Mushroom Dashi Broth

I have a confession to make: I hate making bone broth. I don’t like dealing with the bones and I just never have the time or a pot big enough to bother making my own broth, when I can just buy it. I know, I know, I could use a crock pot and #savemybones, but I don’t cook that much chicken, so I don’t have many bones. Rant over, but basically, I’m happy to spend a few bucks on a quart of quality bone broth from time to time – a little indulgent, but to me the time saved is worth it.

What I love making at home, however, is a Mushroom Dashi broth. It takes less than an hour, is incredibly rich in flavor and nutrients, goes great in a soup or a mug, and doesn’t require a freezer full of chicken bones.

Ingredients

2 kombu sheets
2 quarts of water
2 cups dried mushrooms (I used shiitake)
1 large piece of ginger (about the size of matchbook), peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon bonito flakes (optional)

Instructions

Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth. Put two quarts of water in a pot with kombu. Heat over a medium heat and let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu, add the mushrooms and ginger and turn up the heat a little. Right before the water starts to boil, lower the heat back to a simmer.
Let simmer for about 30 minutes total (if using bonito flakes, add them at the end), drain the broth, keeping mushrooms to puree in soups or crisp in the oven (highly recommended – tastes like bacon!).
Use your mushroom dashi broth just as you would bone broth to add flavor and nutrients to soups and stews. If you want to enjoy your Mushroom Dashi broth in a mug, experiment with some different flavorings, like turmeric, Braggs liquid amino acids, some sliced green onions, toasted sesame oil or roasted garlic.
Broth will keep in the fridge for a few days, or can be frozen. Enjoy!