Waste not, want not! Make rich, delicious vegetable broth with scraps from your kitchen. It’s so easy!
Hey, hey! New year, new health goals. And one of my goals this year is to consume less and to conserve more. If you are anything like me, you probably spend a ridiculous amount of money on food. Am I right?
I’ve been making a point to waste as little as possible, especially when it comes to my precious, expensive food. One of the things I’ve been doing is making crazy good vegetable broth from little vegetable scraps. You guys know that I’m a big fan of bone broth, but did you know that a good vegetable broth is a powerhouse of minerals as well? You can do so much with a cozy, warm, flavorful vegetable broth. I use it as a base for soups, stews, and sauces.
And all you need is some scraps from the kitchen. It’s so easy and cheap to make. Just throw your vegetable scraps into a bag in the freezer until you have enough for a batch of broth. Then freeze broth in small portions for making the best soups and sauces EVER! No more buying broth at the grocery store.
There are no rules to what you can or cannot use. I basically use it all. I know that people say not to use cruciferous veggies (like cauliflower, broccoli, and kale), but I throw in little bits all of the time, and my broth tastes amazing. Of course, I balance it out with lots of sweeter vegetables like carrots and sweet potato scraps for a nice flavor.
NOTE: Be sure to use only clean vegetables and scraps. Dirty, gritty broth is no good. And please use your common sense. If it’s moldy, you probably don’t want it in your broth.
What I use in my vegetable broth:
- any veggies that may have gotten a bit sad and wilty in the fridge
- carrot peels and small ends
- sweet potato peels and small ends
- celery ends and leaves
- onion and shallot skins
- green onion or leek ends
- mushroom stems
- small amounts of broccoli stems or kale stems
- slightly wilted greens from fridge
- any other fun vegetable scrapes I may have
The possibilities are endless. And your broth will taste different every time depending on what you put in it. I like to mix it up and add some extras for flavor and to boost nutrients. The recipe below is just a place to start. Feel free to experiment.
Things I add for flavor and nutritional value:
- fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, cilantro)- loaded with vitamins and minerals
- garlic – anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial
- ginger -anti-inflammatory and immune boosting
- peppercorns
- bay leaf
- shiitake mushrooms – rich flavor, immune boosting, and loaded with vitamins and minerals
- turmeric powder – anti-inflammatory
How to store vegetable broth:
- Be sure to use clean, glass containers.
- Vegetable broth is good for up to a week in the fridge.
- Freeze in thick glass containers. I like to store in smaller portions (about 2-3 cups) to use as needed. I use THIS and THIS. Be sure to leave room for expansion so as not to crack the glass.
- Freeze in large silicone ice cube trays and store in large freezer bags. I have THESE and THESE.
Here’s to a healthy, happy, and less wasteful New Year. Big love to you all!
xo,
K
How to Make Vegetable Broth from Kitchen Scraps
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: about 3 quarts 1x
Ingredients
- 1 carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 ribs of celery, roughly chopped
- 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cups of vegetable scraps
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
- one inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary
- a handful of parsley or cilantro
- salt to taste
- 12–14 cups of clean water (I use about 3 and 1/2 quarts)
Instructions
- Place everything in a large stock pot. Add water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 1 hour.
- Turn off heat. Using tongs or slotted spoon, remove solids. Then strain through a mesh sieve.
- Store in airtight jar for up to a week. Or freeze in small portions for use later.
Notes
I’ve seen recipes where you saute the carrots, celery, and onion in a bit of oil before you add water. Feel free to do this if you like. It does add a nice flavor. But I’ve been doing this broth for a long time and love how easy and delicious it is just the way it is.
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I love this idea! Such a wonderful way not to waste any food. I love that you freeze it in ice cube trays too! Makes it so easy to use!
I love the idea of adding in all of those herbs and mushrooms for more nourishment! What a great idea! I tend to forget to make veggie broth from my scraps just tossing them in with regular bone broth but veggie stock has so much potential! Thank you for this reminder!
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I love a recipe that allows me to experiment and with different results every time! This is such a fabulous way to reduce kitchen waste. Love it.
