have a sensitive stomach, wouldn't watery vegetable juice be easier on your stomach than stock? But I haven't been able to find anyone else talking about this. Obviously efficient vegetable juicers are a newer thing and can be expensive, but still, why aren't people talking about this? Thanks! :)
Sachi says
Hi there, in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicines, cooked food is considered much easier to digest. Some body types are not recommended to do juicing or eat a lot of salads, raw foods, or even cold foods and drinks. Raw juices are probably best for people who are trying to lose weight and gain energy, not for people who are sensitive. That is my understanding anyway. I hope it helps offer a different perspective that you can look further into of your own accord if it strikes a chord with you.