Vegetarian Broth Recipe

square crop of two jars of vegetable broth and a ladle next to them.

5 from 5 votes

This Vegetarian Broth Recipe is so easy to make, cheaper than store bought,and is a great way to use any vegetables and veggie scraps that you have on hand.

Course Sauce, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword broth, vegetable, vegetarian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Servings cups

Calories 90kcal

Author Debi

Ingredients

8 ounces cremini mushrooms cut in half
4 large shallots left unpeeled, cut into quarters
3 large carrots scrubbed clean, and coarsely chopped
1 red pepper quartered
2 garlic cloves left unpeeled, cut in half
8 fresh parsley sprigs divided use
6 fresh thyme sprigs divided use
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
4-10 whole peppercorns
4 leeks dark part only
Any veggie bits and parts
filtered water
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Roast the veggies

Preheat the oven to 425° F. In a large roasting pan, toss together first 5 ingredients. Add in 4 parsley springs and 3 thyme sprigs. Drizzle olive oil over the veggies, and stir to coat. Roast in 425° oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stove top method

Take roasted veggies, and place them in a large stock pot. Add remaining 4 parsley springs and 3 thyme springs, peppercorns, bay leaf, leeks, and any other veggie bits. Cover with cold clean filtered water. Cover pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer with the lid slightly ajar stirring occasionally, for about 60 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.

Crock pot method

Take roasted veggies, and place them in athe bowl of a crock pot. Add remaining 4 parsley springs and 3 thyme springs, peppercorns, bay leaf, leeks, and any other veggie bits. Cover with cold clean filtered water. Place the cover on the crock pot, and cook on low for 8-10 hours oron high 4-5 hours.

Strain the broth

Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve to remove all the solids. If you want a super fine clear stock, run the strained broth through a wet coffee filter. Add salt. It may not taste as salty as you’re used to, but it will add good flavor to whatever you’re making. And, if you’re eating it straight, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Store the broth in the fridge, or if you aren't going to use it right away, store it in the freezer. It can be frozen in ice-cube trays, and then toss those broth cubes in a large plastic bag.

Notes

Amount will vary based on how many veggies you actually throw in the pot, but I usually get about 6-10 cups.

Nutrition information is a rough estimate because the veggies are strained.

Nutrition