Vegetable Broth

I decided to make my own vegetable broth because I could not find any without sugar at any of the grocery stores I shop. It is super easy to make and I love that you can also use the usually discarded parts of most vegetables, except for those that come from the cruciferous family of vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower. Cruciferous vegetables can make your broth bitter.

assorted vegetables and seasonings

For my broth, I used the top of a bunch of organic celery (leaves and all), a leftover half bag of baby carrots, two onions, the green top part of a bunch of scallions, leftover cloves from a bulb of garlic, a small can of tomato paste and half of a jar of Umami mushroom seasoning from Trader Joe’s). The Umami seasoning has a kick due to the chili flakes, if you don’t like spicy, cut back on the amount.

leek greens

I forgot that I had a bunch of leeks in the refrigerator, I cut the green tops off and washed them well (leeks are always sandy and/or muddy), these are a great addition when making broth.

All of the ingredients go in except the tomato paste, I add it after the broth is finished to give it extra richness. I was trying to make 4 quarts of broth, so I added 1 gallon of water. After bringing the pot just to a boil, lower it to a simmer for an hour.

vegetables in a strainer

When the broth is finished cooking, strain out the solids. I used a food mill to press as much liquid from the vegetable as possible before discarding them. Next, I whisked in the tomato paste.

liquid, funnel, strainer and jar

Funnel the broth into quart jars, I used a strainer to catch any stray solids. I should have used more water, I only managed three quarts of broth. I plan on using these pretty quickly, so I will store the broth in the refrigerator. Freeze if you want to store for longer than a week or so.