Have you ever wondered how to make homemade vegetable broth from scraps? It’s more economical and better for you to make up a batch of flavorful broth at home. Read on to find out how.
This homemade vegetable broth recipe is super easy to make. Here is what you will need: onions, garlic, tomatoes, and a pile of assorted veggie scraps, water and a soup pot.
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Vegetable broth is a key ingredient in a lot of recipes and something that’s always in my kitchen. If I don’t have a stash of homemade vegetable broth on hand, I buy the packaged organic broth which can get costly. When make my own broth, I use vegetable scraps that I’ve been saving up in the freezer. It’s kind of like double dipping on my veggie purchases which is much more economical.
Re-using the vegetable scraps is not only more cost effective, it also earth friendly since I’m giving those veggies a second life before tossing them into the compost bin. The few times I made broth from fresh vegetables I felt kind of bad about boiling them and just using them for broth. This is a win all the way around. Homemade vegetable broth is better for you, the environment and your wallet. I also like that I can control the amount of salt and seasoning that go into homemade broth.
The first step to make homemade vegetable broth from scraps is to save up carrot ends and peels, ends of celery, onions, mushrooms, and any other mild tasting vegetable. Once you have a bag full of scraps (about 3 to 4 cups), it’s time to make some vegetable broth.
How to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth
Please note that this a list of steps to give you an idea how to make this recipe. Full details are in the recipe card below.
- Add 8 cups of water to a large stock pot
- Place the veggies into the pot
- Cover and cook on low
- Strain the vegetables for a delicious broth
`Total Estimated Time from Start to Finish: 2 to 2 1/2 Hours (mostly hands-off) to make this recipe.
The Best Type Of Vegetables to Use for Vegetable Broth
- Onions, carrots, garlic and celery are essential. If these aren’t in your collection of scraps peel a few carrots for dinner and add the peels to the scraps. Cut off the tops of celery and add them too.
- Always add a few cloves of garlic, and a small onion to the frozen scraps and a chopped tomato is optional.
- Other good vegetable scraps to save are mushrooms, summer squash, leek, mild tasting herb stems.
- Vegetables to avoid are Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or cabbage. Others are peppers and eggplant.
Freezing and Storing Vegetable Broth
- Store your broth in the refrigerator for three to four days.
- Freeze your vegetable broth in an ice cube tray, once it is frozen into cubes store them in a plastic bag in your freezer for mini portions of broth
- Freeze the broth into one or two cup freezer containers.
- Thaw your homemade vegetable broth overnight in the refrigerator or place a container of it in warm water to quickly thaw it out.
Earth Friendly Tip!
Toss the scraps from your broth into a compost bin to even get more use out of them!
Uses for Homemade Vegetable Broth
- Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Vegetable Minestrone Soup
- Tuscan Vegetable Soup with White Bean Balls
- Sausage and Kale Soup with White Beans
How to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth From Scraps
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 2
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: stove-top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tomato chopped (optional)
- A few springs fresh parsley, thyme and a bay leaf
- 8 cups filtered water
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 3 to 4 cups of vegetable scraps or
- 1 to 2 cups of chopped carrots
- 1 to 2 cups of chopped celery
Instructions
Add all of the ingredients into a stock pot and cover
Cook on low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours
Drain the vegetables through a strainer pressing out as much liquid as possible
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Notes
Nutrition information is provided by Nutrifox, an online calculator and is meant to be used for informational purposes only. Even though I try to provide accurate information, these figures should still be considered as estimates
Keywords: Broth, homemade broth
Happy Earth Day! Toady I’m celebrating Earth Day with my blogging friends, here are their favorite sustainable recipes:
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by Food Blogging Friends –
For a Small Planet
Hosted By The Baking Fairy and Palatable Pastime
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This is one of my favorite frugal recipes I make. I always have a gallon size ziploc baggie in the freezer, so I can save my veggie scraps to make broth. It taste so much better than the store bought stuff.
It is good to get into the habit of saving your vegetable scraps for broth. I always save my scraps for my chickens and if I make broth first they still get the scraps, just cooked.
Fresh veggie stock is THE best! A+ for zero waste!
This is so smart and such a great way to reuse veggie scraps that would otherwise be thrown out! I don’t have a compost bin so I always feel bad about throwing away the ends and peels. I’ll start saving up my scraps! Thanks for participating in our Earth Day event! ❤️
Valentina You will be surprised at how quickly those veggie scraps pile up
Nothing beats homemade, especially homemade broth! Your vegetable broth looks delicious and easy to make! I can’t wait to try it.
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I need to get better about using my veggie scraps to make broth. I’ve done chicken and ham before but never veggie. That’s changing soon!
Such a fabulous way to use all my veggie scraps, thank you! Great flavors!
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So much better than the store bought one! It is healthier, more delicious and budget friendly.
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I am going to have to give this a try. I have never attempted because I thought it was going to be such a challenge. However, you make it look simple and worth a try.
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Thanks Jacquelyn it really is easy to make!
I love how easy and healthy this recipe is! 🙂
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Thanks Stacey!
Using scraps to make homemade broth is such a good idea! Love this post.
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Thanks Joni!
We make broth very frequently but it’s usually chicken or beef based. Thanks for inspiring me to try this flavorful alternative; I love using homemade broth in so many dishes!
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Having great broth on hand is a must, and store bought veggie broth just doesn’t cut it!
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This is such a lovely and helpful information. Thank you very much for the same. Homemade is the best option ever. This is surely flavorful.
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It’s so easy to just grab chicken broth by default but often veggie broth has more flavor. I never knew how to make my own so thanks for this!
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It is such a good idea to save your vegetable scraps and make broth with them! I bet that would make such a yummy broth, and different each time!
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Yes Aleta it is different each time!
This is just so smart! I need to start making my own immediately.
I just did something like this in my Instant Pot and it was awesome. So great using up scraps rather than just hucking them away!
I have always wanted to make my own vegetable broth, but I was always too lazy. But you make it sound so good!!
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I love saving scraps for broth like this!
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Such a great idea to use up scraps into broth! I love it!
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Everyone should know how to make broths. They are easy but there are a few tricks and tips to make them really good. You give those tips and tricks that will make an excellent vegetable broth. Broths like this are so useful!! We never use water when we could use broth.
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I absolutely love making homemade broth. It’s so easy to make and a great way to use up scraps. Yours looks so gorgeous and the coloring is incredible!
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Homemade is always better, you know exactly what went into that recipe. Not always, but whenever I rememebr I too make my homemade vegetable stock and freeze it.
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Thank you for sharing such an economical way to prepare broth. I cook it pretty often so very happy to have another great recipe handy.
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Love making veggie broth from my veggie scraps! Really appreciate this post and your clear explanations and pics! Thanks so much for sharing :).
Good basic recipe. I cook for a lot of potlucks, and there are increasing numbers of vegetarians involved. I’ve made my own meat stock for years, it’s time to load the stockpot with veggies. Also it’s good to know what not to use, as my tendency would be to pitch in cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli and pepper scraps along with everything else.!
How about mushrooms?
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Hi Maryanne, Yes you can use a few mushrooms in the vegetable broth!