Homemade Vegetable Broth From Kitchen Scraps (Easy Zero-Waste Recipe)

Why I Love This Scrap Vegetable Broth

Fresh, homemade veggie broth tastes incredible & is probably one of the easiest recipes in the kitchen.

When I developed my scrap vegetable broth, I was looking for something to do with all of my scrap vegetables. I've always wanted to have a lower-waste kitchen, and when I throw away vegetables, I wondered if I could use them in other ways.

One day I decided to start saving my scraps instead of throwing them away. Things like the ends of onions, the paper of garlic, herbs that I wasn't going to use, etc. I found I had a gallon freezer bag full of scraps within a few months. The first time I made the vegetable broth using scraps, I made it on the stove, and it took a long time to get the color and taste right. Next time I had 2 bags of scraps, I decided to use the pressure cooker - it took about a third of the time, and I got the same results as cooking on the stove.

After making this broth, you can dry and grind the "solids" into a JABOV (just a bunch of vegetables) seasoning blend. Or, you can compost the scraps by digging them into your garden - the worms love these veggies!

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Using a pressure cooker saves a third of the time and gets the same results!

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Variations

Make this vegetable broth your own by adding in spices or bones. Spices such as salt or pepper would be a great addition to this broth. Bones would add a depth of flavor as well as different flavors. Bones from beef, chicken, or ham all do great! Simply cook your meat as normal, cut away the meat, and toss the bones in your freezer bag. I also have experimented with saving fat from beef and using it in my broth.

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How To Use Homemade Broth

My favorite thing to do with this vegetable broth is to use it in place of water when I'm cooking rice or quinoa. In addition, I love sautéing with the broth. This broth would be great in my kale rice for additional flavor - the kale will soak the broth up! You can also use this broth in place of any broth in any recipe or as a base for homemade soups.

If you are interested in additional information about vegetable broth and why it is good for you, this link is a great article to read.

How To Freeze Vegetable Broth

After the broth has cooled completely, I like to freeze it in the 1-cup SouperCubes. Freezing in a smaller size, I am able to use as much as I need. After the cubes are frozen, I will vacuum seal multiple cubes per bag. I vary the amount of cubes in each bag, from 1 cup, 2 cups, or 4 cups. Vacuum sealing like this makes it even easier when I need "4 cups broth" for soup.

What Vegetable Scraps To Save

I have yet to find any veggie that I haven't put into the bag. My suggestion would be if you see your bag has too much of one strong veggie, like onions, or greens like kale, you may want to adjust. When I see my bags getting too much of one thing, I will make a new bag or a smaller bag. I like a balanced vegetable broth where nothing is overpowering.

Until my next post, take a look at other recipes on my site, including an easy-to-make pasta sauce!