RECIPE: The Ultimate Winter Broth

Feeling flat after weeks of overindulgence? Restore and reset with Detox Kitchen’s new Soup Cleanse – the three-day plan includes comforting, nourishing soups as well as fresh organic cold-pressed juices, making it a tempting choice for the winter months. All soups and juices are delivered to your door, along with a booklet offering support on how to approach your diet after day three. And everything has been designed to detoxify the gut, body and mind, setting you up for a happier, healthier new year. Get a taste of what’s on offer with this delicious recipe for warming winter broth. Detox Kitchen founder Lily Simpson tell us: “This soup is a combination of my two favourite soups, a Scotch broth and a mushroom broth. Two, surprisingly different soups. Scotch broth is typically made with pearl barley and root vegetables and a mushroom broth tends to be clearer and made with shiitake mushrooms to give it that umami fl avour. So, combining the two seemed like a good idea. It brings the carby comfort of the Scotch broth and the earthy depth from the mushrooms.”

Ingredients

200g pearl barley| 50g dried shiitake mushrooms | 1 tbsp rapeseed oil | 2 shallots, finely diced | 2 fat garlic cloves, peeled and sliced | 200g wild assorted mushrooms | 200g squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes | 500ml veg stock | Juice and zest of 1 lemon | 200g cannellini beans, drained | 100g cavolo nero, finely sliced

SERVES 4

Method

1. Wash the pearl barley in a large saucepan until the water runs clear. Cover with three times the amount of water and cook for 20 minutes or so until it is soft but still has a bite to it.
2. Meanwhile, soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 10 minutes until softened.
3. Fry the shallots and garlic in the oil for 10 minutes or so until completely softened. Add in the wild mushrooms and sauté until golden. Add in the soaked shiitake mushrooms, squash and veg stock, and bring everything to a simmer. Place the lid on and leave to cook for around 20 minutes until the squash is almost cooked.
4. Add in the cooked pearl barley, lemon juice and zest, cannellini beans and cavolo nero and cook for a further 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave to stand for 10 minutes before scooping into bowls and serving.

Vegan plan, £115 and protein plan, £125. To order, see detoxkitchen.co.uk