I was not prepared for the weather in Louisiana. Can I just say that? It’s not the heat – I was well prepared for the heat, as much as I don’t like it. It was the drastic nature of its storms.

On the day I made this broth and took pictures, it was so black outside that my camera kept trying to use its flash, even in my usually well-lit photo area. As the pot was simmering on the stove, the normally low and slow bayou behind our house crept closer and closer in the pouring rain, covering half of the backyard. After a quick call to our landlord, who assured me that this was completely normal and that last year there were even alligators chilling on the lawn, I felt a little better. Only a little though, alligators in the backyard isn’t exactly reassuring!

Let’s just say I was very glad I didn’t have to pull this vegetable broth pot off the stove and make a run for it, because this was quite possibly one of the best batches I’ve ever made!

 Vegetable broth is so easy to make. I know I throw that word around a lot, but in this case, you could not find an easier recipe! I feel kind of like I’m cheating you out of a Monday Recipe Post because it’s so easy.

All you need is an onion, a couple carrots, a couple sticks of celery and some water. These three aromatic vegetables are the foundation of any good vegetable broth. If you have these, you can have broth. It’s as simple as that! And it’ll be guaranteed both healthy and nightshade free, unlike the boxes at the store!

Vegetable broth is also a wonderful use of your other kitchen scraps. I keep a ziplock bag full of washed scraps in the freezer and add to it as I cook. These will all add depth and flavour to your broth. They also provide an additional use for these scraps that would be just tossed out otherwise.

Scraps can be anything from sweet potato peels to celery hearts to onion and carrot peels, any skins, stems, ends that would normally end up in the compost, but have a bit of vegetable still on them. Garlic skins, for example, wouldn’t work, but if you cut the little end off the clove, that will do just fine. I also don’t recommend anything that’s already slightly bitter, like asparagus or Brussels sprouts, as the flavour will take over during cooking. Also not recommended are cauliflower or broccoli, they don’t do very well.

To really release the flavour, I’m going to add all the scraps and veggies to the bottom of the pot first with a little oil and cook them until they’re soft and the edges are brown.

Now to add the water!

Bring that pot to a boil and then let it simmer for about an hour. At this point, if you know what you’re going to be using the broth for you, can flavour it how you like. Salt, pepper, garlic, a bay leaf, parsley, oregano, thyme, basil, soy sauce, whatever you feel is appropriate for its use. I generally always add salt, pepper and garlic. Because garlic is life.

Once it’s done, strain out the veggies and let the broth cool. It will keep in the fridge for 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months. I usually try to make a vat of it and then use it in everything.

This batch was incredible.

I’m going to chalk it up to the sweet potato skins and the liberal use of garlic. I used it for the Sweet Potato Beef Stew and it was ah-mazing.

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Easy Homemade Vegetable Broth

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

This easy recipe for vegetable stock uses all the scraps in your freezer to form an easy, freezable basis for all your recipes

Course: Basics

Servings: 8 Cups

Author: Cristina

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 3 large carrots
• 3 stalks celery
• 8 cups of water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• RECOMMENDED:
• 2 cups kitchen vegetable scraps (any peels/ends/stems collected and washed)
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• pinch each of salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp oregano
• pinch of thyme
• Optional Additions: A bay leaf , parsley, basil, soy sauce, anything you want that will tailor it to the recipe you’re using it for.
• A Note on Vegetable Scraps:
• - DO NOT include asparagus , Brussels sprouts, cauliflower or broccoli
• - Make sure they are clean and edible!

Instructions

1. Cut vegetables and scraps into large pieces and add to pot on stove. Cook in oil until soft and brown on the edges.
2. Add water and herbs to the same pot and bring everything to a boil.
3. Lower temperature and leave to simmer for 1 hour.
4. Once time is up, strain vegetables out of the pot and let the broth cool to room temperature (unless you are using it immediately).
5. Homemade Vegetable broth will keep in the fridge 3 days or freezer for 3 months. Use in your favourite soups, stews and recipes!