Homemade vegetable broth kitchen scraps (Printable version)

Create a flavorful broth from vegetable scraps to elevate soups, stews, and grains effortlessly.

# Ingredient list:

→ Vegetable Scraps

01 - 4 to 5 cups mixed vegetable scraps (onion peels, carrot ends, celery leaves, mushroom stems, parsley stems, leek tops, garlic skins)

→ Aromatics & Seasonings

02 - 2 bay leaves
03 - 6 to 8 black peppercorns
04 - 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
05 - 1 handful fresh parsley stems (optional)
06 - 2 cloves garlic, smashed (optional if not in scraps)
07 - 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste

→ Water

08 - 10 cups cold water

# Directions:

01 - Thoroughly rinse all vegetable scraps to remove dirt and mold.
02 - Place the cleaned vegetable scraps into a large stockpot and add bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, parsley stems, garlic, and salt.
03 - Pour in 10 cups of cold water to fully cover the ingredients.
04 - Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
05 - Let the broth simmer uncovered for 1 hour, occasionally skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.
06 - Remove the stockpot from heat and allow the liquid to cool briefly.
07 - Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a large bowl or container, discarding all solids.
08 - Taste the broth and adjust the salt seasoning if necessary.
09 - Transfer the broth to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You'll stop feeling wasteful about vegetable scraps and start feeling clever for transforming them into something deeply flavorful.
  • A batch costs almost nothing and lasts for days, making it the most economical base for soups, grains, and sauces you'll ever make.
  • The kitchen smells extraordinary while it simmers—warm, vegetal, inviting—like something good is quietly happening on your stove.
02 -
  • Avoid adding broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, or raw potato peels to your scraps, as they can turn the broth murky or bitter—learn this once and you'll never wonder why a batch tastes off.
  • The longer you let it simmer gently without a lid, the clearer and more refined your broth becomes; patience here pays off in a way you can taste.
03 -
  • Save your scraps in the freezer rather than fresh; frozen vegetables release their flavors even more readily than fresh ones, making your broth taste richer for the same amount of time.
  • Taste your broth while it's warm, as salt perception shifts as things cool, and you want to season it while your palate is most accurate.

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