Vegetable Broth is easy to make and loaded with flavor. Super healthy, jam packed with veggies, perfect for soups, stews, sauces and more. After making this classic stovetop method, you'll never buy vegetable stock again!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Economical - vegetable broth is super easy to make, and you can even make it with your leftover vegetable scraps. You can even freeze scraps to use for this recipe
- Healthy - a great starting point to cut fats and cholesterol from your diet
- Flavorful - lots of veggies slowly simmered is packed with taste
Benefits of Vegetable Broth
- full of nutrients and minerals like calcium, and vitamins A, C and E
- helpful if you observe Lent, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday
- can promote weight loss as it's low calorie
- heart healthy
Vegetable Stock vs Broth
Quite often, the terms are used interchangeably, however that isn't technically correct. Typically, a stock is made with meaty bones cooked over a long time. Vegetable broth is made only with vegetables, but an also include meat (but not usually bones). So this is actually a Vegetable Stock recipe. It gets confusing, which is why people use it interchangably.
Ingredients
- Onions - save the onion skins for color in soup
- Celery - leave the leaves on for more flavor
- Carrots - no need to peel
- Mushrooms - add depth that's sometime missing in vegetable stock
- Garlic - great for boosting immune system
- Bay Leaf - adds flavor
- Whole Peppercorns - or use crushed peppercorns
- Fresh Herbs - parsley, oregano, sage, garlic chives...
Herbs and Spices for Vegetable Broth
Vegetable Broth has many variations and you can make the flavors your own! Always try to use fresh herbs for best flavors, and use what's in season. You can make it as exciting as you like.
Classic Herbs in Stock
- Parsley - used a herb base for almost all soup recipes
- Thyme - often used in French soups, just throw in a few stems
- Oregano - flavorful, often used in a bouquet garni
- Sage - use dried or fresh, great for adding to Turkey Broth
- Basil - perfect it making Minestrone
- Dill - for Eastern European soups
Spices in Stock
- Cloves - very strong, you only need to add 1 or 2 for a whole pot
- Mace - an aromatic spice
- Allspice Berries - only need a few, imparts a rounder, richer flavor
- Bay Leaf - adds pleasant warm notes
Acids in Stock
- Apple Cider Vinegar - just a splash changes balance in your broth
- Lemon or Lime - a squeeze from half a fresh citrus to add zing
- Verjuice - adds sour notes
Asian Vegetable Stock Flavors
- Ginger - great for Asian soup, boosts immune system
- Turmeric - an anti-inflammatory but makes your broth yellow
- Cilantro - a staple in Asian cooking
- Green Onions - adds fresh onions taste
- Lemongrass - bruise the stock before adding to pot
Seasoning for Stock
- Salt - Himalayan Salt has extra minerals, but any salt will do
- Black Peppercorns - whole or crushed peppercorns
- Celery Salt - adds body by elevating the celery flavors
- Smoked Salt - adds smokey flavor like it's cooked over a campfire
How to Make Vegetable Broth
You don't need to peel the carrots, just wash and cut. For a deeper, richer color in the stock, add the clean onion peels to the pot. Trust me it works.
- Caramelize onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic in vegetable oil
- Fill pot with water, add herbs and spice
- Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 2 hours
- Allow soup to cool, strain and serve
- For an optional second strain, use a cheesecloth for a clear broth
What Vegetables to Avoid in Stock
These are the vegetables to avoid when making a stock. The flavors are too overpowering and can make your stock bitter. Best to add these vegetables to your soup, not in the base.
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Brussel Sprouts
- Tomatoes
Soup Recipes to Try
I love making soups, and delicious broths are the base of tasty recipes. Easy to make you can't go wrong with this healthy recipe. So go forth, make stock and eat soup. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 large onions quartered
- 3 celery stalks leaves attached, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots unpeeled, chopped into thirds
- handful mushrooms skip for vegan
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Few sprigs of fresh herbs - thyme parsley, oregano, sage
Instructions
- Heat oil in stockpot. Caramelize onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic.
- Fill pot with water, add herbs and spices, and bring to a boil.
- When it reaches the boil, reduce heat and simmer on low with a semi-covered lid for 2 hours. (the longer the better)
- Strain the soup into a colander over a large bowl to remove the vegetables.
- For an optional second strain, use a cheesecloth for a clearer broth
- Your stock is now ready to use for your soup. Any excess stock, easily freezes for another meal.
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