How to Make Vegetable Broth
Every year, we grow a huge garden. It’s what we do. I have a dear friend who came to stay with me a few weeks ago. She taught me a trick she learned in culinary school: How to Make Vegetable Broth. Not only is it ridiculously easy, it’s also healthy, affordable, and resourceful. And let’s be honest. It makes me sound terribly domestic to say I make my own broth. 🙂
What’s that? You don’t grow a garden? No problem. Do you buy vegetables? Carrots, peas, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions? Any of that sound familiar? Great. Let’s get started.
How to Make Vegetable Broth
A lot of vegetable broth recipes require you to buy large quantities of vegetables, boil them down, then throw them away. What a waste! With this recipe, you can use anything that you would normally throw away and turn it into broth.
Don’t believe me?
I’ll show you.
Let me give you a list of things from the garden that usually go to waste (either down the disposal, in the garbage, or back into the garden for mulch).
- Onion peels and tops
- Garlic and garlic peel
- Carrot tops and peels (Even the leafy green part!)
- Tomatoes (tops, bottoms, seeds)
- Bell peppers (tops, bottoms, seeds)
- Zucchini
- Cabbage (including core)
- Squash
- Pea pods
- Celery hearts
- Green beans
- Fresh herbs
Almost anything from your garden or buy from the store can go in your broth! There are two exceptions: beets and starch. Beets will turn your broth purple, which will turn anything you cook purple. Starch will make your broth a milky color, which isn’t exactly appetizing. So NO corn or potatoes/potato peels.
How do you collect all these vegetables for the broth? Keep a large plastic bag in the fridge. As you accumulate vegetable remnants through every day food preparation, put them in the bag rather than in the garbage. When you have a full bag, put all the vegetables in a big pot. For a richer taste, make sure you have onions and/or garlic in the pot! They will add a delicious flavor that will infuse in the broth and the dishes you use it in. Try tossing in some basil, oregano, maybe a little salt or pepper.
Cover everything with water, and turn on medium high heat. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for about 45 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the vegetables take on a bleached look with muted, bland colors.
Pull the vegetables out (throw them back in the garden to till in!). Strain the broth through a cheesecloth if you don’t want floaties in your stock. Otherwise, ladle straight into clean jars – pint or quart. The broth should be a clear, rich yellow. The exact color will vary depending on the vegetables you used.
Now, you have two choices. First, you can keep the jars in the fridge and use them within a week. If you don’t think you’ll use them fast enough, process your jars in a pressure canner at 10 lbs, 30 minutes for pints, 35 for quarts. If you have questions about that, contact your local Extension Office.
If you don’t know how to process foods and you don’t think you’ll use three quarts of vegetable broth, just boil smaller quantities of vegetables and you’ll get less stock.
For me, one full bag will make about three quarts, 6 -7 pints of broth.
I Made Vegetable Broth, Now What?
So, you’ve made vegetable broth. What are you going to do with it? Well, do you ever make pasta? Boil potatoes? Make soup or stew? Water down a sauce? Make crock pot dishes that require liquid? Make recipes that call for beef/chicken broth?
Any savory recipe that calls for water, you can substitute this broth for a tastier, healthy option. The possibilities are endless!
What is your favorite thing to grow in the garden? What’s your favorite recipe that you can use this broth in?
This is great to know. I honestly never knew or thought about making my own, but I love the idea of it. This way I know exactly what is in it!
I also love knowing what’s in my food! It’s one of my favorite reasons to garden/can.
Who knew?!
I know! When I learned this, I felt like the universe face palmed me. Why did I never think of this before?
We just started our garden, this is great because I’m just learning how to cook from my own garden…and really how many salads can I make my family eat a day. thank you!
I love a good salad, but my kids still need convincing. 🙂
Awesome! I can make my own chicken yet didn’t know how to make a vegetable one. i need to do this today!
It’s fast and easy. I did it again last night while I was making dinner. 🙂 I haven’t made my own chicken broth before. That’s one I need to try. Do you use a whole fryer or the carcass?
This looks super easy! I can’t wait to try it with a few of my favorite fall recipes
I never knew this! what a great way to stock up on some tasty broth, I will have to do this.
I love this! It’s super easy, and it makes a great base for all kinds of soups.
I had no idea it was that easy. I’ve gotta give this a try sometime.
This is a great idea! vegetable broth can be used in so many recipes. I love it!
This is such an awesome idea. This is great to have on hand for soups and other recipes. You could use this in stews and pot pies as well.
I love this! This is a great way to always have a recipe base on hand.
This is so good to know! What a great way to use up veggies before they go bad! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve only ever used broth from the market. I can tell just by looking at this picture that it’s way more flavorful than any veggie broth I’ve ever purchased!
I am in awe… I have never-ever thought of making my own broth and this sounds amazing. HA! I love that you used stuff that you have left over… so smart!
I had no idea that vegetable broth was so easy to make! I should make some myself!
I love anything that takes utilizes the stuff I normally toss out! I make chicken broth a lot using the leftover pieces of chicken that I have when I buy whole chickens.
What a simple way to get rid of the stray vegetables before they go bad. Thanks for sharing.
I wish I had a garden so I could do this kind of thing regularly. It’s so much easier than I thought it would be.
That is awesome! I was just asking my husband how to make this the other day! Pinning this!
What a great way to use your garden vegetables. I never thought of making my own vegetable broth before.
My favorite recipe that i use vegetable broth in is Lasagna Soup. I always use box stock but i will definitely try making my own broth instead. Thanks for the great idea.
Looks really tasty – and a great way to use every vegetable before they go bad.
Homemade vegetable broth is A MUST in the colder months. Yours looks delicious!
Love this recipe! It’s super great to substitute this for water in a recipe, not just for the flavor, but the nutrients. Something that tastes greatm is easy to prepare, and is healthful,, too! I’d love to add this to wild rice instead of water. Pinned & planned!
My favorite recipe that I could use this in is Broccoli Soup