Why Our Ancestors Simmered Pots All Season Long

There is something almost timeless about a pot simmering quietly on the stove.

It asks very little of us. A handful of roots, a few dried mushrooms, herbs gathered from the pantry, perhaps bones saved from a previous meal or a collection of late season vegetables. Add water, lower the heat, and allow time to do what it has always done. 

Long before recipes were carefully measured or nutrition labels existed, broth was one of the most practical and nourishing meals a household could make.

Nearly every culture has its own version.

In China, nourishing soups have long been prepared with roots, mushrooms, herbs, and slow cooked ingredients chosen to complement the season.

Across Europe, families gathered whatever the harvest offered: carrots, onions, herbs, bones, beans, and transformed them into meals that stretched for days.

In Japan, kombu and mushrooms created deeply flavorful broths.

Throughout Latin America, warming soups became a centerpiece of family gatherings.

While the ingredients varied, the intention remained remarkably similar.

Use what the season provides.

Waste very little.

Nourish everyone around the table.

Perhaps that's why broth continues to feel so comforting today. It reminds us that caring for ourselves doesn't always require complicated routines. Sometimes it begins with filling a pot and allowing it to simmer.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine: Autumn invites us to protect our Qi, moisten the lungs, and begin shifting toward warmer, slower meals that support the body's transition into the colder months.

In the kitchen: Broths, congee, mushrooms, roots, onions, garlic, warming spices, and slow simmering pots.

Gentle invitation: Let one pot nourish many meals.

If you've just begun building your autumn herbal pantry, one of the simplest ways to put those herbs to use is with a nourishing broth. For centuries, kitchens around the world have welcomed the changing season with slow simmered pots of roots, mushrooms, herbs, and bones or vegetables, not because they were trendy, but because they made good use of the harvest while bringing warmth and nourishment to the table.

More Than Soup

A nourishing broth is often thought of as something we prepare when we are under the weather, but traditionally it was much more than that.

It was breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

A way to preserve the harvest.

A foundation for sauces and grains.

A meal shared with neighbors.

An offering to new mothers.

A comfort during times of grief.

A simple act of daily nourishment.

Many traditional healing systems view food as one of our first opportunities to care for the body. Rather than waiting until we feel depleted, seasonal meals help us adapt to the changing environment before challenges arise.

Autumn naturally invites us towards foods that are warm, cooked, and easy to digest. Slow simmered broths fit beautifully into this rhythm.

Building a Nourishing Autumn Broth

One of the joys of broth is it doesn't need a strict recipe. Think of it as building layers of flavor and nourishment.

Start with a foundation

Choose one:

• Chicken bones
• Beef bones
• Vegetable scraps
• Mushroom stems

Each creates its own character while serving as the base for everything that follows.

Add woodland allies

Autumn is the season of mushrooms.

Shiitake brings rich umami.

Reishi adds a deep earthy note and has a long history in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Turkey Tail, when prepared appropriately, has also been traditionally included in nourishing decoctions.

Together they create a broth that feels rooted in the forest.

Bring in the roots

This is where the pantry begins to shine.

A few slices of astragalus.

Pieces of burdock.

Codonopsis.

Fresh ginger.

These herbs quietly infuse the broth while it simmers, becoming part of the meal rather than standing apart from it.

Finish with warmth

Cinnamon.

Fennel.

Black pepper.

A strip of dried orange peel.

These familiar kitchen ingredients round out the broth with gentle warmth and comforting aroma.

A Simple Autumn Broth

Ingredients

• 8 cups water or stock
• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2-3 slices astragalus root
• 2 slices fresh ginger
• 1 small piece burdock root
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1/2 an onion
• 2 carrots 
• Sea salt to taste

Simmer gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Strain herbs.

Enjoy as is, or use as the foundation for soups, grains, beans, or congee throughout the week. 

Simple ingredients, extraordinary comfort.

Continue Your Journey

🍂Try making one pot this weekend.

📖 Read the Autumn Pantry journal entry

🌿Check out our Soup Apothecary collection

At the Hearth

There is almost always a container of broth somewhere in my kitchen during the cooler months (actually even in hottest months too). Some becomes soup, some cook grains, and some is simply warmed in a mug on busy afternoons. I love that one quiet afternoon of simmering can nourish several meals throughout the week. It reminds me that caring for ourselves doesn't have to happen all at once. Sometimes it's as simple as preparing today for the days ahead.

"The kitchen has always been the first apothecary, and every simmering pot carries a little of our ancestor's' wisdom forward."