This broth is the epinutrient-rich, monotony-busting answer for recipes that require a broth ingredient but are on the sweeter side. It is only subtly sweet, thanks to orange, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, plus sweet potatoes and apples. We use it in both meat and vegetable dishes, as well as some of the creative recipes in the Younger You companion cookbook Better Broths & Healing Tonics (think Root Veggie Applesauce, Savory Oatmeal, and more).
It’s also tasty as a sipping broth. For kids (and adults) who aren’t fans of vegetables, using this broth with our recipes is an excellent way to sneak them in, along with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s also soothing to upset stomachs, due to the antifungal, antibacterial, and gut-healing properties found in the fruit peel pectin and spices.
Younger You spotlight
DNA methylation adaptogens in this recipe: apple (catechins, fisetin, quercetin), carrot (luteolin), cinnamon (kaempferol), clove (kaempferol), nutmeg (catechins), orange (hesperidin)
If you’re following the Younger You Everyday plan, all apples and oranges are included, while green apples and blood oranges are included in the Younger You Intensive.
This recipe is adapted from Better Broths & Healing Tonics: 75 Bone Broth and Vegetarian Broth-Based Recipes for Everyone co-authored by Dr. Kara Fitzgerald and food-as-medicine expert Jill Sheppard Davenport, CNS, LDN
Sweet Vegetable Broth
Ingredients
- 8 medium carrots roughly cut into thirds, no need to peel
- 4 sweet potatoes scrubbed, quartered
- 1 orange peel peel from 1 whole orange, scrubbed
- 6 apples quartered, no need to peel
- 4 cinnamon sticks or 2 tsp. cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp. whole cloves or 1/8 tsp. clove powder
- 1 whole nutmeg or 1/2 tsp. nutmeg powder (optional)
- 1 tsp. salt choose from Himalayan, Celtic, or sea salt
- 8-10 cups Water add more if needed
Instructions
- Put vegetables, fruit, spices, and salt in a large stockpot with a thick bottom (such as stainless steel or Dutch oven), slow cooker, pressure cooker, or multicooker. Pack vegetables well to minimize space between them, and add water to cover by about 1 inch.
- Next, follow directions for your equipment type:
- If using a slow cooker: (1) Cover with lid and bring to a boil. For a slow cooker with multiple settings, it is best to use the higher temperature option. For a multicooker, use the Sauté function to heat to boil. After coming to a boil, roughly skim any scum/foam that rises to the surface and discard. Then change the setting to Slow Cook. This step is optional; it helps eliminate potential pathogens by boiling. (2) Then slow cook for about 4 hours for vegetable broths or about 20 hours for bone broths. If you use a multicooker, turn on the Keep Warm function so that the broth stays warm until you are ready to move on to the next step. (3) Turn off and allow the broth to cool enough to strain. Then return to recipe instructions.
- If using a pressure cooker: (1) Cover with lid. If you use a multicooker, move vent to Seal to keep the pressure in, then select Pressure Cook. Note, some models may have a Manual button instead of a PressUre Cook button. (2) Adjust setting to high pressure and allow your cooker to heat to pressure, about 30 minutes. Pressure-cook for 45 minutes for vegetable broths or 2 hours for bone broths. (3) When done, let the pressure release on its own. If you use a multicooker, you may have the option to quick release by adjusting to Venting to allow steam to release. (4) Turn off and allow the broth to cool enough to strain. Then return to recipe instructions. NOTE: Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for the minimum amount of water to add to your pressure cooker. Be careful not to fill over the Max line. You may need to reduce ingredients listed depending on your pressure cooker size.
- If using a stovetop oven: (1) Preheat to 240F (2) Cover pot and bring to a boil. After boiling, roughly skim any scum/foam that rises to the surface and discard. This step is optional; it helps eliminate potential pathogens by boiling. (3) Move pot to oven, covered, for 2 to 3 hours for vegetable broth or 6 to 20 hours* for bone broth. You can refrigerate the pot overnight and resume cooking the next day. Just preheat oven to 240°F again, then place the pot directly back into your oven and continue cooking. (4) Add water, as necessary, to keep the bones or vegetables covered, by taking a peek from time to time. (5) Remove from oven and allow the broth to cool enough to strain. Then return to recipe instructions. NOTE: *Longer cooking yields a more gelatinous or nutritious broth. This method may make a more concentrated broth than other methods, yielding more flavor though less liquid, due to evaporation during the cooking process.
- Set a fine-mesh, stainless steel sieve over a large pot. It's helpful to strain your broth into a pot with a pouring spout, if you have one. Strain the broth and toss or compost the slow-cooked ingredients. (You can also use these in the Root Veggie Applesauce on page 167 of the Better Broths & Healing Tonics cookbook).
- Pour the strained broth into glass containers, such as large mason jars, for storage in the refrigerator or freezer.
- If simply using as a drinking broth rather than in another recipe, season with salt to taste.
Recipe Notes
- To make this recipe AIP-friendly omit nutmeg if sensitive to it.
- To make this recipe low FODMAP, swap the zest of one whole orange for apples and orange peel. This takes less than a minute to do promise! You can use either a vegetable peeler or microplane to peel or grate the zest, pressing lightly to avoid white rind.
Notes:
- Recipe is designed for a 6-quart pot. If you use a larger pot, you can increase your quantities--the trick is to tightly pack the vegetables and add water just to cover all ingredients.
- To lower histamine content: Pressure-cook for 2 hours instead of slow cook, and if very sensitive, you may wish to avoid the orange peel. Use immediately or freeze.