Dear industrialized and packaged bouillon cubes with processed salt, neurotoxins like MSG, seed oils and lab made flavours…move the f*ck outta here, because this homemade vegetable broth recipe is the real deal, irreplaceable and a versatile, flavourful base in most any recipe!
Nothing compares to the flavour of this homemade broth, and it just takes about 45 minutes using a bunch of common pantry or fridge vegetables and herbs that you might have hanging out. Most of the 45 minutes can be spent relaxing with a book and a cup of tea as your broth simmers.
The possibilities of vegetables are endless and once you make a large batch, you’ll have more broth than you’ll know what to do with! Use it in soups, sauces, stews, curries, or really anything that might require a herby and flavourful broth.
Ultimate Vegetable Broth Recipe
The first thing I’ll be making with this particular batch of vegetable broth is an Icelandic meat soup, inspired by my visit to Iceland a couple years ago and the return of the fall/winter season here in the Northern hemisphere. It’s a good time to return to a grounding practice as the colder weather and environment promotes more dryness invasion (a concept held in Traditional Chinese Medicine). To support the body, herbs like astragalus and triphala can be used, and if you’re feeling called, it’s a good time to allow for some deep rest, relaxation, reflection, sitting in silence with yourself, going barefoot and/or bare skinned in nature, and nourishing your body. Try affirming to yourself: I am safe, I am grounded, I am balanced, I am enough. Don’t be afraid to call in peace, joy, harmony, and all that jazz.
Admittedly, this vegetable broth recipe doesn’t hold a candle to grass fed and finished animal bone broths, as the nutrient ratios in bone broths are unparalleled. According to Sally Fallon and Kaayla Daniel of the Weston A. Price Foundation, you just can’t get nutrients like glycine, collagen, proline, glutamine, amino acids, bioavailable minerals and calcium from vegetable broth, but in the cases where you may feel like you need a break from bone broth (even too much of a good thing can be overdone!), or are just craving more vegetable based meals or need the flavour for a recipe, this vegetable broth is a great option.
Click here for my 48-hour chaga infused bone marrow broth recipe!
Tips to make this ultimate vegetable broth:
The most important thing here is to get the onions super sautéd for a long time until they’re brown on the edges as this really sets the tone for the flavour profile.
Always use properly filtered or spring water, and plenty of seasonal, organic vegetables. I really like my travel Berkey filter (if you’re in Canada and you make an order on the website through the link, I’ll receive a small commission). If you use organic/biodynamic veggies, the scraps and garbage bits would actually be gold. Store the vegetable scraps in the freezer from when you make other recipes, and whip them out to make this broth!
Use the cooking fat you resonate with the most. Authentic olive oil, grass finished tallow, lard, grass fed ghee, suet, meat drippings, or coconut oil are all fair game.
Run the stock through a fine mesh sieve or (cheese)cloth to strain out the cooked vegetables and herbs. Store the stock in the fridge for up to a week, or make broth cubes to store for several months!
How to store this ultimate vegetable broth:
Once you’ve strained the vegetable broth into jars or bowls and it has cooled considerably, use a ladle to divide the broth into food safe silicone moulds, such as these. To help with transferring the broth filled moulds into the freezer, place a small cutting board or flat surface under the moulds, then carry them to the freezer to solidify. This should take 2-3 hours.
Remove the frozen broth cubes from the freezer, then transfer them to a silicone, freezer-safe bag (Stasher bags are the BEST, a healthier alternative to plastic). Repeat for the rest of the broth, or whatever will fit in the freezer.
Any liquid broth can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Happy brothing!
Ultimate Vegetable Broth Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp organic olive oil or other cooking fat such as grass finished tallow, lard, ghee, suet, or virgin cold pressed coconut oil
- 2 medium organic yellow onions, roughly diced with skins left on remove outer layer if necessary
- 2 medium organic carrots, chopped
- 1 organic parsnip or parsley root, chopped
- 2 ribs organic celery, chopped
- 1 large organic leek, split down the middle lengthwise, rinsed and chopped
- 3-4 cloves organic garlic, cut in half with skins left on and lightly crushed
- 6 sprigs fresh organic thyme
- 3-4 fresh organic parsley stems, leaves removed
- 2 organic bay leaves
- 8-10 organic black peppercorns
- 1 inch piece of organic ginger, minced optional
- 2-3 whole organic cloves optional
- 1 handful of organic vegetable stems of your choice, such as broccoli, kale, or cauliflower optional
- 9 cups filtered or spring water
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until deeply browned, about 7-8 minutes. Add the carrots and parsnip, then sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the edges are a bit softer. Add the celery and stir.
- Add the chopped leek and garlic to the pot. Stir until fragrant and leeks are bright green and soft, about 4 minutes. Add the thyme, parsley stems, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and ginger, cloves, and vegetable stems, if using. Give it a few stirs to coat it all in the oil. Add a splash of water to the pot and stir to scrape up any brown bits at the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Slowly pour the rest of the filtered water over the vegetables. Raise the heat to medium-high, cover the pot with a lid, and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, remove the lid and let the broth simmer on low flame for about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Let the broth cool slightly before straining and storing in glass jars, or making broth cubes. Use as a base in all of your favourite recipes that call for vegetable broth!
Notes
- The most important thing here is to get the onions super sautéed for a long time until they’re brown on the edges as this really sets the tone for the flavour profile.
- Always use properly filtered or spring water, and plenty of seasonal, organic vegetables. If you use organic/biodynamic veggies, the scraps and garbage bits would actually be gold. Store the vegetable scraps in the freezer from when you make other recipes, and whip them out to make this broth!
- Use the cooking fat you resonate with the most. Authentic olive oil, grass finished tallow, lard, grass fed ghee, suet, meat drippings, or coconut oil are all fair game.
- Store broth cubes in the freezer for several months. Store liquid broth in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to a week.
- Other herbs you could add include fennel, juniper, astragalus, turmeric, burdock, medicinal mushrooms, or really anything that works for you!
- Ginger and cloves are optional. They brighten up the flavour, but if you’re looking to make the stock as a plain and simple tasting base for other recipes, omit.
- If drinking this broth on its own, add sea salt to taste. Otherwise the salt used in other recipes with this broth will suffice.
- Feel free to use more water if your pot can handle it! 8-12 cups should be enough to keep the flavour strong.