Thanks for this awesome tutorial! I just LOVE a good veggie broth! Have one down with the sniffles so off to make this now! Thanks again! 🙂
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Hope your little feels better soon, Halle.
Great idea! I’ve made other kinds of brothbefor, but not veggie broth yet and it would be great to use up left-over vegetable scraps.
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How funny – I was just asking a friend how she makes her veggie broth. I typically make chicken stock but was interested in shaking things up. This will help so much!
oh, yay! That’s perfect!
I love making my one broth! So tasty and affordable!
Thanks for sharing this information with the world, people tend to underestimate how easy it is to make certain things in the kitchen.
What a great recipe, I’m gonna throw a little cauliflower in there. Thanks for the inspiration!
I love cauliflower in my broth too!
I love homemade vegetable broth and this recipe utilize left over in the fridge – what an excellent idea !
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I love making broth. I’ll never buy boxed broth again!
I love recipes that promote no food waste! And freezing them in ice cube trays is such a helpful time!
me, too! It’s crazy how much food we waste!!
This is great! Such a helpful tutorial. I love how it minimizes waste!
I love minimizing waste too. I usually compost, but this feels even better!
I spend about $1000AUD on food a fortnight..!!!!! I blame my eating disorder and insatiable appetite 😛 I always have to throw out so many veggies because I don’t eat them in time. And it’s VERY hard to find healthy, clean stocks here in Perth (Australia) supermarkets, so this is a fabulous recipe for me!!! Thank you 🙂
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It’s so easy and makes so much sense, right?!? Enjoy!
I am retired and do most of the cooking. We love trying new recipes from all types of cuisines.Saving veggie scraps is easy and plentiful. Have a pot on now. Thanks for the recipe of sorts and the idea.
You are so welcome!
Oh my, Katje! In the process RIGHT NOW! My kitchen smells WONDERFUL!
All those years of waste ?
In my early years did compost – ok but also smelly?
Then the too many wasteful years – and they end NOW!
Thank you thank you!
Can’t wait to share with my daughter & daughter in law??
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Oh, yay! This makes me so happy!
Thank you so much for this. In the past we fed the left overs to my neighbors FFA animals but thats no longer an option. I have learned how to grow my own crops of veggies and herbs and to can and preserve them when its time. I now know what to do with all the little ofds and ends. Have you ever tried to can your broth? I dont always have a large amount of freezer space. Thank you again.
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I haven’t tried canning it. Please let me know if you try it. Here’s some cool info on it:
http://selfreliantschool.com/make-can-vegetable-broth/
This is great! I used to compost but am not able to now under my current living situation. This is another great way to avoid wasting!
YES! Such a good way to reduce waste.
Hello, I have been looking for a great tasting soup broth. I have a question about your post. If you are using all these fine wilted veggies to make broth, why throw them out? Shouldn’t they part of the end product. I love soup but haven’t mastered how to make the soup broth. It’s the liquid solution if made right. What are your thoughts?
I use veggie scraps in my broth, and they are pretty mushy when the broth is done. I prefer not to use them in the soup as veggie peels and scraps generally do nit have a very nice texture. But the broth is delish.
Is it possible to just use scraps & spices? I have 4 gallon size freezer bags of scraps, so wondering if fresh veggies are still necessary?
This recipe is so versatile. I use whatever I have on hand. Just scraps will work. It will taste different every time based on what you add. 🙂
Hi Katja!
I had the same idea, so I looked online to see if someone has tried it and what a surprise when the first thing that popped up is your blog! Great job on the blog. I am sure going to try other recipes from you.
All the best in 2018 and hopefully we will see each other this year.
Best,
Tereza
Hi, Tereza! Great minds think alike. That’s so funny that you found me this way. Happy New Year! Big hugs to the kiddos. 🙂
This was delicious, thankyou! I even drank some on it’so own as a soup and build up immunty. Yummy! Thanks again 🙂
ay! I love hearing that. It’s so easy, right?
