A well-made broth is a true "vitamin water". All the vitamins and minerals from the vegetables dissolve into the water. The broth can then be used as a base for soups, instead of water to cook grains like rice, or to braise meat,fish and vegetables. Feel free to experiment with different vegetables, or use what you have on hand.* Try this vegetable broth in our Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup, Minestrone Soup or healthy Ramen Bowl.
This recipe is inspired by the New York Times basic vegetable broth recipe HERE.
Ingredients
Onions
- 1 large
Carrots
- 2 large
Celery
- 4 stalks
Garlic
- ½ head
Parsley
- ½ bunch
Thyme
- 3 sprigs, fresh, ½ Tablespoon dried
Black_pepper
- ½ Tablespoon whole black peppercorns
Bay_Leaves
- 1
Salt
- ½ teaspoon kosher/ sea salt or ¼ teaspoon table salt
Optional
- tomatoes, halved (1); mushrooms, sliced (4); ginger, sliced (2” piece, fresh)
Instructions
Step 1
Wash all produce. Quarter the onions (no need to peel), chop the carrots and celery stalks, and separate the garlic cloves (no need to peel). If using tomatoes, cut them in half. If using ginger, slice it. Don’t worry too much about the size of the vegetables, as you will discard them after cooking. At that point most of their flavor and nutrients will be dissolved into the water.
Step 2
If cooking stovetop: add all the ingredients to a large pot and cover with 3 quarts of cold water. Bring to a boil, skim any foam that rises to the top, then lower heat to a simmer until it reduces to about ⅓ of the volume. This will take 2-3 hours of simmering.
Step 3
If using a slow-cooker: follow the step above, but use 2 quarts of water instead of 3. After skimming the foam, pour everything in the slow cooker and simmer for ~ 4 hours.
Step 4
Strain broth into large pot or container and discard vegetables. Let it cool to room temperature before putting into your fridge or freezer.**
Notes
*Broth tips:
- Avoid using vegetables in the cabbage family (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts) in your broth due to the sulfuric smell.
- You can make a broth by saving vegetables scraps in the freezer (carrot peels, celery leaves, parsley stems, onion scraps) and simmer them in water once you have enough.
- Feel free to make broth in smaller quantities, and simmer for less time. The longer you simmer, the more nutrients will come out of the veggies and into the broth.
- Fee free to experiment with different vegetables and herbs.
**Storage tips:
- Once cooled to room temperature, store in the fridge in a container for up to 1 week.
- Once cooled to room temperature, store in the freezer in a container, a freezer-safe ziplock bag, or an ice-cube tray for up to 3 months.
- Empty and rinsed yogurt containers or sauce containers can be used to store broth. If using a glass container, do not fill it to the top because broth expands with it freezes.