Homemade Vegetable Broth

Homemade Vegetable Broth

Vegetable broth is a study in extraction and balance—built not on bones or fat, but on the precise layering of aromatics, water content, and time. At its best, it delivers a clean, structured flavor profile with natural sweetness, vegetal depth, and a subtle umami backbone.

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Category: SIMMER

Cuisine: Global

Course: Soup

Keyword: Broth, Vegetables

Prep: 15

Cook: 1

Cooling Time: 10

Total: 1 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 65kcal

Author: TastyDaddy

Equipment

Ingredients

Vegetables

2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
2 medium onions (washed, halved)
3 large carrots (chopped)
4 stalks celery (chopped)
2 tops leek (or fennel)
5 cloves garlic (smashed)

Seasoning

3 whole bay leaves
2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp peppercorns (whole)

Liquid

12 cups filtered water

Herbs

¼ cup parsley (fresh)
¼ cup thyme (fresh)

Instructions

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in stockpot.
Add 2 medium onions, 3 large carrots, 4 stalks celery, 2 tops leek (or fennel), and 5 cloves garlic to stockpot and lightly sauté.

TIP: You can substitute the onion, carrots, and celery for 4 cups of my Mirepoix recipe.

Once ingredient are slightly tender, add seasonings (bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns) and 12 cups of filtered cold water and slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, covered, for 1 hour.
Remove from heat and add fresh herbs (parsley & thyme) to stockpot.
Let the herbs steep while the broth cools for at least 10 minutes, then use a spider strainer ladle (or slotted spoon) to remove the larger solids to a mixing bowl.
Place a mesh strainer over an empty stock pot (large enough to hold the quantity of broth being poured in) and strain and discard what is filtered by the strainer.

TIP: If the mesh strainer let through small particles, clean the original (now empty) stockpot and mesh strainer; place clean mesh strainer over the clean stockpot and line with 2-4 layers of dampened cheese cloth (wetting it first will prevent the cloth from absorbing the broth); run the broth through the cheesecloth layers for an additional filtering.

Broth will keep in refrigerator for 4-5 days, or you can freeze the broth and store in the freezer for 3-5 months.

SEE NOTES SECTION FOR FREEZER STORAGE TIPS

Notes

NUTRITION NOTE: The nutritional values are for the fresh recipe ingredients listed on the card, but if you are like me, I make my vegetable broth using vegetable scraps I keep in the freezer. Six to seven (6-7) loosely-packed cups of scraps will do the trick, so long as the scraps contain the bulk of ingredients listed on the recipe card.

FREEZER STORAGE NOTE: The best way to freeze broth is by utilizing silicone freezer trays, such as Souper Cubes. Make sure broth is completely chilled in the refrigerator before pouring into trays. Freeze broth cubes completely then transfer to airtight freezer bags so that you can free up and reuse the trays for other things.

Nutrition