Finnish Forest Tonic Soup… I wanted to make a Finnish version of the Chinese tonic soups I eat during cold months and this turns out really well! When choosing ingredients for the soup, I wanted to stick with local herbs that have a ‘tonic’ or fortifying and strengthening quality. There are Nettle seeds to tonify kidneys, Chaga & Forest Mushrooms to tonify immune system, Roseroot is an adaptogen tonic, Oatstraw tonifies Qi Blood Essence & Yang, Red Clover is also classified as an adaptogen by many herbalists and is a phytoestrogen, Bilberries nourish liver yin & eyes, Iceland Moss also moistens & nourishes liver Yin and tonifies digestive Qi, Chicory Root nourishes liver Blood & Liver Yin, Yellow Dock Root nourishes Blood. I also added Garlic & Chives to warm and expel wind cold, Lovage to add warmth, Juniper Berry for warmth and to expel Wind Damp Cold, Carrot & Celery & Chicken & Goatpipe for added nutrition and Pine Needles for vitamin C and flavor. I referred to Peter Holmes book Energetics of Western Herbs to research many of the energetic properties. The soup is cooked in a crockpot or on a very low heat for several hours. The base of the soup is skinless chicken with bones plus water which forms a nourishing bone broth as it cooks over time. This soup is one of many things I try to do to feel healthy during these long dry cold Finnish winters. And I will soon be offering packets of dried Finnish Tonic Soup for anyone interested in giving this Finnish Tonic Soup a try!
