When it is soup season a critical component of successful soup (IMO) is some kind of delicious BROTH as a base.
Broth will add flavor and depth to any soup you make or grain you are cooking.
All you need to do is set up a system to make your own vegetable broth at home and you'll never have to buy it from the store again! It’s an amazing way to use up vegetable tops, bottoms, and skins that normally get thrown in the compost.
Not only are you reducing waste, but you’re also making a nutrient-dense pantry staple that’s easy, cheap, and delicious.
The basic recipe is easy and you can have it bubbling away on the stove while you make dinner, clean the house, or watch a movie with the family!
All you need is water, onions, celery, and carrots but there are many other kitchen scraps and veggies to can add to this base to give your broth more flavor.
Grab the free printable below to help get you started on your way to making your own Vegetable Broth at home!
What did I just say about kitchen scraps??
This can be the tops, bottoms, and skins of veggies that you would have previously thrown in the compost or the trash. I recommend keeping a large ziplock bag in the freezer where you continuously add your scraps. Anytime you cut the top off celery, throw it in the bag! Anytime you skin an onion, put the skins in the bag. Then when you are ready to make your broth, all you have to do is add water to cover your scraps and go!
Here are a few other veggies that work great in broth:
Leek tops, the most nutrient-dense portion of the plant
Greens and stems of vegetables (be cautious of using too much of just one green as it could have a strong flavor)
Winter squash bottoms, tops, and skins
Peels of onions, garlic, etc.
What vegetables should be avoided when you make stock:
Moldy and rotten vegetables
Certain vegetables may also lead to a more bitter broth: zucchini, broccoli, cabbage, turnips, and Brussels sprouts.
Other vegetables may lead to a cloudy broth or alter the consistency: potatoes, beets, and turnips.
Let your broth cool, strain the veggie bits (and then compost them), and then freeze the broth in whatever container works best for you in the amount that you typically use. I usually freeze 2-4 cups of broth in a container at a time because that seems to be the amount I would normally use for soup or rice or anything else! Enjoy!