How to Make Vegetable Broth with Veggie Scraps
Learn how to make vegetable broth with veggie scraps. It’s flavourful, easy, cost-effective, and freezer-friendly!
So many recipes call for vegetable broth, but if you usually rely on store-bought cartons or bouillon cubes, you’re missing out! The first time I tried homemade vegetable broth I was blown away by the depth of flavour—and by how much money I was saving by making it myself. Best part? You can use kitchen scraps to make it!
Whenever you’re cutting up an onion and you have a bit you don’t use, throw it in a zipped freezer bag and into the freezer. Toss in the leafy tops of carrots and celery, papery garlic peels, extra herbs, mushroom stems. Over time, you’ll accumulate lots of veggie scraps that would’ve otherwise gone into the trash, and when your bag is full, you can use them to make vegetable broth.
Once you have your collection of scraps, you’ll also want to add celery, onion, carrot, and garlic for that classic vegetable broth flavour, then you simmer everything away until the liquid is infused with all that veggie goodness.
What Is the Difference Between Vegetable Stock and Vegetable Broth?
When we’re talking about vegetable stock vs. vegetable broth (as opposed to animal-based stocks and broths), the only difference is that vegetable stock is seasoned with salt and pepper, while vegetable broth is not. So if you add the optional salt to this recipe, you’ve got stock!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Celery – Chopping the celery (and carrots) exposes more of their surface area to the liquid, which means you’ll get more flavour in your vegetable broth.
- Carrots
- Red onions – Yellow onions work too, or use leeks and shallots.
- Garlic – I like to add a lot, but you can use less!
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Frozen veggie scraps
- Filtered water – Filtered water will help ensure your broth doesn’t have any off flavours.
Optional Add-Ins
- Mushrooms – Any kind you have on hand! This is a great way to use the tough stems of shiitakes.
- Bell peppers
- Salt
- Peppercorns
- Chili pepper or scotch bonnet pepper – I like adding a hot pepper for depth.
- Liquid aminos – This adds umami to the broth.
What Not to Put in Vegetable Broth
Leave out broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, and other cruciferous vegetables, as they will make your broth bitter. I would also leave out potatoes; they’ll make your broth cloudy. And, it goes without saying, don’t add any vegetables that are spoiled!
How to Make Vegetable Broth With Veggie Scraps
I love making a batch of vegetable broth over the weekend so I can use it in my cooking all week long. Because it’s largely hands-off, I can let the broth simmer away while I do other things around the house!
Sweat the ingredients. Place all of the ingredients except the water in a pot set over high heat. Let the heat sweat the ingredients for about 3 minutes. Add any of the optional ingredients, then stir in the water. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Simmer. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the vegetable broth for 1 hour.
Cool and store. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the broth to cool. Place a layer of cheesecloth or a very thin towel on top of your jars or storage containers and pour the broth into them, discarding the vegetables caught in the cheesecloth. Add the liquid aminos, if using.
Tips for Success
Here are some tips to help you make sure your homemade vegetable broth turns out perfect.
- Don’t add too much salt. You’ll probably be using your broth in a recipe, and odds are that recipe will have you adding salt as well. So you don’t want to start with a broth that’s overly salty!
- Make concentrated broth. For even more flavour, you can use 10 cups of water instead of 12.
- No cheesecloth? No problem! Just pour the broth into a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Then, discard the solids and divide the broth into containers for storage.
Variations
The best part about homemade vegetable broth is that it’s so versatile. Here are some ways to customize this recipe:
- Make mushroom broth by swapping the frozen veggie scraps for 6 cups of mushroom stems/scraps—or simply use fresh mushrooms.
- Add turmeric for a golden colour, nutritional yeast, and some smoked paprika for a vegan chicken broth substitute.
- Try adding shiitake stems, sliced ginger root, and kombu for an Asian-inspired broth perfect for making miso soup.
- Save corn cobs after removing the corn and simmer them in the broth. This makes a delicious base for corn soup!
Uses for Vegetable Broth
I use this vegetable broth several times a week! Naturally, it’s great in soups like my Vegetable Minestrone Soup and Roasted Cauliflower Soup. I also use it as a cooking liquid for quinoa and rice, for making Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto, and as a base for Vegan Gravy.
How to Store
Vegetable broth can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container or jar.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
To freeze, allow the broth to cool completely and then divide into freezer-safe containers or ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer cubes to a freezer bag for easy storage. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
More Kitchen Basics
Enjoy friends! If you make this vegetable broth, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Vegetable Broth
Ingredients
How to Make Vegetable Broth with Veggie Scraps
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2-3 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 to 2 red onions, or leeks or shallots, or all if you have
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic, you can lessen, I love adding garlic
- Few sprigs thyme
- A big handful parsley
- 2-3 cups of frozen veggie scraps, this is in addition to the above vegetables
- 10-12 cups filtered water
Optional, but recommended if you have them
- Mushrooms
- Bell peppers
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 peppercorns
- 1 chili pepper or scotch bonnet pepper, helps to deepen flavours
Umami additions
- 1/4 cup liquid aminos, or coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce
Instructions
How to Make Vegetable Broth with Veggie Scraps
- In a pot over high heat, add all the ingredients except the water. Let the heat sweat the ingredients for about 3 minutes to help bring out flavours. If adding in extra ingredients, add them now. Pour in all the water and stir. I use 12 cups, but you can use 10 cups if you want an even more concentrated broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 1 hour.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Select the containers you’ll be storing broth in (I like clear large glass jars). Place a layer of cheese cloth or a very thin towel on top and pour into jars to catch liquid and strain vegetables.
- At this point, I stir in equal amounts of liquid aminos (totalling 1/4 cup) in the jars. I end up with two jars, so I stir in 2 tablespoons into each. After sitting for a day the flavours will deepen even more.
- Store in fridge for up to a week. See notes for freezing instructions. Enjoy!
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
I see what you mean now about the veggie scraps. You added some fresh veggies to the already existing amount of 2-3 cups veggie scraps. What I was trying to say in my OG comment is that u don’t have any veggie scraps, and bought fresh veggies to use instead. So I just followed the recipe and didn’t include the additional scraps, I thought my fresh veggies were the scraps.
Hi Sarah!
Understood! So you definitely don’t have to use actual veggie scraps (you can buy fresh! Since one method is just collecting fresh veg that would’ve been thrown away, it’s all the same thing in the end), but you do want to ensure that by the time you’re done you have the same amount of veggies going in in total.
So the first set of veggies I listed end up to be about 3.5 to around 6 cups of specific veggies that contribute to flavour (which based on your list, covered a lot of these veggies or alternatives). Then on top of that, you’d add in another 2-3 cups of veg, whether that’s fresh like you have or frozen! So in total you want at least 6.5 cups of veggies going in, and up to even 9.5-10 cups!
A lot of what you listed you had was under the recommended section for flavour too, so I would also include that ½ teaspoon sea salt. You’re going to also want to add the liquid aminos (or coconut aminos) to help boost the flavour and umami. Although, it won’t end up tasting like a super seasoned soup (just like store-bought broth by itself usually doesn’t either) but like a really good base for whatever you’re using it for. Hope this helps to clarify further!
What do you think about adding ginger? I think I might try that also 😁
That sounds great Debra! I would just be sure to be aware that everything you put it in will have a slight ginger note but if you love that then it’s definitely a great add in!