If you like this recipe, check back. We plan to post a video and photos soon. This recipe is a favorite to strongly build blood. We often prescribe this recipe to patients in our clinic as a way to consume liver and other blood building ingredients in a daily medicinal amount over a couple of days. Typically we instruct our patients to make a batch and eat it over 3-4 days and then reassess if another batch is needed. Its easy to freeze for future use and is actually very fast to make from all frozen ingredients. I call it one of my “fast food tonic” recipes! With the addition of liver, it is a fail proof way to get your prescribed amount of liver (a medicinal amount) without ever tasting it. If you are vegetarian or vegan, don’t worry. You can make your tonic using shiitake broth (blend those bits of mushroom in too) instead of bone broth or liver.
INGREDIENTS
Cooked black beans (canned is ok, but from scratch is best)
1 Organic/Pasture Raised Chicken Liver (leave out for vegan version)
1/2 Onion
2-4 Garlic (How much depends if you like garlic!)
2-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt + pepper
1-2 Dried Bay leaves (fresh is great, but is a stronger flavor so use less)
Bone Broth or shiitake broth (optional, but a supercharged addition). bouillon or boxed/canned stock work in a bind too.
For a fast version of this, use store bought or frozen broth and canned beans.
INSTRUCTIONS
Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan and warm. You just need enough to coat the onions and garlic.
Once the olive oil is warm, sautéed onion until translucent about 1 -2 minutes. Add garlic at the last 30 second.
Add the liver and season with plenty of salt and a little pepper. Cook until browned on each side, just a few minutes. Once cooked, remove from pan and set aside. (leave out this step for the vegan version.)
Add beans to your blender and add enough liquid (either bone broth, shiitake broth, water or stock) to make sure the liquid is level with the beans in the blender. Add the liver and blend until very smooth. If you soup is too thick, add more broth. It should be thin, it tastes better this way. Once blended, set aside in the blender.
Warm 1-2 tablespoon olive oil in a pot large enough for your soup.
Saute 1/3 cup of chopped onions in the pot until translucent. Add 1-2 cloves of garlic smashed, bay leaves and sauté until the onion and garlic are browned.
Add blend black beans/broth/liver mixture and bring to a low/medium simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt if needed. All ingredients are fully cooked at this point and you may enjoy.
TIP: It is best to use pasture raised chicken liver. Organic liver is a ok second choice. Avoid conventailly raised chicken liver as they may be a super dose of unhealthy things those chicken eat or are exposed to in their environment. If you are having a hard time finding pasture raised chicken liver, buy a whole chicken and use the one that comes with it.
TIP: When trying to conceive or pregnant, check with your acupuncturist if it is ok for you to have liver. ALWAYS avoid beef liver when trying to conceive or pregnant as it has too much vitamin A.
FIX:
Tastes like liver: You shouldn’t taste liver in the end soup. If you do, add another bay leaf and simmer for another 15 mins. That should do the trick.
Not enough flavor, not tasty enough. Add a little bouillon to tune up the flavor at the end.