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Have you ever thought about making your own vegetable broth?
I’ve thought about it. However, I’ve never been inspired enough to do so. All that chopping of veggies deterred me. For convenience, I’ve purchased organic vegetable stock.
Last week I came across a simple and amazing recipe for DIY broth from vegetable scraps. Inspiration struck! Because I make juices and eat a plant based diet, I have lots of vegetable scraps. Those go into the trash or into a compost canister…and often then into the trash as I don’t have a dedicated compost pile.
What if I used the veggie leftovers to create broth? I can, I discovered. And the best part? Because these are the scraps, they are already in small pieces. No additional chopping required. Second best part? I used my pressure cooker to create a perfect batch of broth in 30 minutes.
What Scraps to Use
Throughout the week, as you prep meals, place vegetable scraps in a gallon size container and store in the freezer. When the container is full, it’s time to make broth.
These vegetables are perfect for broth making:
- Â red and yellow onion pieces and skins
- Â garlic pieces and skins
- Â celery ends and tips – avoid using many leaves as they can be bitter
- Â carrot ends and tips
- Â tomatoes pieces
- Â asparagus stems
- Â bell pepper ends, stems and seeds
- Â mushroom stems and pieces
- Â spinach
- Â zucchini pieces and ends
Don’t use starchy vegetables such as potatoes and sweet potatoes. They cloud the broth. Also avoid cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts because of bitterness.
DIY Broth from Vegetable Scraps
Vegetable broth may be used for soup and stew starters, to cook rice and pasta in, to saute vegetables in or to replace water for cooking vegetables.
DIY Broth from Vegetable Scraps
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 gallon container vegetable scraps, frozen
- 8 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
Instructions
- Thaw, at least partially, gallon container of frozen vegetable scraps. Rinse veggies.
- Place vegetable scraps in pressure cooker.
- Add water, bay leaves, sea salt and dried herbs.
- Cover cooker and bring to pressure. Cook for 30 minutes. Allow natural release.
- Carefully remove lid. Strain broth through fine mesh strainer or through cheesecloth. Store in covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or freeze and keep for 3 - 6 months.
The Finished DIY Broth from Vegetable Scraps
The broth smelled wonderful as it cooked. Smell is an important sense for me when I’m cooking, as it is for many. When something “smells right”, that’s a good indicator. The broth smelled very right.
After allowing the pressure cooker to release steam naturally, meaning I didn’t turn the knob on top to release it manually, I lifted the lid and peeked inside.
What began as a mess of scraps transformed into a rich and savory looking broth. In the sink the cheesecloth draped colander rested over a glass bowl. I carefully poured the contents of the cooker into the colander and allowed it to drain completely.
The broth is excellent. I sampled a spoonful, to make sure the flavor is up to par. It is! In fact, it tastes much better than what I purchase.
I LOVE that I have a use for all my leftover vegetable scraps. It makes me feel so good to know I am not wasting those bits and pieces. Rather, I am turning waste into something that I can use. And, I know exactly what’s in my broth: veggies, water, herbs, sea salt. Nothing more.
Tomorrow night I’ll prepare Lentils and Brown Rice in my pressure cooker, using one of my containers of DIY Broth from Vegetable Scraps. And I’m already collecting veggie scraps for my next batch of broth. I feel ridiculously excited!
Pick up Vegan Pressure Cooking, the book that inspired the DIY Broth from Vegetable Scraps.
And grab a Pressure Cooker by clicking on the photo below:
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We eat tons of vegetables so I need to try this! I love making new things and trying new recipes! Thanks for sharing step by step instructions!
You are so welcome! It’s a great little recipe.
This is a great idea. I throw out so much and then I buy stock cubes. This is a much better idea.
And it’s so easy to make!
I need some of this right now with the summer cold that has hit our house! This is such a great way to use every bit of the food also!
It is so nourishing. Perfect on its own or to cook with. And easy to make.
I have never made my own broth. Sounds simple yet delicious!
It’s so easy! And quick too with a pressure cooker.
Making my own broth is something I’ve wanted to do but never have! The timing on this post is perfect. I can’t wait to try this!
