How to Make Easy Mushroom Broth

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Sometimes you want a simple batch of delicious broth. While bone broth is ideal sometimes you don’t have the bones or the time to wait for a tasty broth. Or maybe you have a histamine processing issue and bone broth doesn’t work for you at all. Sure, you can purchase broth but I’ve found that they’re simply not the same and they often fall flat in the flavor department. What disappoints me the most is the caramel coloring I’ve seen in some organic beef broths. Really? A suspected carcinogen in organic products. This mushroom broth is so rich and delicious it will remind you of beef broth without a huge time investment.

For this recipe, I used Kerrygold butter but if you don’t eat dairy I’d use bacon fat or lard. Julia Child taught me how to make mushrooms in her book Mastering the Art of French Cooking and I can’t unlearn a recipe when it’s delicious. The key is to give your mushrooms some time to brown.

Initially, they will soak up the cooking fat and then they’ll release it; it’s fine, you’ll need the fat to saute the garlic you’ll add. I used this large enameled cast iron pot Lodge EC6D43 Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 6-Quart, Island Spice Red and you’ll see a brown fond that developed on the bottom of the pot. When it comes to cooking, color = flavor. Since water is added to make the broth I can’t emphasize this point enough. If you don’t saute the mushrooms long enough so that they turn brown your broth won’t be as flavorful.

If you are only looking for broth then continue to the recipe below. If you want to know how I created cream of mushroom soup without grains or cream keep reading.

When I created this recipe my goal was to puree the mushrooms and broth to make cream of mushroom soup for the upcoming holidays. The broth ended up tasting so delicious that we had it for dinner over some leftover pork and vegetables; a lazy man’s soup. After dinner, I pureed the remaining broth and mushrooms with an immersion blender which left little mushroom bits behind. (One of my pet peeves are recipes that make a quantity fit for a toddler.)

A blender would have made the puree smoother but, I wanted the mushroom bits to flavor the cream of mushroom soup I was making. If you do use a blender be careful with hot liquids. Only fill the blender half full and make sure you hold the lid on with a towel, even if the lid latches. One night while watching Worst Cooks in America I saw a blender mishap with hot liquid. Genique had her hand on top of the blender with a towel and clearly didn’t expect the lid to come off. Her skin began peeling off before the course was finished.

What can I say it was a day for leftovers and cleaning out the refrigerator. I had 4 cups of cooked leftover cauliflower in the refrigerator which is what I use to thicken things without dairy or grains. It wasn’t enough to thicken the remaining broth as much as I would have liked but I simply made a mental note to thicken it with arrowroot before mixing it with green beans at Thanksgiving.

To thicken this entire pot of broth with cauliflower I’d start with 1 bag of frozen cauliflower (12-16 oz) that will likely thicken it to the texture of cream of mushroom soup that you would eat. If you wanted to make it thick like the condensed soup in a can you will likely need more cauliflower and/or arrowroot to thicken. I’d get as close as you can with the cauliflower and then make a final thickening adjustment with the arrowroot.

How to Freeze Liquids in Mason Jars:

• Pour the liquid into clean mason jars and allow the contents to cool on the counter to room temperature.

• Refrigerate the jars for 24 hours.

• Pop the seals on any jars that have set and halfway tighten the lids back on the jars and put them in the freezer. (You want the liquid to be able to expand so that the glass doesn’t break in the freezer.)

• When the liquid is frozen you can tighten the lids fully.

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Easy Mushroom Broth Recipe

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

An easy mushroom broth recipe that can be adapted for the paleo and autoimmune paleo lifestyles.

Ingredients

• 7 Tbsp Kerrygold Butter, Lard, or Bacon Fat
• 4 cups cremini mushrooms sliced
• 2.5 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic (1 Tbsp)
• 6 cups water
• 1 tsp dry parsley
• 1/4 cup white wine (Clean Slate Riesling) (optional)
• pepper to taste (omit for AIP)

Instructions

1. Over medium-high heat melt the butter until it stops bubbling. When the bubbles slow down add the sliced mushrooms, 1/2 tsp of salt, and pepper. 

   

2. Saute the mushrooms, stirring occasionally until they are nicely browned.

   

3. Add the garlic and parsley and stir until fragrant, about a minute.

4. Add the white wine and cook it until most of the liquid evaporates.

5. Add 6 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt.

6. The broth could be ready at this point but I let it simmer (not boiling) for an hour over low heat.

   

7. Strain and enjoy. To freeze the broth put it into clean mason jars but do not put the lids on tightly. Allow them to cool on the counter before refrigerating. The next day, make sure the lids are not sealed, pop them loose if they have, and half-way screw the lids on the jars and put them in the freezer. (You want the liquid to be able to expand as it freezes and not break the jar.) When they are frozen you can tighten the lids.

Originally posted on October 23, 2017 @ 11:22

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