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Homemade Vegetable Broth

1 hr + 15 min

Soup

10 ingredients or less

Freezer-friendly

Budget-friendly
When making recipes, we are often left with a lot of vegetable scraps, as not all the parts of the vegetables we use are suitable for certain dishes. Of course, you can compost the remains, but we think making a vegetable broth is a way better option. You can freeze your daily veggie scraps until you have gathered enough to make the broth!

cups

Total

1 hr + 15 min

Prep

15 min

Cook

1 hr

Free from

Soy symbol

soy

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Gluten symbol

gluten

Ingredients

  • 6 cups (1440 mL)
    boiling water
  • 2
    medium onions, roughly chopped
  • 4
    garlic cloves, halved
  • 2
    carrots, in thick slices
  • 2
    celery ribs, in thick slices
  • 4 cups (640 g)
    vegetable scraps
  • ½ cup (8 g)
    fresh parsley, packed
  • ½ cup (8 g)
    fresh cilantro, packed
  • 2
    bay leaves
  • ½ Tbsp (4 g)
    whole peppercorns
  • 1 tsp (6 g)
    salt, plus more to taste

Directions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a large pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Stir, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover the pot with a lid. Let simmer for one hour. Note: avoid a too-rapid simmer and do not let it simmer for too long, as this may result in a bitter broth.
  3. Turn off the heat and scoop out the vegetables using tongs or a slotted spoon. Press down on the veggies with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
  4. Place a mesh sieve over a large bowl, and strain the broth through it to catch any remaining small pieces.
  5. Let cool off completely before storing it, or use it immediately for a soup recipe. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Scraps you might want to include are from vegetables like garlic, onions, carrots, mushrooms, celery, herbs, tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, zucchinis, squash skins, green beans, leeks, eggplants, and potatoes.
  • We recommend avoiding the scraps from cruciferous vegetables in your broth, such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, arugula, and onion skins, as they make the broth bitter.
  • You may also want to skip beet scraps and red onion skins as they will darken the colour of your broth.

Storage

  • The broth can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. We'd recommend freezing it in 1 cup (240 mL) portions, so it's easier to use in future recipes.
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Nutrition info

Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.

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Maxine Lovegrove - Feb. 12, 2025, 7:30 p.m.

Hi PUL I think my children have made me ill, I was looking for a broth Soup, I brought some last time, it's basically a broth, which I've found, and rich with a tiny bit of veg,

Or can anyone recommend a healthy pick me up, please xx

Maxine Lovegrove - Feb. 12, 2025, 7:31 p.m.

That was meant to say, broth, rice, with a small amount of veg in uk xx

PUL small logo PUL Team - Feb. 12, 2025, 11:04 p.m.

Hey Maxine, aw we hope you feel better soon 💛 it looks like you're on our app, so you may enjoy our hot and sour soup, minestrone soup, or chickpea & rice tortilla soup recipes. You can replace the water and bouillon cubes in them for equal parts broth, and use any veggies on hand.

Alternatively, a refreshing smoothie might do the trick. We're excited to share a collection of recipes that can help you feel better soon!

Maxine Lovegrove - Feb. 13, 2025, 9:58 a.m.

Thank-you I will try that xx

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Shawna - Jan. 30, 2024, 8:50 p.m.

Never thought to save veggie scraps for a broth, but it worked great!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Jan. 31, 2024, 7:31 a.m.

We're so happy that the vegetable broth was enjoyed, Shawna, thank you! 😊

Reply
Izzi - April 28, 2023, 11:57 p.m.

I save all the ends of vegetables, anything I may peel, chop, or have outer wrappers that I remove before cooking -many of the items once headed to the compost. I toss them in a large 2 gal. zip lock bag in the freezer until it's full, then use it to make broth.

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 29, 2023, 5:12 p.m.

Oooo thanks so much for taking the time to share, Izzi 😊

Reply
Sandy - April 25, 2023, 7:27 p.m.

Awesome recipe! Love that it's low sodium and that i can adjust to my needs 🙌

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Devika - April 23, 2023, 12:44 a.m.

Please would you specify what you mean by vegetable scraps? It looks like a great idea!! 😊

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 24, 2023, 5:36 p.m.

Hey Devika! By vegetable scraps, we mean the parts of vegetables that aren't typically used, such as carrot tops and celery leaves - we've just added some more ideas to the recipe notes 🤓 We hope this helps for now!

Maxine Lovegrove - Feb. 12, 2025, 7:37 p.m.

Wow I didn't know you could eat some of that, but thank-you I'll start freezing it like someone said in reply on here, I normally throw it out for the squirrel, when I had my dogs I would give it to the rabbit over the fields, cooking like this should be taught at school I think, the younger the better, xx

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