EASY VEGETABLE BROTH RECIPE USING KITCHEN SCRAPS

Fall is in full force and that means it’s a soup-er time to make some vegetable broth. We showed you how to make a healing pot of bone broth, but did you know that veggie broth is even easier and can be made with saved up vegetable scraps? Reduce your kitchen waste and get a tasty homemade broth in an hour – that’s a win-win in my books.

The process is simple and very forgiving. Save up vegetable scraps like carrots peels or limp veggies that have spent a bit too long in the fridge, and collect them in a freezer container. When you have enough saved up, you can make broth! In general, consider the balance of ingredients and recognize the difference between things you don’t want to eat (onion skins – fine to add) versus things you shouldn’t eat (rotten veggies – don’t add). Play around with flavours and ingredients to find out what you like.

Scraps that are great:

• Dried up/wilted vegetables
• Green upper leaves from leeks
• Celery leaves and ends
• Carrot peels and tops
• Onion skins
• Mushroom stems
• Potato or sweet potato peels
• Wilted fresh herbs

Scraps to avoid:

• Moldy or rotten scraps
• Dirty scraps
• Too many cruciferous or bitter vegetables
• Too much of one vegetable – unless you want carrot broth

This recipe is great for using up scraps, but there are a few other ingredients that you may want to consider adding, especially if they aren’t already included in your scraps.

• Caramelized onion – you could use a leek, shallot, or something similar instead.
• Celery adds a classic vegetable broth flavour
• Carrot is perfect for a touch of sweetness
• Mushrooms, especially shitake, can add a rich depth of flavour
• Consider herbs and spices: Bay leaves, garlic, sage, rosemary and thyme can make tasty additions if you are going to use the broth as a base for soups, while ginger, turmeric, or lemongrass are great if you plan on using it in curries.

Once you’ve collected enough scraps and assembled your extra ingredients, you’re ready to brew your broth.

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups Vegetable Scraps (with any added veggies as listed above)
• 1 onion
• Splash of Olive Oil
• Seasoning (2 bay leaves and a few sage leaves used in the broth pictured)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8-10 cups Water

Directions 

1. In a large pot, caramelize the diced onion with a splash of olive oil.
2. Once the onion is browned, add a little water and stir to deglaze the pan.
3.  Add all ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
5. Once the broth has cooled, strain the vegetables from the liquid.
6. Store broth in the fridge for a week or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Now that you have a beautiful homemade vegetable broth, here are a few things you can do with it:

• Cook your grains in it
• Use as a base for vegan cream of mushroom soup or squash apple soup
• Make some gravy