How to Make Homemade Veggie Broth from Vegetable Scraps

Did you know that making your own homemade vegetable broth can be easy? Today I’ll show you how to make veggie broth at home from ingredients you have at home now. Once you try this easy method, you’ll always have healthy, low-fat, plant-based vegetable broth on hand.

I’ve got a confession. Until recently, whenever a recipe I was making called for vegetable broth or water, I almost always used water because I just didn’t have any homemade veggie broth around the house.

Did the flavor of my dishes suffer? Probably, but I didn’t know since I’ve never made those dishes with broth before.

Why didn’t I have any broth? Two reasons:

1. I did’t want to buy any containers with mysterious liquid (often high in sodium) from the store, nor was I interested in commercial veggie bouillon cubes for the same reason.

2. Out of money-saving reasons, I didn’t want to boil a bunch of perfectly good vegetables until they are completely broken down, and then throw them away.

And then it hit me: I could save up vegetable scraps for a few days, and then cook them to get perfectly good homemade veggie broth!

Why Make Vegetable Broth at Home Using Veggie Scraps?

Let’s face it: whether we call ourselves vegan or plant-based (or both), we probably use lots of vegetables in cooking. A lot of that stuff gets peeled, trimmed, juiced (all that pulp!), and all of that bulk is then thrown out.

Good job if you’re composting, but if you’re not, you could save your pennies and have perfectly good, low-sodium broth that’s versatile and easy to make!

All-natural ingredients, low- to no-sodium, no preservatives, versatile, and no extra stuff to buy – what’s not to love?

These days I’m now constantly putting aside veggie scraps, starting right after I make a new batch of this broth.

Once I make this homemade broth, I use it in lots of recipes, from my Instant Pot vegan minestrone soup to the crowd-favorite vegan Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana soup.

Besides, if I’m cooking oil-free, I use it instead of oil when sautéing vegetables.

How To Make Your Own Vegetable Broth

⭐ Step 1. For up to a week, I use a large reusable Ziploc bag to save all of the vegetable scraps that I know could be good for a veggie broth (see my veggie do-s and don’t-s below). I store this bag in the fridge to keep the food scraps from going bad.

⭐ Step 2. Once I’ve collected enough scraps (the bag usually gets 1/2 to 2/3 full), I put them into a large soup pot (this is the one I use) filled up halfway with cold water. My pot holds 10 quarts/9.5 liters, so I’m using about 5 quarts of water.

⭐ Step 3. I add a few extra ingredients that will enhance the flavors (see my notes below) as well as a few extra veggies I have in my kitchen at that moment.

⭐ Step 4. Once the pot is set up, I cover it and turn the heat on medium. It’s important not to boil the broth on high: that will make the vegetables to break down quicker without building up the nice flavor.

⭐ Step 5. Once the water is boiling, I reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and simmer the broth for 60-90 minutes. I use this time to do other things around the house, read a book, etc.

⭐ Step 6. If you’re planning to add salt, do so 5-10 min before the time is up.

⭐ Step 7. After 60-90 minutes, I take the pot off the heat and let the broth cool before filtering.

⭐ Step 8. When the pot is cool enough to handle, it’s time to filter the broth. I simply use another big pot and slowly pour the liquid into it, holding the veggies back.

Alternatively, you can filter the broth by lining a colander with cheesecloth, setting it inside another big pot, and straining the contents of the broth pot through it.

This is a preferable filtering way if you’ve used vegetable pulp from juicing.

⭐ Step 9. That’s it – your broth is now ready to be used in any recipes that call for veggie broth!

Use it instead of water in 1:1 proportion, or mix it with water in any proportion if you don’t have enough broth.

Vegetables That Work Best in Homemade Veggie Broth:

✅ 1. Root vegetables and their scraps – carrots, parsnips, onions (including green onions), garlic, etc. If using a whole onion, it can be left unpeeled as the peel adds a nice color to the broth. Cut the onion bulb in half or in quarters before adding to the pot.

✅ 2. Celery – a big flavor enhancer for almost any soups. If you don’t have celery pieces in your veggie scraps, add a stalk to the broth (provided you have it) to make the flavor more complex.

✅ 3. Herbs, especially parsley or cilantro stalks. Also good: a sprig of fresh rosemary, thyme, marjoram (or a pinch of dried). A herb called lovage can be used instead of celery.

✅ 4. 1-2 Bay leaves; black peppercorns; 2-inch strip of kombu – a Japanese sea vegetable that adds more nutrition to broths and soups and enhances their flavor. Never heard of kombu? I talked about it in this post.

✅ 5. Pieces of most firm, green vegetables work well: broccoli stalks, imperfect cabbage leaves, kale stems, etc. Make sure the scraps have no signs of going bad before adding them to the pot!

