It's really easy to make vegetable broth, it's cheap, healthy and you can use your favorite veggies. I love vegetable broth for dinner, it's so comforting and keeps me warm. In addition, you can use it to make many recipes like a simple and delicious vegan paella.
This broth has diuretic properties and it's also a detox soup that can help you to clean your body. It's low in calories and if you want a lighter version, you can remove the oil and boil the veggies. I prefer to saute the vegetables a little bit, but it's optional, although the broth has a more intense flavor.
I don't add extra salt because the tamari or soy sauce is high in sodium. You can add salt instead of the tamari or even remove it if you prefer a low sodium broth. This recipe can be ready in only 15 or 20 minutes, but I prefer to cook the veggies for one and a half hour or even two, because the broth tastes better.
I don't always use the same veggies, but this is my favorite combo. You can also add other ingredients like mint leaves or ground pepper. Try to use seasonal produce, it's cheaper, better for the environment and also more nutritious.
The vegetable stock can be kept for several days in the refrigerator and it can be frozen too. I make 4 cups or 1 liter with these ingredients, but you can add more veggies or water if you want to make more. If you cook the broth for less time, less water will evaporate, so you'll have more liquid, but it will have a less intense flavor.
The measuring bottle you can see in the picture above reminds me one of my favorite television series: Breaking Bad. If you didn't watch it yet, I don't know what you're waiting for, it's amazing!
When the broth is ready, you only have to pour it through a strainer into a large heat-proof bowl or pot and discard solids. You can use the veggies to make a vegetable cream soup, you can place them in a pot with water and fresh veggies (I added chopped pumpkin this time) and cook until the fresh vegetables are soft, then blend until smooth and add salt or other spices or herbs. I had this pumpkin cream soup for dinned with a huge salad, it was a perfect meal!
It's easy to eat healthy and you don't have to spend much time cooking in the kitchen. You can make a quick version of this vegetable stock if you cook the veggies for only 15 or 20 minutes or you can let them cook for 1 or 2 hours and you can do other things in the meantime. If you don't have much time, you can cook this delicious vegetable broth and frozen it, you'll have an awesome dish in a few minutes, you only have to heat it and enjoy your healthy and comforting broth.
How To Make Vegetable Broth
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 onion
- 2 turnips
- 2 carrots
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 leeks
- 1 potato
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups water
- 1 or 2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and when it's hot, add the veggies (chopped). Cook until golden brown.
- Add the bay leaves and the water and cook over high heat until the water starts to boil, then cook the broth over medium heat for 1 or 2 hours.
- Pour the broth through a strainer into a large heat-proof bowl or pot and discard solids. Add the soy sauce or tamari.
Mark says
We have been making out own stock and broth for many years now. (This recipe will make a great one.) Since we use veg stock in lots of recipes, we make a couple of gallons at a time and freeze it in 1-qt. containers. Here is a simple tip: save your veg trimmings. Whenever we cook with carrots, onions, celery or any of the other ingredients listed here, we put the trimmings into a plastic container and toss it in the freezer. Then when we have enough, we bring our the biggest stock pot we have and do exactly procedure in your recipe.
A couple of experience tips: onion skins, garlic peels, and mushroom trimmings are all big-time flavor enhancers. Also parsley stems. Don't add potato peels unless you like cloudy stock, and don't add anything from the cabbage family (like broccoli stems) because they can give the finished stock a strong flavor.
Finally, if you want to use the stock as a soup base or an ingredient in another recipe, leave out the salt/tamari. It will throw your recipe's seasonings out of whack if you forget your broth is already salted and add salt because the recipe said so.
Love the recipes on this site. Thanks, Keep it up!
Iosune says
Hi Mark! Thanks a lot for your valuable comment 🙂 SO glad you like our recipes!
Serene Lee says
This is a great way to minimum waste and reuse the veggies scraps for broth.
Thank you.
Aleksandar says
This is superb... How long can you keep the veggie broth in the fridge and for what you recommend to use the solids? Thanks
Iosune says
Hi Aleksandar! Thanks 😀 I keep it in the fridge for up to a week. If a make the broth with fresh veggies I make a soup blending them with some liquid (water or plant milk) and some spices. Sometimes I use leftover veggies, then I discard them. Have a nice day!
lili says
Will Omitting the oil affect the taste? What do you recommend to use for low Sodium?
Iosune says
Hi Lili! If you remove the oil, the broth will taste amazing too 🙂 You can use low sodium tamari or soy sauce, remove it or add dried herbs. Have a nice day!
Dana says
I've been waiting on a vegan vegetable broth recipe! Can't wait to try this and sounds super simple!
Sidenote: I saw the beaker and thought of Breaking Bad too! LOL.
Iosune says
Hi Dana! I hope you like the broth!!! Haha yeahhh I love Breaking Bad 😛