Homemade Vegetable Broth

Mary's Homemade Vegetable Broth

I make a lot of soups and I always use chicken broth. 

I usually use Knorr brand because I really like the flavor and I always have it on hand. 

 But whenever I'm on the lookout for a good vegetable broth, I'm always struck by the high cost. 

Really - shouldn't vegetable broth cost less than chicken or beef broth?  And that's if you can find it.

So my friend Mary shared her vegetable broth recipe with me and I adapted it and wanted to share it with you today.  I even purchased BPA-free plastic containers for the freezer.  I'm loaded up and set for my first use!

You start by sauteing in a little olive oil any vegetables you have on hand.

I think I'll make broth whenever I have vegetables that need to be used up.

The beauty is - you can include any hearty vegetables you like.

I list some possibilities from the original recipe at the bottom.

This time I sauteed a peeled potato, 2 large carrots, some leftover broccoli, 2 celery stalks, a big chunk of Daikon radish, and some burdock root along with 3 whole cloves of garlic.

Per the recipe I added a bay leaf and 10 peppercorns and let the vegetables cook.

Then I added 12 cups of water and let it boil, then simmer for 1 hour.

Then I added Soy Sauce and a little salt for flavor and let is simmer another 20 minutes.

I strained out the vegetables and loaded up my delicious broth in the freezer for future use!

Vegetable Suggestions:

Onion

Celery

Carrots

Parsnips

Tomatoes

Tomato Paste

Broccoli

Russet Potato

Sweet Potato

Leeks

Mushrooms

Peppers

Turnips

Greens

Zucchini

Fennel

*I would recommend using at least 4 vegetables for a rich taste.

*I would avoid adding leftover purple cabbage because the broth turns an ugly color (true story).

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

Enjoy!