Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (2024)

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This vegetable broth recipe takes less than an hour to make, is cheaper than store bought, and is a great way to utilize vegetables you have on hand.

Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (1)

Homemade vegetable broth is so easy to make, it is a shame Alex and I ever buy broth at all. We’ve discovered it’s one of those things that requires a little forethought, but it’s worth the extra planning. Not only does homemade vegetable broth taste better than the store-bought stuff, but it’s also better for you. You have more control over the amount of salt that’s added to your own broth, and there’s no risk of hidden thickeners or sweeteners making their way into it. Once the vegetable stock is made, it will last 4 to 5 days in the fridge, or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (2)

Why make veggie broth?

You really can’t go wrong with this vegetable broth recipe. It uses veggies that might be on hand in your pantry and fridge: carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, and so forth. You also can throw in any fresh herbs you have around! It’s a great idea for minimizing food waste in your kitchen.

In addition to the vegetables noted in this recipe, using other veggies like mushrooms, peppers, and potatoes works too. This veggie broth is a great alternative for recipes that call for chicken or beef broth. We use vegetable stock all the time in our soup recipes: here are our best easy soup recipes!

Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (3)

How to make vegetable broth

Making homemade vegetable broth is as easy as throwing chopped veggies into a pot and boiling them (yes, really!). The basic steps of making vegetable broth at home are as follows:

  1. Chop the vegetables into large chunks. Don’t bother peeling them, as you’ll be straining everything later. Plus, the skins contain a lot of nutrients and flavor!
  2. Toss everything into a tall stockpot or Dutch oven and saute the vegetables for 5 minutes. This will add extra flavor to the broth without any extra effort on your part.
  3. Add in the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and let it simmer for at least 45 minutes to allow the vegetables to impart as much of their flavor into the broth as possible.
  4. Strain the vegetable broth and use immediately or freeze for later use. If freezing, let the broth come to room temperature before putting it into the freezer.

Making homemade vegetable broth couldn’t be easier. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Related: 12 Easy Dutch Oven Recipes

Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (4)

Looking for ways to use vegetable broth?

There are so many ways you can use this homemade vegetable broth: here are a few of our favorites:

  • Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto
  • Parmesan Truffle Risotto
  • Seasoned Brown Lentils
  • Creamy Corn Chowder
  • Easy Vegetarian Ramen
  • Stracciatella Soup
  • Simple Grilled Paella
  • Vibrant Spring Vegetable Chowder
  • Ribollita (Tuscan Vegetable Stew)
  • Easy Korean Ramen
  • Italian Vegetable Gnocchi Soup
  • Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (5)

This vegetable broth recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (6)

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Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (7)

Easy Vegetable Broth

★★★★★5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 8 cups 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This homemade vegetable broth takes less than an hour to make, is cheaper than storebought, and is a great way to utilize vegetables you have on hand.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 4 carrots
  • 3 ribs celery
  • 1 onion
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • ½ tablespoon whole peppercorns
  • 10 cups of water

Instructions

  1. Wash all of the vegetables. Don’t bother peeling them. Cut the carrots, celery, and onion into a large dice. Smash the garlic cloves and peel them. *If you have leftover fresh herbs on hand, you can throw these in too!
  2. In a stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. Then add 10 cups of water. Stir in 1 tablespoon kosher salt and ½ tablespoon whole peppercorns.
  3. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Then reduce to a gentle simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 45 minutes; make sure that the simmer is gentle so that not too much liquid boils off.
  4. Strain the vegetable broth into jars with lids. If the broth amount does not total 8 cups, add water to even it out. Use immediately, store refrigerated for 4 to 5 days, or freeze for 6 months. (If freezing, let the vegetable broth come to room temperature before putting it into the freezer. Make sure there is enough room in the container for the broth to expand when frozen.)
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Homemade Vegetable Broth, Vegetable Broth, Soups, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, How to Make Vegetable Broth

Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (8)

vegan vegetarian

Published on / Last updated on

Categorized In:

  • Cooking Basics
  • Recipes

Tagged with:

  • Broth
  • Stock
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Veggie

About the authors

Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (9)

Sonja & Alex

Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja Overhiser, married cookbook authors, food bloggers, and recipe developers. We founded A Couple Cooks to share fresh, seasonal recipes for memorable kitchen moments! Our recipes are made by two real people and work every time.

About Us

Easy Vegetable Broth Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make vegetable broth better? ›

Just season with more salt and add scallion, cilantro, fresh chile, a few drops sesame oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice for a vegan brodo. You can also make a quick soup with any vegetables you have in your fridge—just make sure to thinly slice or shave them so they cook quickly.

Can you make vegetable broth without celery? ›

Onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms are the ideal starter vegetables for stock, but feel free to swap any of these for leeks, tomatoes or parsnips.

Why does my vegetable broth taste bad? ›

Some vegetables just don't taste great in a stock! Cruciferous vegetables will get funky tasting, and seemingly mild vegetables like zucchini, green beans, and bell peppers can get bitter if simmered for too long.

What can I add to vegetable broth for more flavor? ›

Boost the Umami of Vegetable Broth

Soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos add great depth, but watch out for using too much—you'll end up making the stock only taste like super-salty soy. Start with about 2 teaspoons per quart and adjust from there. Remember, you can always add more.

Why is homemade vegetable broth bitter? ›

Turnips and radishes. While you can toss in the tops of most produce, there are some root veggies she recommends leaving out. "Stay away from some of those really bitter root vegetables, like turnips and radishes," says Jawad. They can ruin the balance of your stock, making it come out very bitter.

What adds flavor to broth? ›

Soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, or chili paste can quickly and efficiently flavor store-bought broth — a little bit goes along way with these ingredients. We often add a few drops of fish sauce to chicken broth before making wonton soup.

How do you make broth if you don't have any? ›

Water. This simple swap should suffice in most recipes that call for broth. To give H2O more depth, you may want to compensate by adding more spices like salt, pepper and bay leaves to your recipe and a tablespoon or two of olive oil to mimic the richness of broth.

What is the main ingredient of broth? ›

Broth, also known as bouillon (French pronunciation: [bu. jɔ̃]), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish, or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups, gravies, and sauces.

What vegetables are not good for vegetable broth? ›

Cruciferous veggies: Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, or kale – these can make your broth become bitter. Green bell peppers (and possibly other colors of peppers, as well): these can make your broth become bitter. Especially avoid using the inside white pith of the pepper.

What is the easiest stock to make? ›

Vegetable stock is a relatively easy stock to make. No bones or carcasses to contend with, just crisper staples like carrots, onions, and celery. Add dehydrated mushrooms for extra umami. This stock is ready in 2 hours.

What is the difference between vegetable broth and vegetable stock? ›

Vegetable stock is made with untrimmed, sometimes whole vegetables, while broth is made from trimmed, roughly chopped vegetables. Vegetable stock generally takes longer to cook (at least 2 hours) than broth, which usually cooks for less than 30 minutes.

Can you put anything in vegetable stock? ›

Consider adding other vegetables and herbs to the stock, like mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus trimmings, corn cobs, fennel stalks and trimmings, bell peppers, pea pods, chard stems and leaves, celery root trimmings, potato parings, marjoram stems and leaves, and basil stems and leaves.

Is it bad to mix chicken and vegetable broth? ›

I sometimes combine chicken broth with veggie broth. It can change the way the original flavor was intended, but usually for the better. As long as you use an equivalent amount or the combined amount is the same you should be good to go.

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