Homemade Vegetable Broth Herbs (Printable)

Flavorful broth made from fresh herbs and vegetable scraps, perfect for enhancing various dishes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetable Scraps

01 - 4 cups assorted vegetable scraps (onion peels, carrot ends, celery leaves, leek greens, mushroom stems, parsley stems, garlic skins)
02 - 1 small potato, chopped (optional, for body)

→ Fresh Vegetables

03 - 1 onion, quartered
04 - 2 carrots, roughly chopped
05 - 2 celery stalks, chopped

→ Herbs & Seasonings

06 - 2 bay leaves
07 - 5 sprigs fresh parsley
08 - 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
10 - 2 cloves garlic, smashed
11 - 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
12 - 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (optional, for brightness)

→ Water

13 - 10 cups cold water

# Directions:

01 - Place all vegetable scraps, optional potato, and fresh vegetables into a large stockpot.
02 - Incorporate bay leaves, parsley, thyme, black peppercorns, garlic, salt, and vinegar or lemon juice if using.
03 - Pour in cold water and stir gently to combine all components evenly.
04 - Heat over high flame until the liquid reaches a rolling boil.
05 - Lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer and continue cooking uncovered.
06 - Remove any foam rising to the surface during the first 10 minutes of simmering.
07 - Allow broth to simmer uncovered for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally for even extraction.
08 - Remove from heat; let cool briefly before straining through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a container, discarding solids.
09 - Taste the broth and adjust salt or acidity as needed.
10 - Use immediately or refrigerate up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You'll stop feeling guilty about vegetable scraps and turn them into liquid gold.
  • A pot of this simmering on the stove fills your kitchen with a smell that feels like home cooking, even if you're just making broth.
  • It costs almost nothing but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • Once you taste homemade broth, the boxed stuff feels thin and sad by comparison.
02 -
  • Boiling hard instead of simmering gently is the number one mistake—the broth will turn cloudy and taste slightly bitter, so keep the heat low and patient.
  • Don't press the vegetables when straining, even though you want to extract every drop; a gentle strain gives you clear, refined broth while pressing gives you cloudy, vegetable-textured liquid.
  • Avoid cabbage, broccoli, and beet peels unless you actually want those flavors to dominate; strong vegetables will overpower the delicate balance you're building.
03 -
  • Start saving scraps now in a freezer container; you'll have beautiful broth material ready whenever the craving strikes, and you'll never feel wasteful about cooking again.
  • A splash of apple cider vinegar doesn't change the taste noticeably, but it helps your body absorb the minerals and collagen in the broth, making it genuinely nourishing instead of just flavorful.

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