Wonderful! I’m really enjoying making my own vegetable broth.
This is so cool! I’m definitely going to use this recipe in the future!
It’s so good! I used up my first batch in a couple of days.
Great way to not waste those scraps. I’m always just throwing them away (shame on me lol)
I’m trying to reduce waste especially in the kitchen. I’m loving this recipe that allows me to save my scraps.
I love making bone and vegetable broth!
That’s wonderful!
My husband has been talking about doing this! We want to cut down our waste.
That was my motivation too! It’s such a good broth. I loved having it on hand for cooking.
This makes perfect sense! Pinned for later 🙂 Thxox
Awesome thanks!
This is a great recipe and a great idea to use up leftover vegetable scraps! I would think you could can the broth as well if you make enough of it. Thanks so much for sharing!
Yes you could or freeze it. I used my first batch up quickly. My next one I’m going to freeze half.
If only I cooked enough to make this for myself! Looks super easy though.
It’s very easy, which I love!
This is awesome! Making your own broth is delicious and saves money!
Yes on both counts!
I make bone broth all the time with my scraps of veggies too. I never thought of just using the veggie scraps even when I have no bones to make stock with – this was nice.
Awesome! Thanks for reading.
I’ve often thought of making my own but never actually did it. Thank you for this easy to follow step by step recipe – I will have to try this!
It truly is simple and quick to make!
I can always use more veggies in my diet…and now nothing will go to waste!
Exactly! 😃
I just threw away scraps today, again, and thought of how wasteful it was, again. I really want to try this. It would be perfect for all those grounds that normally get thrown away when I juice. Thank you for posting this. It came at a great time!
Yes I’m trying to greatly reduce waste in my kitchen. I love having a use for them.
While I have made my own chicken broth, it has never even crossed my mine to try making vegetable broth! What a great idea! Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
It’s so easy!
What a great idea! I never thought to use my scraps!
I love that I can use my scraps!
Ooh, super helpful – I’m moving into a metabolic diet that emphasizes carbs by veggie, and this looks perfect. I wonder if you can use an insta pot to make it?
Yes that’s what I use. 30 minutes and it’s done!
Im definitely trying this!
Wonderful!
Great recipe. Why buy it when you can make your own? You know exactly what’s in it. And so simple.
Yes exactly! And I have a use for my veggie scraps.
I’ve never thought to do this…what a great idea!!! Thank you for posting this
It’s such an easy recipe too!
Veggie broth is one of my favorite things to make in the summer when the garden is in full on mode! One thing I’ve added in addition to your list is the fronds and scrap pieces from fennel bulbs. One of the best versions I’ve made, but truly, are there any bad ones?
I’m growing fennel so I look forward to including it!
This looks amazing! I’m going to save this for when California decides to chill it with the heat!
Excellent!
My broth-lobing husband will love this!
Wonderful! Enjoy!
This looks like a perfect base for soups! With fall on its way, I will be using this for sure!
Yes it’s perfect!
What a great idea!! Unfortunately, all of my veggie scraps go to my chickens and my dog food. I am going to put this recipe on the fridge at the crisis facility where I work though, so we can use those veggies instead of tossing them.
That’s a great idea!
I will be trying this out, sounds so yummy to make on a cold fall day!
Yes perfect!
This is a great recipe! I’ve made veggie broth before!
It’s so easy!
I really need to get me a pressure cooker! I keep seeing amazing ways like this to use it! Plus, I’m constantly stocking up on broth to use when I make noodles and such, so it’ll be cool to try a homemade version for once!
This one is so easy to make with the pressure cooker! And it’s delicious. I’m enjoying making my own.
I’m going to have to try this. I never thought of saving up the scraps to make the broth! We are big on homemade soup in our family!
You’ll love how easy it is to make this broth!
Boy! I wish I could wrap my head around this stuff. It’s soooo easy, but I just can’t get myself to do it. I’m putting it on the task list to try, though. This is a great recipe and it’s always good to have a broth on hand.
I keep a couple of reusable plastic containers in the freezer, for scraps. When I start chopping/prepping veggies I get a a container out and drop the scraps in as I go. It’s quickly become a habit!