Making my own veggie broth used to feel like something intimidating – like a thing that only the most experienced and seasoned chefs and home cooks do on a whim.
Fast forward a while, add in some encouragement from my most talented home-cook friends, and now I make this all the time. My freezer is never without a bag for compiling aromatic scraps (more on that below). I have a few jars of it frozen for whenever a recipe arises. It feels like second nature.
In making it consistently I’ve discovered some great news for us all: it’s actually really easy, almost 100% hands-off, and is as close as many of us will get to free food.
If that’s not already enough to convince you…each year, over 100 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States. If that number bothers you, this Hearty Homemade Veggie Broth is an easy way to start reducing waste in your own home, especially if you cook regularly.
Alliums (onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, etc.) are the star of this broth since they can’t be composted as easily – but here’s a list of what else makes a good base and addition:
- carrots
- celery
- herbs
- mushrooms
- fennel
- corn cobs
- beet greens
- parmesan rinds (if you aren’t vegan)
and a few things to avoid because of their strong flavors and aromas:
- anything in the brassica family
- beets
- herbs that you know you don’t enjoy
and lastly, here’s the recipe:
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Hearty Homemade Veggie Broth
Description
A recipe for a homemade veggie broth that'll save you money and reduce food waste – and serve as a delicious base for any soup.
Ingredients
- 4 cups veggie and herb scraps of choice, minimum (try to include onions, celery, & carrots)
- black pepper kernels and salt, to taste
- 1 bay leaf (dried)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients you've decided on into a large stockpot or dutch oven, cover with water.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low for at least an hour with a lid on.
- Drain, cool, and store in jars in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. If you won't be using it in that time, place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- the veggie scrap 4-cup minimum means: you need at least 4 cups, but feel free to use more if you have a giant stock pot. The more veggies & herbs you use, the more flavorful the broth will be.
- if you’re comfortable canning, can em’ up.
- if you freeze the broth in jars, be sure to leave ample space in the jar so you don’t have a broth explosion in there. Speaking from experience, unfortunately.
and a few more visuals:
If you’re interested in more blogs about how to use and properly store specific ingredients, outside of this Hearty Homemade Veggie Broth:
I’ve now made several batches of veggie broth using your guidelines, and I don’t know if I can ever go back to storebought! Super tasty and makes me feel good about repurposing the scraps.
I’m so glad to hear that, Sheila! Thanks so much for taking the time to rate and leave a review – it means a lot. Happy brothing ✨