At first my husband thought I was losing my mind, putting scraps in the freezer, but when I explained what it was for he was impressed!! Now that I have made a few batches he loves the idea!!! Thank you so much for putting this recipe out here, I adore it!!!
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You’re welcome!! I love not wasting food. And making things from scraps.
Hi, love your recipe and will use it!
I was wondering what you’re thoughts were for adding used tea leaves as scraps for stock? I use organic tea leaves to make some delicious turmeric tea and thought of throwing it in my ‘stock’ bag. Any suggestions about doing this?
Thanks
Adding turmeric to this broth is a fabulous idea. Waste not, want not. Great idea!!
I am also adding turmeric:). Great suggestion! I make my own stocks from seafood to veggie, more often than I buy a box. I use fresh and local whenever I can, and no part needs to go to waste during round one! Compost after…great!
Thank you for inspiring more of our humankind, to utilize what truly isn’t waste:)
?? Sat Nam!
Turmeric is good in almost anything. I love it too. Yes to less waste. We all have to do our part. 🙂
This is a fantastic way to reuse scraps that tastes great! My husband and I really enjoy the different flavors, but the one it has helped the most has been our dog. He’s older and suffers from Addison’s Disease so it’s usually difficult to find foods he can stomach. By adding some of this broth (minus any vegetables that are harmful to dogs of course), he is able to get a great boost to his meals that he enjoys. Thank you for sharing this with the world and helping families of all types – even the fur kind!
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Oh, I love that! Thanks for sharing about your dog. 🙂
I also save scraps until a ziplock is full. I pour the contents into the crock pot. Cover wuth water and cook on low overnight. Drain and freeze 2 cups worth in each freezer bag.
That is so awesome. Waste not, want not. 🙂
I added jalepeno to mine to give it a kick! Great for colds!
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Mmmm! That sounds yummy. And so good for you!
I recently noticed how much I throw away each week as far as veggies go. This recipe is going to help so much. Thank you so much.
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Yay! I love hearing that! 🙂
I’ve tried saving scraps once and when I took the bag out of the freezer after a month and thawed it, I found that everything had gone mushy, including the mushroom stems. It was quite gross and I had to toss the whole thing out. Is this normal? The scraps in your photos look so fresh and vibrant, I’m sure I’m doing something wrong. Any input would be highly appreciated, Thanks!
Some things may get mushy, especially if they defrost and refreeze a few times. Mushrooms will def get mushy in freezer. It’s totally fine if things are not super fresh-looking. It still works.
I use a large freezer bag, keep adding until full and store in freezer. No particular recipe just keep adding. I add onion skins, garlic skins and all veggie peels. I grow my own herbs and add stems after dehydrating leaves. When full add water to large pot and let simmer, strain and freeze. Always comes out great.
IT’s so easy, right???
Wow- this was way easier to make than I thought it was going to be! And the flavour is so nice, thank you for this, this will be my go to recipe from now on for all my scraps! So glad they won’t be going to waste 🙂
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Do you wash you you scraps before freezing or after freezing
I wash my produce before I chop or peel, so my scraps are already clean. 🙂
I loved making this broth!! It was so easy. I gathered for a few days and just through in some other suggestions from the recipe. I mostly had broccoli stems, cauliflower leaves, onion, carrots, celery, and sweet potato. I put it in the crockpot overnight set on 10 hours. It smelled lovely the next day, but when I tried it, I felt like it could have had a stronger taste. Do you have any suggestions of how to make a stronger taste? I needed to add more salt, But I wondered about beets or mushrooms? I didn’t use those. I LOVED making this and felt good about the lower sodium broth I made. ?
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You will have to experiment to see what veggie scrapes you like. Maybe more onion. You can use garlic and fresh herbs to add more flavor. Glad you liked the recipe 🙂
I even through in a wilting apple & a tiny bit of a dry red wine. Turned out great! I wonder, if like a tea bag, you can use the veggies twice for a small concentrated amount of broth?
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*threw*
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’m convinced vegetable broth is medicine! I’ve always loved it and find it’s not only healing but comforting as well.
Just made my first batch with scraps. I’ll do this forever… I can’t wait for another cup.
Thanks again!