Best Broth to Boost your Immune System

It’s that time of year. The seasons are shifting. Long summer days are receding to brisk mornings and falling leaves. Reports of friends and family battling colds and flus are upon us. Do you wonder if there is something you can do to boost your immune system to diminish or abolish your chance of getting sick this year?

Of course there is. A healthy immune system doesn’t happen by chance. Although there are many factors that we have control over to optimize its function, today I’m going give you what has been my holy grail of immune system strengthening. This single addition to my diet and healthy lifestyle has strengthened my immune system, helped me recover well from hard workouts, given me more energy on a daily basis, and improved my overall well being. I prepare and consume veggie broth on a regular basis.

What?! Yes. I drink it in the mornings. I use it as a base recipe for soups and sauces. I use it to cook rice. And my favorite use of homemade broth… I mix it into my smoothies! Yep! I make broth weekly and consume it near daily. Veggie broth is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals, the building blocks of vitality in your body.

Making homemade veggie broth is easy and economical. I usually have the staples laying around in my fridge and it’s a great way to use those just turning veggies before they end up in the compost. I can start a pot of broth as I work on other things around the house and making broth is also cheaper per serving than buying boxed broths or bouillon cubes that are not guaranteed to have the healthiest ingredients.

Today I’m going to share my base recipe with you and some winning combinations I've come up with. After you get the base recipe down you can experience the joy of experimenting with what veggies you have on hand. Make sure to check back and share your winning combinations with us!

Immune Booster Base Broth Recipe

· 1 Onion (skin on, but well cleaned)

· 2-3 Garlic Cloves (skin on)

· 3-4 Celery Ribs (trimmed, but leaves ok)

· 2-3 Carrots (trimmed)

· 2 white potatoes

1. Place all cleaned veggies in a dutch oven or stock pot.

2. Fill with water to cover the veggies.

3. Bring just to a boil and reduce to simmer for at least 20 minutes. I simmer for up to 2 hours.

4. Enjoy! (season to taste, I’ve become accustomed to drinking without adding any seasoning)

Makes 8-12 cups of broth

Winning Combinations:

Base + cabbage + parsley

Base – white potatoes, + sweet potatoes + zucchini + eggplant + baby bella mushrooms

Base + kale + white mushrooms

Happy Fall and Happy Healthy Immune System to You and Yours!