✅ 6. Veggie broth comes out the best if it has celery, carrots, parsley stalks, bay leaves, and peppercorns.

Check out this extensive list of vegetables to include or exclude in veggie broth or stock.

What Should Be Left Out of Homemade Veggie Broth:

🚫 1. Scraps of any starchy vegetables, especially potatoes. Potatoes tend to make the broth a little cloudy, so if you’re aiming for a clear broth, don’t add them.

🚫 2. Beets: they add red color to anything and everything. If you don’t mind a red broth that will also color everything you cook in it, fine. Otherwise, no beets.

🚫 3. Any soft, watery vegetables like cucumbers, summer squash, tomatoes, etc. Cucumbers are best in a salad, whereas the other two work well as soup ingredients, but not as great flavor enhancers for a versatile vegetable broth.

🚫 4. Lettuce – it just has no place in a broth. Leave it for salads and sandwiches.

🚫 5. Once again: if some of your veggie scraps are showing signs of going bad, do not cook them!

Notes on Flavor

This broth will come out a little different every time you make it because you’ll never have the same exact veggie scraps.

Regardless of varying ingredients, you’ll still always have a versatile broth that can be used in just about any recipe that calls for vegetable broth.

Don’t worry if it seems kind of tasteless when you first try it, especially if you didn’t add any salt. It’s meant to be that way because all of the ingredients you’ll be cooking in it later will add plenty of taste to the final dish.

How to Store Your Homemade Veggie Broth

To store this veggie broth, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, and use it up within a week.

Alternatively, you can freeze it in single use portions. I like these 1-cup silicone freezer molds made by a small family-owned company based in California. They let me measure out the exact amounts of broth I need when cooking.

What to Do with Spent Veggie Scraps:

Once you’re done with cooking your veggie broth, you can either throw out your used-up veggie scraps, or get even more benefits by composting them.

If you have a backyard garden with ample room for a compost pile or a vermicomposting bin, add those scraps in, and let nature turn them into “black gold” fertilizer for your garden/lawn/indoor within a few weeks or months.

If you don’t have a backyard, or your HOA rules prohibit composting on your property, you can still compost your kitchen scraps (cooked or not) using a countertop composter machine.

Some cities have a food composting program alongside regular recycling. That makes disposal of your cooked veggie scraps even easier.

To learn more, check out this guide for composting food with or without a yard.

Now that you know the secret to always having a nutritious, versatile vegetable broth on hand, no recipe should leave you unprepared! Any soup will get an extra flavor boost if you use this veggie broth instead of water.

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Yield: 4 quarts

Easy Homemade Veggie Broth from Vegetable Scraps

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An easy and quick way to make your own veggie broth from scratch using vegetable scraps. Easy, healthy, cheap, oil-free, low sodium (if made without salt), gluten free, soy free.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups assorted veggie scraps* - carrots, parsnips, onions, celery, broccoli, cabbage leaves, kale stems, etc.
• Parsley or cilantro stalks (optional)
• 2 bay leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp black peppercorns (optional)
• 2-inch strip of dried kombu seaweed (optional)
• Salt, to taste (optional)
• 4-5 quarts of water

Instructions

1. For up to a week before making veggie broth, save vegetable scraps in a large reusable Ziploc bag. Store the bag in the fridge.
2. Once the bag gets 1/2 to 2/3 full, put the veggie scraps into a large 8 to 10-quart soup pot filled up halfway with cold water. Add any (or all) additional ingredients to boost the flavor.
3. Cover the pot, bring the water to a boil, and simmer on medium-low for 60 and up to 90 minutes.
4. If adding salt: add it 5-10 minutes before the broth is done.
5. Take the pot off the heat, let cool completely, and strain to remove cooked veggie scraps. (I simply use another big pot and slowly pour the liquid into it, holding the veggies back. Alternatively, use a mesh strainer.) Discard spent veggie scraps, or compost them using a countertop composting machine.
6. Refrigerate strained veggie broth in an airtight container, and use within 5-7 days.

Notes

* See the post above for a list of vegetables that work well in this recipe, PLUS a list of vegetables I don't recommend using here.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through affiliate links on my blog, I receive a very small commission that helps me run this blog, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

• 
  4L Smart Electric Composter for Kitchen, Odorless/Auto-Cleaning/Indoor and Outdoor Use
• 
  Reusable 1-Gallon Freezer Bags for Kitchen Organization and Meal Prep, 8-pc
• 
  Kombu Seaweed Strips, 2.1 oz pack

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 36Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g

Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.

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Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Alina Zavatsky is a vegan of 11+ years, a passionate blogger, a YouTuber, and a mom. She helps new vegans and their families navigate a vegan diet and lifestyle in a sustainable and enjoyable way. This fall, she will be releasing a new vegan meal planning app designed to make following a vegan diet a breeze for everyone.

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