Galangal Broth
Ingredients
12 cups vegetable stock or broth. I use Carolsstockmarket broth
3 stalks celery (add celery greens at the top of the stock as well for added nutrients)
4 pieces kaffir lime leaves
3 stalks lemongrass
3 scallions, sliced
1-inch piece galangal, sliced into rounds
1 teaspoon ground pepper
3 to 4 sprigs coriander, for garnish
Method
Heat the vegetable stock or broth in a large soup pot over medium to high heat, and bring to a boil.
When it is boiling, add the celery, lime leaves, lemongrass, scallions, galangal, pepper, and salt. Let boil for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let stand for 20 minutes to allow the broth to absorb the nutrients and flavors.
Strain the vegetables and season the broth with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve hot.
Note: Once cooled, this can be stored in jars and frozen for later use.
Galangal Root
Being the root of a plant, galangal doesn’t contain collagen or some of the other nutrients found only in bone broth, but it makes up for this lack with other powerful compounds that work to heal the gut in different ways.
Here’s why:
1. Galangal is anti-inflammatory.
Inflammation is both a cause and an effect of poor gut health. Multiple studies have demonstrated galangal’s ability to calm inflammation.
2. Galangal is antibacterial and antifungal.
Bacterial imbalances in the microbiome also contribute to gut problems. When more pathogenic species take over, they can worsen inflammation and other health problems. One of the most common bacterial infections in the world is H. pylori. Galangal has been shown to help relieve ulcers as well as eliminate the presence of this bacteria. It has also been shown to fight off other powerful pathogenic bacteria.
3. Galangal enhances autophagy.
Autophagy is your body’s way of eliminating old, damaged cells in order to make way for younger, healthier cells. New research has shown that autophagy is necessary to regulate the proper balance of bacteria in the gut and maintain a healthy gut lining, and galangal has been shown to directly induce the autophagy process.
Whether or not you follow a plant-based diet, galangal can benefit your gut health. Another advantage to galangal is its quick prep time, compared to bone broth, which requires a very long simmer to cook out the nutrients from the bones. Bone broth normally takes 24 to 48 hours of cooking at low heat, but you can whip up a pot of galangal broth in less than an hour.
Since it also lacks collagen, galangal broth isn’t gelatinous so it is a lighter, potentially more digestible broth. With all these benefits, you can switch up your regular broth routine, whether you are a vegetarian or not. It never hurts to add another gut-healing superfood to your diet.
You can find fresh galangal at health food markets, and it is also sold online. If you can’t find fresh galangal, you can also buy the dried, ground variety. Generally, for every tablespoon of fresh galangal use a quarter-teaspoon of dried, ground galangal.
Because this broth is typically prepared along with various other Asian spices, it has a distinct flavor similar to flavors you might have experienced eating Thai cuisine.
Thanks to Will Cole for the recipe and info.