Waste not, want not right? You might think that vegetable peels and remnants aren’t good for much more than composting, but check this out… Scraps Vegetable Broth – for soups, rice pilafs and anything else you’d want to add a little more flavor to.
Remember that Marinara I made a few weeks ago? Well, while that sauce was simmering, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and make a vegetable broth. For the marinara, I peeled and chopped the onions, carrots, fennel and celery.
Into one pot went the vegetables for the sauce and into another pot went all the trimmings.
To the scraps, I added some herbs and aromatics, like whole peppercorns, thyme, crushed garlic cloves and bay leaves.
Then it’s as simple as filling the pot with water so that it just covers the vegetable scraps and simmering. It’s so easy, its practically an afterthought.
After simmering, strain the broth, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon. That’s it! You can use it right away or freeze it for another time in place of water when cooking rice and grains or in soups and braises. Since I already had marinara on the stove. I tucked this batch into the freezer…
Scraps Vegetable Broth
ingredients
- 3-4 cups trimmings from carrots, celery, onion, fennel, turnips, potatoes, or other vegetable trimmings
- 2-3 cloves garlic crushed
- 10-12 whole peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
instructions
- Place the vegetable trimmings in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Fill the pot just above the trimmings with cold water and add crushed garlic cloves (skins and all), peppercorns and bay leaves.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes.
- Place a large sieve over a bowl and pour the contents of the pot through the sieve. Press on the solids to squeeze out any extra liquid. Discard the solids.
- Broth will last a week, refrigerated or three months frozen.
Nutrition
More Homemade Stock and Soups:
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- Homemade Turkey Stock
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- Creamy Turkey Vegetable Soup
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- Homemade Lobster Stock
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I made this the day after I made vegetable beef soup. I used carrot peels, potato peels, celery ends, onion leftovers, broccoli stems, green bean ends, sugar pea pods, basil, and garlic. It is pretty yummy. My husband said if we add salt it would taste like soup.
Just made this. Delicious. Thank you for sharing (:
Hi, my broth tasted bitter, could simmering too long cause that? Thank you for the recipe!!
Sometimes an over abundance of one veggie versus another can sharpen or make the flavor more bitter. Using sweeter milder scraps like potato, turnips, carrots, celery, leeks and parsnips should give a more even flavor, while stronger flavors like onion or garlic can impart more bitterness.
Depending on the vegetables you are using, you may want to consider roasting them for a while first. Roasting caramelizes the residual sugar and will lead to a softer, more savory flavor.
An excellent idea!
I save all scraps. This time of year especially. I use my big stock pots to cook them in. Makes the house smell so good. I do not put strong tasting vegies in , but anyting else goes. I pressure can my stocks. I just love of my full pantry shelves. I have cetain family and friends that expect to see jars under thier Christmas tree.
That’s fabulous! I’m a waste not want not kind of gal myself. Lucky friends to get homemade jars of stock!
Do you need to wash all the scraps beforehand? The carrot and potato peels are already washed and scrubbed, but onion and garlic skins aren’t. Is it bad to include them in the broth like that?
I don’t wash onion and garlic skins.
Don’t forget to include egg shells, make sure to crush them first. Calcium’s good for you!!
On another site it says potatoes and parsnips can make the broth gummy and cloudy, did you find this ?
I haven’t noticed that.
Hi Lisa can you make this recipe with only carrots, onions and celery
Yes, just make sure you’ve got enough scraps. Be sure to use the herbs and aromatics, though.
Hi! I was so excited about this, saving my scraps for over 3 weeks (in the freezer, of course). Just made it today and it tastes weird – quite bitter. Where do you think I went wrong? I might have simmered longer than 30 min; I forgot to check the clock before starting. I put onion, garlic, carrot, leek, asparagus, bell pepper (not the seeds) and potato scraps in there – do you think any of this stuff might have made it bitter?
Hmmm, the only thing I can think that would alter the flavor would be asparagus. I haven’t used that in my vegetable stock before. There are a few vegetables that have a strong flavor profile and that’s one of them.
sounds good and i am going to try it. But why do you consider all of that celery scrap? I would normally put that in soup.
Nothing wrong with that. I find the very tops of the celery to be a little tougher, depending on what I’m using it for, but nothing goes to waste here — and it’s perfect in this vegetable broth.
Is the nutrition information for 4 cups or for a 1 cup serving? I’m closely tracking my calories, salt and fat. Thank you.
This is for a 1 cup serving.
Thank you for this! I will.start saving my peels and make broth! Once you are done and save the liquid/ broth what do u do with the cooked scraps?
you can toss them or compost them!
I’m cooking my first batch of this right now, and my kitchen smells incredible! Thanks!
What are examples of vegetables scraps that you would NOT want to include in this?
Interesting question. I would avoid any vegetable that had a very strong or pronounced flavor — or one that had a color that wouldn’t be pleasing for a broth. I’d avoid beets for both of those reasons. If you added tomatoes, keep in mind that it would color the broth as well. In general, root vegetables like turnips, parsnips, potato peel, onion (skins etc), discards of leeks or fennel would work well, even trimmings from butternut squash would be good.
What a great idea! Love this!
Thanks, Katrina – it’s really easy and you’d be surprised how much flavor you can get from the scraps!
Love this – Such a great way to use up scraps and reduce waste! Nutritious too 🙂
Such a great idea! I need to start saving all my scraps!!!
What a simple recipe and the perfect base for so many wonderful soups! So yum!
This is so perfect! I love how it’s made with scraps! A great way to use those up!
Yesssss! I hate food waste so much, and this is hands-down the best way to use up veg scraps. It works so well and it’s SO nourishing!
Absolutely – plus you can control the sodium content!
There is nothing better than homemade stock! Now that I don’t have chickens to feed my scraps to I need to start making my own broth again!
How cool that you had chickens!