Learn how to make vegetable broth using a variety of roasted vegetables for a homemade vegetable broth that is perfect for soups, stews, casseroles, and more! This vegetable broth recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover veggies and tastes even better than store-bought varieties.
The 2nd installment of our Healing week, this guide teaching how to make vegetable broth is part of our Restorative Health Series, meaning it’s made with gut-healing ingredients and wholesome vegetables to nourish the body from the inside out.
Benefits of Vegetable Broth
Did you know that vegetable broth is an extremely healing food? Depending on the different vegetables and spices used, vegetable broth can offer a wide variety of benefits and is easily adaptable to fit your individual dietary needs.
For instance, the vegetables used in this recipe contribute a variety of vitamins and minerals along with fiber to help improve digestion and boost bone mass among other benefits. Thanks to the abundance of nutrients, vegetable broth has long been used to boost immunity and is an excellent way to stay hydrated and balance the body’s pH levels.
Vegetable Broth vs Stock
While often used interchangeably, vegetable broth and vegetable stock are not the same things. Admittedly, they are very similar. However, there are several key differences in how they taste and the ways in which they are used.
For instance, vegetable broth contains seasonings and is meant to be either consumed on its own as a healing drink or added to other recipes such as soups. Meanwhile, vegetable stock contains no seasonings and is not consumed by itself. Instead, it is used in recipes such as soups, casseroles, and sauces.
If you’re still a bit confused, you’re not alone. In fact, in many instances, only culinary professionals can tell the difference! To help break it down further, I’ve outlined the primary differences below.
Broth
- Contains seasonings and spices
- Vegetables used are peeled, trimmed, and prepared as you would you them in a soup
- Can be consumed by itself
Stock
- Doesn’t contain seasonings
- Vegetables are used whole (leaves, stems, stalks, roots, shoots, and all!)
- Used as an ingredient in recipes, never on its own
- Stocks have more concentration of flavor and should be diluted
Note: In an effort to be vegan-friendly, this guide to making homemade vegetable broth strays from traditional versions but retains the same taste and texture you look for in a homemade vegetable broth!
The Best Vegetables for Homemade Vegetable Broth
When making vegetable broth, you’ll want to include veggie scraps that are fairly neutral yet slightly savory in flavor. In general, large onions, medium carrots, stalks, celery, and mushrooms are the most common vegetables included in basic broth recipes.
For this vegetable broth, I also tried to include vegetables higher in protein to help boost the nutritional benefits even more! For a super flavorful homemade broth, I included:
- Scallions
- Garlic Cloves
- Shallots
- Celery
- Parsnips
- Mushrooms
Recipe Note: Unlike other traditional homemade broths I also include herbs and spices such as thyme, oregano, bay leaves, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, black peppercorns, and salt to help enhance the depth of flavor in this recipe!
Vegetables Not Well-Suited for Vegetable Broth
Feel free to experiment with different veggies to make this vegetable broth recipe your own. Just make sure to avoid including cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage as they will add an undesirable bitter flavor to the broth.
How to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth
This vegetable broth recipe can be made in one pot in little time for a comforting broth perfect to keep on hand for all your favorite recipes!
- Roast (Optional). To get the most flavor out of your veggies, roast them before making the broth. To do so, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste, and roast the veggies until they’re tender and browned, turning them frequently.
Baking Tip: If you don’t want to roast your veggies, feel free to saute them for 5-10 minutes instead. Or, skip cooking them altogether, and just add them to a pot!
- Combine. Next, combine the vegetables and herbs in a large Dutch oven or stockpot, and pour water over them. Then, add the salt and peppercorns, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, and let the ingredients simmer until soft, stirring occasionally.
- Strain. Using a sieve, strain the broth into a large bowl. Save the leftover vegetables for soups, casseroles, and more!
- Cool. Let the broth chill at room temperature before covering and storing it in an airtight container or jar.
Meal Prep Q&A
I love to save leftovers throughout the week to use in a big, flavorful broth! To do so, just save any leftover veggies you have throughout the week. Then, chop them into similarly-sized pieces, and store them in a sealable bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Or, if you want to create a big batch of homemade vegetable broth, store leftovers in the freezer until you’re ready to use them!
Once your vegetable stock recipe has cooled, add it to airtight storage containers and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or, keep it in the freezer in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months for easy meals any time!
Unfortunately, homemade vegetable broth does taste bitter every once in a while. If you avoided using naturally bitter-tasting vegetables, this result is likely a result of cooking the broth too long. When this happens, the protein bonds of the ingredients break down, creating a bitter taste.
Luckily, adding 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste is an easy way to help mitigate some of the bitterness!
Absolutely! Feel free to include any leftover veggies and peels you have on hand such as leeks, mushroom stems, corn cobs, or bell peppers.
More of Our Favorite
Ways to Use Homemade Vegetable Broth
As mentioned, vegetable broth can be used for a wide variety of recipes including soups, stews, casseroles, dressings, gravies, pastas, and more! However, if you’re looking for inspiration, some of my favorite broth-containing recipes include:
How to Make Vegetable Broth
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 7–8 cups 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Learn how to make vegetable broth with simple ingredients in under an hour to add flavor and nutrients to a variety of gluten-free recipes!
Ingredients
- 1 leek (or 1 bunch scallions), chopped in rounds, stems only
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled, tips cut off
- 2 shallots (or 1 large onion), peeled and sliced into quarters
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 2 large carrots (1 cup), sliced
- Optional: 1 parsnip, sliced
- 5–6 ounces (1 cup) mushrooms, sliced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Handful of oregano leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- Peppercorns to taste
- 4 quarts water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Olive oil, if roasting and seasoning
Instructions
- If roasting the vegetables, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil. (*If not roasting, skip to step 3.)
- Arrange the leek, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and parsnip on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, and season them with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven, turning every 10 minutes, for 20-30 minutes or until they are tender and browned.
- *If the vegetables are not roasted, skip steps 1 and 2, and sauté the vegetables to release their juices for 5-10 minutes . Or, skip sauteing, and place all of the ingredients in a pot to simmer.
- Combine the roasted vegetables and herbs in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Pour water over the vegetable mixture, add salt and peppercorns, and bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring the surface occasionally. *taste and adjust seasoning if needed. See notes.
- Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl.
- Let the broth cool to room temperature. Then, cover and chill.
- Refrigerate the broth in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Note- If your broth tastes too bitter, stir in 1 – 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste. Mix to combine over medium-low heat. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes before straining.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 5
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 480
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 0
- Cholesterol: 0
Do you have questions, feedback, or tips about this recipe? Leave a comment below with any questions or feedback you’d like to share!
are there benefits on roasting the vegetables first ?
Hi Andrea! Roasting the vegetables first creates a richer broth/stock flavor. I definitely recommended doing that first otherwise the result might be a watered down veggie broth, which is not ideal. Hope that helps explain things
This is such a great technique to have in your kitchen toolbox. Homemade broth is just such a game changer. Once I started making my own, I never looked back!
I couldn’t agree more!
I don’t know why I haven’t tried this before it turned out so so good.
It’s a must, for sure!
I will never buy broth from the store again, this is THAT good!
haha i love it! yay!