Elixir - The Veggie Table

I call this broth my magical elixir because it’s the first thing I turn to when I’m sick, tired, or suffering from allergies. It’s quick, easy, and full of ingredients with various healing properties.

Yield	1 serving
Time	5 minutes
Tools	small saucepan whisk microplane grater large mug
Ingredients	1 – 1½ c water 1½ T kudzu 1 t soy sauce 1 t umeboshi paste ½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and microplaned* 1 small clove garlic, minced
Directions	Combine 1 c water and kudzu, whisk to dissolve. Heat over medium heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer for a minute or so, whisking constantly, until thickened. Transfer to mug. You can eat it like soup with a spoon, or thin it out with another ½ c or so of water and drink it.
Notes	* If you like, you can then squeeze this in order to obtain ginger juice, but I don’t mind having the tiny bits of ginger in my elixir. The heart of this recipe is a classic macrobiotic remedy called Ume Shoyu Kudzu. I first learned about it in The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia, by Rebecca Wood. (She adds ginger and I add garlic for additional flavor and health benefits.) Buy it: Amazon.com \| Amazon.co.uk
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