Winter Garden Broth A Cleanse and Restore Soup
Winter Garden Broth- Nourish the Family
Winter Garden Broth
A Cleansing, Comforting Soup
Recipe by Andy Webb
There’s something deeply restorative about a pot of vegetable broth slowly simmering on the stove.
This is one of our favourites at Beattie Street Health Studio — simple, nourishing and particularly lovely during the cooler months or as the seasons begin to change.
Packed with fresh vegetables, leafy greens and herbs, it is light enough to feel cleansing while still being warming and satisfying.
Ingredients
1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
3 shallots, white part only, sliced
2 large carrots, finely diced
3 celery stalks, finely diced
1 medium zucchini, finely diced
10 green beans, chopped
¼–⅓ cauliflower, stem and florets chopped
1 large tomato or 8 cherry tomatoes, diced
A handful of cavolo nero or other leafy greens
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp grass-fed butter (omit for a vegan version)*
Garlic, optional
¼ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup fresh oregano
¼ cup fresh basil
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
2–3 litres filtered water
Method
1. Prepare the vegetables.
Dice the vegetables to a reasonably uniform size so they cook evenly.
2. Build the base.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the onion and garlic, if using, and sauté until softened and fragrant.
3. Add the firmer vegetables.
Add the carrots, celery, zucchini and cauliflower stems with a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, allowing the vegetables to soften and their natural sweetness to develop.
4. Add the remaining vegetables.
Stir through the cauliflower florets, beans and tomato, followed by the butter.
5. Simmer gently.
Add 1.5–2 litres of cold water to begin with. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for around 30 minutes. Add a little more water if needed depending on how brothy you like your soup.
6. Finish with greens and herbs.
Add the cavolo nero and fresh herbs, then turn off the heat and allow everything to steep.
7. Season and serve.
Taste and adjust with sea salt and cracked pepper. Serve with warm sourdough and butter, or transfer to jars and refrigerate.
A Chinese Medicine Perspective
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, this broth draws particularly on the qualities associated with the Metal Element and the Lung and Large Intestine systems.
In Chinese Medicine, the Lungs are associated not only with respiration, but also with protective Wei Qi, while the Lung and Large Intestine pairing is traditionally connected with boundaries, elimination and the process of letting go.
Onion and shallots are traditionally used for their warming, dispersing qualities and their affinity with the Lung system.
Cauliflower and green beans provide gentle, easily digested nourishment without making the broth overly heavy.
Leafy greens such as cavolo nero bring freshness and support the body's natural processes of digestion and elimination.
Olive oil and butter give the broth richness and help balance what would otherwise be a very light meal.
Fresh oregano, parsley and basil bring fragrance, movement and brightness — particularly welcome when the weather is cold or the body feels a little sluggish.
It makes this a beautiful soup for seasonal transitions, particularly autumn into winter and winter into spring, or simply when you feel like your body needs something uncomplicated and nourishing.
Acupressure Point: LU1 – Zhongfu
LU1 (Zhongfu) is the first point on the Lung meridian.
Location: On the upper chest, below the outer end of the collarbone, near the front of the shoulder.
How to use it: Using your fingertips, apply comfortable, gentle pressure or massage the area slowly for 1–2 minutes while taking relaxed breaths.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, LU1 is commonly used to:
* Support the Lung system
* Help regulate breathing
* Ease a sense of fullness or tightness through the chest
* Assist with phlegm and congestion
* Support the Lung's descending and dispersing functions
It can be a lovely point to incorporate into a few quiet minutes of breathwork — perhaps even while your soup is simmering.
Mel & Andy’s Note
This is our cleanse and restore soup after bigger winter meals. It is the meal that leaves you feeling light and not heavy.
It’s slow, mindful and full of intention. Even the chopping becomes a kind of meditation, a chance to slow down and be in the present.
Over the years, it has become one of our ways of rebalancing after a little too much, too fast or too loud.
A bowl of this broth, some warm bread and butter, and you can almost feel your system exhale.
It’s our go-to when we need to come back to centre.
Traditional Chinese Medicine information is provided for general wellbeing and educational purposes and is not intended as medical advice or a substitute for individual assessment or treatment.
