Vegetable "Bone" Broth

I was just teaching at CICM in Reading, England and a number of the students there asked me how to make the equivalent of Bone Soup for Vegetarians, which of course is made out of bones, and the answer is lots of root vegetables!  The purpose of Bone Soup (a previous post) is to enhance the mineral content of the body. The Bone Soups made of bones work by leaching the minerals out of Pork Bones, Chicken Bones and Beef Bones. This Vegetable Bone Soup gets the minerals out of the vegetables instead and it is very good for your bones! So, what's important when you are making a Vegetarian Bone Soup is that you leave the peels on the vegetables as that is where most of the minerals are. I like to brown the first group of vegetables - Onion, Carrots, Parsnips, Leeks and Turnips and Celery in Olive Oil to get them a bit caramelized. Then I add in the liquid and the other vegetables. If you want to make it a richer flavor, you can add in some tomatoes, which I often do but didn't have any today here at my friend's house in Bath. You can also use many other vegetables and even potatoes depending on what you have on hand.  Basically, the more vegetables you add, the richer the flavor and mineral content of the soup.  Or, you use Vegetable Broth to enhance the flavor, but I like the clean, pure flavor of this soup without the prepackaged broth. I'm not a Vegetarian, but this soup really satisfies. You can just drink the broth, but I like to eat the vegetables too.  It feeds your Kidneys and Bones because it is full of minerals and best of all, it  tastes so good!

Vegetable "Bone" Broth

1 large Onion, peeled and chopped

2 - 3 Carrots, stem ends removed and chopped up (do not peel)

1 - 2 Parsnips, stem ends removed and chopped up (do not peel)

1 Turnip, stem ends removed and chopped up (do not peel)

2 stalks of Celery cut into small pieces

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Leek, White and Pale Green part only, cut in quarters and sliced, then washed

8 cups Water

2 teaspoons Sea Salt

1/2 Savoy Cabbage, chopped

Handful of Green Beans, stem end removed and cut into small pieces

Optional:  2 Roma Tomatoes, stem end removed and cut into small pieces. Winter Squash, cut into small pieces, and/or Broccoli and Cauliflower or Potatoes cut up with the peels left on.

In a large soup pot, put in the Olive Oil and heat.  Add in the Onion, Leeks, Carrots, Parsnips, Turnip and Celery. Cook until the onions soften and just begin to brown. Add in the Water and Salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add in the Cabbage and Green Beans and any other vegetables and cook an additional 10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with Pepper before serving.  

Five Element Analysis

Carrots, Parsnips and Cabbage belong the Earth Element and the Turnip adds even more, although it is a pungent vegetable so it is also considered a Metal food. The Onion and Leek contribute even more of the Metal Element. The Celery and Green Beans bring in the Wood Element and a broth Soup by it's very nature is part of the Water Element.  Only the little bit of Pepper contributes the Fire Element, so it is wise to add the Tomatoes to make this a Five Element Soup!