Immune Boosting Asian Lamb Stew (Instant Pot)
I created this stew with the intention of cooking up something warming, soothing to the soul and nourishing to the body. To do this, I made sure to include as many of the immune boosting superfoods I could think of! And to make this extra soul soothing, I also incorporated some asian flavours from my childhood as I find this to be the most comforting type of food.
It starts with some bone-in, grass-fed lamb so that we essentially create a bone broth which contains glycine and glutamine – both proteins that are crucial for gut health. I always opt for good quality, grass-fed as animals are no different from us in that they too can accumulate toxins and chemical and environmental exposures in their fat, and when we’re slow cooking and extracting the bones and meat for a hearty bone broth we want to be sure that we’re not adding to our own toxic load.
To make this stew even more nourishing, I added a few more immune-loving superfoods:
Mushrooms - for their high vitamin D content, an essential nutrient for the immune system
Ginger - contains a powerful antioxidant called gingerol
Garlic - for its antimicrobial properties
Turmeric - for its potent anti-inflammatory effects
Carrots - for extra antioxidants through its vitamin A content
Onions - for extra liver support and vitamin C
This recipe will be on repeat in my house especially as we continue to adjust to these early nights and cooler days and I hope it will be the same for you. Your body will thank you!
Please comment below to let me know if you give this one a try or tag me on instagram at #happyhealthcc. I’d love to see your creations!
Ingredients
Prep: 20 minutes
Yields 1 pot
~2 lbs grass fed lamb for stewing
10 Dried shiitake mushrooms
4 large Carrots, 2 inch chunks
3 small Onions, quartered
2 large Garlic cloves, smashed
3 tbsp Goji berry
1 inch piece Ginger, smashed
1/2 tsp (heaping) Dried turmeric
2 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1/2 tsp cracked Black pepper (plus more to serve)
Pink Salt (added at the end ~3 tsp)
Filtered water
In the instant pot (IP) liner, fully submerge the dried mushrooms in hot water for about 15 minutes or until softened. Then halve and set aside with the prepared carrots, onion, ginger and garlic.
Empty the mushroom water from the IP liner then add the lamb pieces to the empty IP pot. Add filtered water up to the second last line (1/2 line of the IP, under the max line).
Set the IP to sauté on high and allow the pot to come to a boil with the lid off.
Once the water is boiling, foam and scum should float to the top. Scoop the foam off the top using a sieve.
Add the remaining ingredients: mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, goji berries, 5 spice and black pepper.
Put the lid on and pressure cook under the soup/broth setting for two and a half hours.
Once ready, allow to natural release then manual release.
Add salt then taste and add extra 5 spice or pepper if desired. Allow to cool.
Once cooled, scoop off the layer of fat and spoon into jars for storage. Enjoy with rice or rice noodles or freeze and save for a chilly day!
Note*: You can also consume this as a bone broth by straining the soup and scaling back on the 5 spice and salt.