When it comes to your gut, you have to care for it like you would a little puppy, i.e. treat it with every ounce of love you have in your soul. This starts with the foods you put in your body, but we know eating like a saint all the time isn’t on everyone’s agenda. Rather than running to the pharmacy after a highly acidic or deep fried meal to grab products that’ll only work temporarily, try making this healing stock to soothe your gut.
Making your own herbal remedies means that you know how they’ll taste, and you know exactly what the ingredients are. Preparing a healing stock is the best way to get amino acids and gut-healing gelatin in your diet. Additionally, you’ll be getting a boatload of healing properties from the various ingredients.
This vegetable stock goes above and beyond a mirepoix, which is a French technique that uses carrots, celery, and onion to flavor soups or stews. The primary healing properties come from the mushrooms, garlic, onion, and leeks. Because onions, leeks, and garlic are naturally antibiotic, they work to remedy a sore stomach or a leaky gut.
Onions are probably the most important ingredient in this gut-healing stock because they have antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergenic properties. They basically have a sealing effect on the gut that inhibits intestinal permeability. Plus, onions, garlic, and leeks promote healthy bacteria in the large intestine.
When it comes to selecting mushrooms for this broth, it is best to go for shiitake mushrooms because they help boost the immune system. If you can’t get your hands on these, cremini mushrooms are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Let the broth cook longer to get a rich, earthy mushroom flavor.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2 medium leeks, white parts only, rinsed and sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled
- 1 cup mushrooms (shiitake preferred), sliced
- 2 celery stalks with leaves, sliced
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 bay leaves
- Herbs: 1 sprig (each) of thyme and rosemary
- 3 quarts water
Directions:
- Warm the coconut oil in a big stockpot over medium-high heat and add the onions, leeks, garlic, carrots, mushrooms and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Once the broth is boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 40-50 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and strain the broth through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer after removing the big items with a slotted spoon. Portion the stock into pint-size glass jars and store in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months. If you put the stock in the fridge it will keep for 1 week.
- When you need to, sip on this broth like you would a soup.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
