Description
A sustainable and flavorful Zero Waste Vegetable Broth made by simmering a mix of frozen vegetable scraps and herbs. This broth maximizes kitchen waste by using onion skins, carrot peels, herb stems, and more to create a rich, aromatic base perfect for soups, stews, and sauces.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetable Scraps
- 8 cups / 2 L / 1¼ lb Mixed Vegetable Scraps (onion skins & ends, garlic skins, carrot peels & ends, celery ends & core, leek ends, herb stems & leaves such as basil, thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, kale or chard stems, mushroom ends)
Liquid
- 8 cups / 2 L Water
Instructions
- Gather: Save vegetable scraps from cooking over 1-2 weeks, storing them in a container in the freezer. Include only recommended scraps like onion skins, carrot peels, herb stems, and avoid watery or subtle-flavored vegetables like lettuce, eggplant, or potatoes.
- Boil: Place the vegetable scraps into a medium pot along with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and reduce to medium-low to gently simmer for 1 hour. After simmering, check the broth’s flavor and add additional herbs, vegetables, or salt if needed. Increase the heat slightly and simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes to reduce and concentrate the broth.
- Cool: Remove the pot from heat and let the broth cool to room temperature. Strain through a reusable fine mesh straining bag into a bowl, squeezing the solids to extract maximum flavor. Compost the cooked vegetables and transfer the strained broth to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Only use vegetable scraps from clean, fresh vegetables—avoid scraps with mold or spoilage.
- Do not include vegetables with high water content or subtle flavors such as lettuce, eggplant, squash, potatoes, or cucumbers.
- Herbs like mint or lavender are not recommended as they can overpower the broth.
- Broth flavor can be enhanced after initial cooking by adding fresh herbs or salt.
- Use a reusable fine mesh straining bag to reduce waste.
- Vegetable broth freezes well and can be stored up to 6 months for convenience.
- Prep Time: 1-2 weeks (accumulating scraps), 10 minutes (assembly)
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Soup Base
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Universal
Keywords: Zero waste, vegetable broth, vegetable scraps, homemade broth, sustainable cooking, vegan broth
