Vegan Bone Broth

Now, vegans can have a delicious, healthy "bone" broth, too!

Bone broth is all the buzz, and rightly so. Made by boiling bones, joints and connective tissue from chicken, beef, ham or other meat sources, bone broth is not only a delicious and satisfying hot drink, it's also packed full of minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and others. Plus it contains the minerals glycine and proline, super-healthy amino acids that aren't found in animal muscle tissue but are released when the bones are boiled. Experts say that this concentrated mixture of minerals and amino acids may fight inflammation in the body, protect the joints and bolster the immune system.

Sure, that's great news for people who eat meat, but what about vegetarians and vegans? Fortunately, there's an alternative that is just as healthy for those who don't eat animal products. Recipes for the vegan version of bone broth use seaweed to add the same amino acids, glycine and proline, found in the meat version. Additionally, seaweed contains cysteine, an amino acid typically found in chicken that is said to have a calming effect.

Together with either dulse or kelp seaweed, there's a list of healthy ingredients in this delicious vegan broth that can add their own specific benefits. Follow the recipe below for a rich, umami-flavored broth that satisfies the soul.

Vegan Bone Broth

Ingredients:

• 1 chopped onion
• 2 chopped medium carrots
• 2 chopped sticks of celery
• 4 cloves of garlic, halved
• handful of dulse
• 1 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1 tsp. powdered turmeric
• 1 tsp. miso paste
• 1 tsp. caraway seeds
• 1 tsp. dried chives
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 10-12 cups water
• spirulina

Instructions:

1. Sauté the onions in olive oil. Once fragrant, add the carrots, dulse, celery, garlic, ginger, and turmeric and sauté for about seven minutes.
2. Leaving out the spirulina, add all ingredients and simmer on low heat for at least 45 minutes.
3. Strain the broth and add a pinch of spirulina to each serving. Enjoy!