Recipe for Chinese herbal broth below:
Please use this recipe as a guideline to make your herbal broth. Feel free to use what is available to you, and also add what you like or take out what you dislike. All measurements are approximate, you will learn to adjust the ratio to taste with experience. The following recipe is how I like to make a vegetarian herbal broth.
Nourish Blood is a Chinese Herbal Broth Blend curated by Andrea Valencia L.Ac. with organic ethically sourced herbs.
Ingredients
Nourish Blood Herbal Broth Broth blend by Andrea Valencia L.Ac
Onion (white or yellow) quartered
Ginger, 2-3 inches, roughly sliced
Shiitake Mushrooms 2-3 handfuls
Mushroom or Vegetable seasoning/bouillon 1-2 tbsp to taste (optional)
Rock sugar, small cube (optional)
Water 8-10 cups
Instructions
Roast your onion and ginger in an oven or on a stove top. We want them to sweat and release all their flavor potential.
Transfer to pot, crock pot, or instant pot, depending on your method of cooking.
Add water with your Shiitake Mushrooms, you can use your favorite vegetable broth instead, or vegetable seasoning/bouillon.
Add rock sugar if available, but this is optional
Add your herbal blend.
Bring the pot to a boil, then low simmer for at least an hour (check in if you're cooking on stove top as to prevent boil over)
You can also slow cook this for 2-4 hours in a slow cooker or use an instead pot on high pressure for 30 minutes.
Pressure cooker for quickest results
Remove from heat, you can now strain out the broth from the pot and discard everything else.
You can salt this to taste, but I like to use a mushroom/vegetable seasoning
You can enjoy your broth as is
Or, now add in your favorite vegetables to eat.
Cook hearty vegetables first, leafy greens last to prevent over cooking.