I cannot stress the importance of good gut health enough. As Hippocretes said, “all disease begins in the gut.” Having good gut health not only ensures that you don't have an array of digestive issues but also can also assist you with mental health issues. Healthy bacteria has the ability to affect your hormones, your ability to digest and absorb nutrients, and the body's ability to regulate your immune system and eliminate toxins. If the gut is not working properly you become susceptible to leaky gut syndrome. When this happens toxins leak back into the body through the intestinal lining that has become permeable due to damage from processed foods and sugars. When this happens you can develop autoimmune responses, irritable bowel syndrome and depression and anxiety. Thankfully our bodies know how to heal and if you focus on this then you can find regular bowel movement within days. Including gut healing foods into your diet such as kimchi, broths, dark leafy greens and sauerkraut can start the process of healing. Healing your gut means happier moods. You could literally eat yourself happier since 90% of our serotonin is created in our gut. When our gut is inflamed or malnourished it can signal our nervous system which in turn signals our brain and affects our moods negatively. Healing your gut means happier moods. I recommend simmering this soup for an hour to extract the flavours from the mushrooms and seaweed, of course the longer the better. If you’re not sure where to find Kombu, you can visit your local Asian grocer. Kombu is known for reducing high cholesterol and hypertension and is high in iodine, which is essential for thyroid functioning. It is also high in iron which helps carry oxygen to your cells.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
1 brown onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 bay leaves
2 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 green chilli, finely sliced
1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 bunch kale, stalks removed and leaves torn
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
½ cup shredded red cabbage
½–1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
100g dried wakame or kombu seaweed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 tablespoons freshly grated or 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 handful fresh coriander leaves
3 tablespoons liquid aminos
12 cups water
olive oil
salt and pepper
250 g brown rice noodles or healthy noodle of choice (optional)
To serve
100 g fresh bean sprouts
¼ cup grated carrot
1 handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Note: You can use a slow-cooker for this recipe. This recipe needs a longer cook time if you make it in a pot. Cook for one hour on a high heat.
Place all the broth ingredients, except olive oil, seasoning and noodles, into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, season to taste and bring to a simmer. Cover with the lid and simmer for 3 hours. If the liquid level gets too low, top up with boiling water.
Once the broth is ready, strain it using a fine mesh sieve, keeping the liquid and discarding the vegetables. or save them for adding to the compost heap.
Cook the noodles in salted water as per the packet instructions. Once ready, drain and drizzle over the olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Serve the hot broth with the noodles. Season to taste and top with sprouts, grated carrot, a handful of fresh coriander and a drizzle of sesame oil.
-Melissa