Winter is here and so are colds and flus. I would like to share my favorite recipe for immune broth. I cook it for my family every winter, in big batches, freeze it and use it as needed.  This recipe calls for chicken and some Chinese herbs, but you can make it vegan/vegetarian/piscaterian by adding more mushrooms and root vegetables instead of the chicken. For a more powerful broth, add the Chinese herbs, or double the amount of shiitake, garlic and onion.

• 3 pounds of chicken (hole with bones, backs, wings, neck and organs)
• 3 quarts of water
• 1 or 2 large onions, with skin (if organic), quartered or coarsely chopped
• 3 large carrots, unpeeled, coarsely chopped (or replace with root vegetables - turnips, daikon, potatoes, sunchokes)
• 5 large stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 small bunch of parsley, whole
• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled, coarsely chopped
• 1 three-inch piece of fresh ginseng root, crushed (or substitute powdered, about 1 tsp.)
• 3 four-inch slices of Huang Qi (Astragalus), crushed (or powdered, about 2 tsp.)
• 3 three-inch slices of Huang Yao Zi (Dioscorea tuber)
• 1 whole, large reishi mushroom
• 1 cup dried (or fresh) shiitake mushrooms 
• 1 tsp. sea salt to taste (optional pepper to taste) 

In a large nonaluminum pot, cover all ingredients with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Lift chicken from broth and remove all meat. Reserve meat and return all bones to pot. Continue simmering, partially covered, for 2 hours. Strain well, pressing with a fork to extract essences. Shiitake may be saved for another use. Discard other ingredients. Makes about 2 1/2 quarts.

Resources: this recipe came from "Ancient herbs, modern medicine" by Henry Han, Clenn Miller and Nancy Deville;

I buy my Chinese organic herbs at www.mountainroseherbs.com. I like to buy reishi and astragulus in slices.

Mushrooms are so underestimated in this country. I can't wait to tell you all about mushrooms next time.

Here are a couple of resources to get great mushrooms at a good price (www.mushroomscience.com and www.mushroomharvest.com).