This is a great soup for winter but also can be varied to suit any time of year. It is highly nutritious with plenty of medicinal, healing benefits for when you are feeling under the weather.

Many variations can be made, from drinking the simple broth to using it as a base for a more elaborate soup or casserole. It can be made vegetarian or full of meaty chicken soup goodness. It will have umami flavour in it because of the mushrooms…that delicious, savoury flavour.

Ingredients:

• (optional, but a main ingredient if using them) 1 -2 kg chicken bones- can be raw or from already cooked chicken, meat removed

• 1 onion

• garlic- as much as you can handle

• 3cm fresh ginger

• 3 stalks celery, chopped

• 8 slices reishi mushroom (use whatever mushrooms you can get your hands on-try gourmet grocery stores, Asian food stores or australherbs.com.au)

• 8-10 shitake mushrooms- fairly available fresh at gourmet groceries, or dried at Asian stores (these add the best flavour)

• 1/4 cup chaga mushroom powder (use whatever mushrooms you can get your hands on- lions mane are also delicious- try gourmet grocery stores, Asian food stores or australherbs.com.au)

• 1/4 cup or 3 tongue slices of astragalus root (Asian food stores or australherbs.com.au)

• 1 tbs dulse flakes

• sage, rosemary or other herbs, fresh or dried

• 4 litres water

• optional 1 cup of white wine

Method

1. This step is optional but makes a big difference to the flavour. Arrange all ingredients (other than liquids and any fresh herbs) on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes. You can skip this is you need to.

2. Place all ingredients other than fresh herbs (sage, rosemary etc) into a large pot or slow cooker. Simmer for 6-8 hours on a low heat, partially covered. Watch the level of liquid doesn’t get too low. About 20 minutes before you will finish, put in the fresh herbs.

3. Strain off all the solids, and just keep the broth. Salt as needed. This can be frozen in batches as well.

Enjoy!