Zero Waste Vegetable Broth — Simple Ecology (2024)

Vegetable broth is a necessity in vegan and vegetarian cooking, and a great way to add in an extra bit of flavor to grains and otherwise bland components. And what better way to make it than with ZERO WASTE! Saving otherwise discarded vegetable scraps and herb stems will allow you to get the most out of your food, along with saving you money on pre-made broths, stocks, and bullions.

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Makes ~6 cups

Ingredients:

• 8 cups / 2 L / 1¼ lb Mixed Vegetable Scraps (see notes)
• 8 cups / 2 L Water (see notes)

Recommended Vegetable Scraps:

• Onion skins & ends
• Garlic Skins
• Carrot peels, ends, or old pieces
• Celery ends, core, or old pieces
• Leek ends
• Kale or Chard stems
• Mushroom ends

Instructions:

1. GATHER: Prior to starting this recipe, you’ll need to save up the vegetable scraps from cooking for 1-2 weeks prior. Save any of the recommended vegetable scraps listed above, and place them in a container in the freezer until you have saved enough to make a batch of broth. Avoid saving any vegetables with high water contents or subtle flavors, such as lettuce, eggplant, squash, potatoes, and cucumbers, or typically sweeter herbs like mint or lavender.

2. BOIL: Take all your saved vegetable scraps (frozen or thawed) and place them into a medium sized pot on the stove. Add in 8 cups of water, and turn the stove onto a medium high heat. Once the water begins to boil, cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium low, and allow the vegetables to gently simmer for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the lid and test out your broth. It will be slightly bland, but have a strong aroma. Add in any additional herbs or vegetables needed to balance out the flavors, or even a bit of salt if desired. Raise the temperature slightly, allowing the vegetables to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

3. COOL: After the broth has reduced slightly, take it off the heat and allow it to cool until it reaches room temperature. Once cooled, strain the broth and vegetables through a Reusable Fine Mesh Straining Bag into a bowl underneath. Be sure to squeeze out the straining bag and vegetables to get more broth and flavor out. Once the broth is drained, the cooked vegetables can be placed into the compost, and the broth transferred to an airtight container. Store the broth in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes:

Mix the Vegetables — When saving vegetables for the broth, it’s good to save a variety of veggie scraps rather than just one type of vegetable. Each different vegetable will bring another element of flavor to the finished product, so try to keep the scrap pile diverse and delicious.

Smaller Broth Batches — This recipe is completely flexible and customizable, and can be changed to make any amount of broth. If you do not have enough storage room for large amounts of vegetable scraps or broth, make a smaller batch of broth. Alternatively, you can make larger batches as well, just increase the amount of vegetable scraps and water.

Adding Old Produce—Making vegetable broth is a great way to use up the old vegetables that you forgot in the back of the fridge. As long as the produce has not begun decaying or growing mold, then it’s still good to use for broth!

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