Recipes · Tonic
Shiitake-Garlic Immune Broth
Reader ratingsA savory plant-based broth simmered from dried shiitake, a whole head of garlic, ginger and vegetables: deeply flavored, meat-free and full of mushrooms.
Broths built on dried shiitake and garlic are staples of Japanese, Chinese and Korean home cooking.
Safety
- Always cook shiitake thoroughly. Raw or lightly cooked shiitake can cause an itchy, streaky rash (shiitake dermatitis) in some people. Use cultivated mushrooms from a reliable source, and never forage for them unless an expert has identified them.
- Garlic supplements are linked to bleeding risk around surgery. The garlic in this broth is a food amount, but tell your clinician if you take anticoagulants or have surgery coming up and eat a lot of garlic regularly.
- Cool the broth quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours. It keeps 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 months frozen; reheat to a rolling boil before serving.
- Miso adds sodium and soy, and fermented foods like miso can bother people with histamine intolerance. Leave it out if you avoid soy or watch sodium.
Why it’s good for you
Shiitake and garlic are two of the most flavorful whole-food ways to make a plant-based broth taste deep and savory without meat.
Evidence
Limited evidence
Mostly small, early, or laboratory studies.
In a 4-week randomized trial, 52 healthy young adults who ate 5 or 10 g of dried shiitake daily showed stronger lab measures of immune-cell activity, more salivary IgA and lower C-reactive protein. For garlic, a Cochrane review found only one small trial (146 people) suggesting a garlic supplement reduced colds, and a 120-person trial of aged garlic extract found no difference in how many colds people caught but reported milder illness. These trials measured immune markers or used supplements; none tested a mushroom and garlic broth or counted infections.
General information from research and traditional use — not medical advice, and not a treatment for any condition. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, check with your clinician first, and seek care for symptoms that are severe or do not improve.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the dried shiitake and soak them in 2 cups of hot water for 20 minutes. Lift out the mushrooms and keep the soaking liquid; strain it through a fine sieve or a coffee filter to leave the grit behind. Cut off the tough stems (save them) and slice the caps.
- Smash the garlic cloves and chop them roughly, then let them rest for 10 minutes. This gives garlic’s enzyme time to form its sulfur compounds before heat reaches it.
- In a large pot, combine the strained soaking liquid, the remaining 6 cups of water, the mushroom stems, half the garlic, the ginger, onion, carrots and celery. Bring to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the sliced soaked caps, the fresh mushrooms and the rest of the garlic. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 more minutes until the mushrooms are completely tender.
- Strain out the vegetables and stems if you want a clear broth, or leave everything in for a hearty soup. Add the greens and let them wilt for 1 minute.
- Take the pot off the heat. Whisk the miso with a ladle of broth and stir it back in, if using, then add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve hot, with the mushrooms.
Tips
- Eat the mushrooms as well as the broth. Each serving as written holds roughly 5 to 7 g of dried-weight shiitake, in line with the 5 to 10 g a day used in the immune trial.
- Freeze in 2-cup containers for up to 3 months.
- Garlic, onion and mushrooms are high in FODMAPs. If they upset your gut, make the broth with the green tops of scallions and ginger instead.
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