I drink bone broths and herbal broths all year round, but there’s something especially comforting about sipping a hot cup of broth during the fall and winter seasons. This savory herbal broth is one of my favorites for fall. One reason I love it: the ingredients do wonders to boost and support the immune system.
Fall brings shorter days (less vitamin D), colder temperatures, and more time spent indoors, all of which can impact the heartiness of our immune system and make us more susceptible to the spread of germs and viruses. A strong and healthy immune system is key to hormonal balance; likewise, maintaining balanced hormones enables a healthy immune function. (1)
Ingredients
Here are just some benefits of the powerhouse ingredients in this Savory Immune-Boosting Mushroom Herbal Broth.
Astragalus. Astragalus root (also known as “huáng qí” in Mandarin) is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to promote healing and reduce fatigue. Pharmacological studies also reveal the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and immune supporting properties of this root. (2)
Mushrooms, Reishi and Shiitake. Reishi mushrooms have a nickname in TCM: the mushroom of immortality. Reishi is another powerful immune system supporter with anti-aging and energy boosting properties. (3) Recent studies of shiitake mushrooms, which have long been eaten for health supporting benefits, show daily consumption leads to improved gut immunity and impressive anti-inflammatory benefits. (4)
Red onion with skin (quercetin). Most recipes with onions ask us to peel them. Not this time. Red onion skin contains quercetin, and has been studied for promising anti-cancer effects. (5) Leave the skin on while this broth simmers to reap all the benefits.
Turmeric, garlic & ginger. If you’ve dabbled in home remedies or spent any time researching anti-inflammatory foods (or simply been a member of the Hormones Balance community for a while), you’ve likely learned about and consumed plenty of turmeric, garlic, and ginger. These three ingredients are renowned for their therapeutic and healing properties, and more recently are even being studied for support the immune system against novel coronaviruses. (6)
Gotu kola. Of all the ingredients in this immune-boosting broth, gotu kola is likely the most unfamiliar if you don’t live in Asia or India. Gotu kola is an herb from the parsley family and has been studied for a variety of antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits, along with reduced anxiety, improved memory, blood circulation, and more. (7)
Drinking potent herbal or bone broths daily – like this one – will nourish your immune system throughout the colder seasons. And, this recipe can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months, so you can always have some on hand.
Want more immune-boosting recipes? Check out our roundup of over 31 recipes right here.
- 1 bulb of garlic, sliced in half
- ½ a medium red onion with skin
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
- 4 slices dried reishi mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons dried/sliced astragalus root
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 3-4 sage leaves
- 2-inch pieces of peeled/sliced ginger
- 1-inch piece of peeled/sliced fresh turmeric
- 2 teaspoons gotu kola
- 3 ½ quarts filtered water
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- Sea salt to taste (optional)
- Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a medium sheet pan with parchment paper. Place garlic, onion and shiitake mushrooms on pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toss gently to coat. Roast for 10 minutes. Stir with a spatula and roast 10 minutes longer.
- Transfer roasted vegetables and herbs to a 4-quart pot. Add remaining ingredients except sea salt and cover with water. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 6-8 hours.
- Turn off heat and stir in sea salt if using. Cool broth for 30 minutes. Strain broth into a large bowl. Ladle broth into jars and cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- 1 bulb of garlic, sliced in half
- ½ a medium red onion with skin
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
- 4 slices dried reishi mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons dried/sliced astragalus root
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 3-4 sage leaves
- 2-inch pieces of peeled/sliced ginger
- 1-inch piece of peeled/sliced fresh turmeric
- 2 teaspoons gotu kola
- 3 ½ quarts filtered water
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- Sea salt to taste (optional)
- Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a medium sheet pan with parchment paper. Place garlic, onion and shiitake mushrooms on pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toss gently to coat. Roast for 10 minutes. Stir with a spatula and roast 10 minutes longer.
- Transfer roasted vegetables and herbs to an Instant Pot. Add remaining ingredients except sea salt and cover with water. Lock lid in place. Cook on high pressure 30 minutes. Naturally release pressure before opening vent valve and releasing remaining pressure.
- Stir in sea salt if using. Cool broth for 30 minutes. Strain into a large bowl. Ladle broth into jars and cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Find more hormone-balancing recipes in Overcoming Estrogen Dominance
In Overcoming Estrogen Dominance, my goal is to empower and give you the tools to take control of your hormones and health.
More than 70% of women experience estrogen dominance. The symptoms range from lumpy and fibrocystic breasts to thyroid nodules, hot flashes, fibroids, uterine polyps, painful, heavy or irregular periods to infertility and miscarriages, from mood swings to insomnia, weight gain to fatigue.
In Overcoming Estrogen Dominance, I give women a roadmap to reverse estrogen dominance using food, herbs, supplements and natural protocols to rebalance hormones. You’ll also find easy, hormone-balancing recipes that are free of gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, and nightshades. These recipes are highly anti-inflammatory, low in sugar, and made with powerful medicinal ingredients to help heal your body naturally.
To get your copy of Overcoming Estrogen Dominance, go here.
Resources
- Taneja, Veena. “Sex Hormones Determine Immune Response.” Frontiers in immunology vol. 9 1931. 27 Aug. 2018
- Li, Xiaoxia et al. “A review of recent research progress on the astragalus genus.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 19,11 18850-80. 17 Nov. 2014
- Mallard, Brody et al. “Synergistic immuno-modulatory activity in human macrophages of a medicinal mushroom formulation consisting of Reishi, Shiitake and Maitake.” PloS one vol. 14,11 e0224740. 7 Nov. 2019
- Dai, Xiaoshuang et al. “Consuming Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) Mushrooms Daily Improves Human Immunity: A Randomized Dietary Intervention in Healthy Young Adults.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition vol. 34,6 (2015)
- Nile, Arti et al. “Spiraeoside extracted from red onion skin ameliorates apoptosis and exerts potent antitumor, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory effects.” Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association vol. 154 (2021)
- Thota, Sai Manohar et al. “Natural products as home-based prophylactic and symptom management agents in the setting of COVID-19.” Phytotherapy research : PTR vol. 34,12 (2020)
- Chandrika, Udumalagala Gamage, and Peramune A A S Prasad Kumarab. “Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica): Nutritional Properties and Plausible Health Benefits.” Advances in food and nutrition research vol. 76 (2015): 125-57.