Homemade Vegetable Broth – No Waste

No waste vegetable broth!

We love cooking from scratch and making new things around here. But we especially love it when we can be less wasteful. In this recipe, we gather scraps of vegetables for a few weeks and then make a giant batch of broth. It is flavorful, nutrient-dense, and not wasteful. You know I love to say, WIN, WIN, WIN.
I hope this Homemade Vegetable Broth will grace your soups and nourish your guts.

Brit’s Table and No Waste

Welcome back to the Table! I am happy to share this recipe with you all. It is something I have been making for 4 years. I am happy to share my first “No Waste” recipe. No one is perfect, but we do what we can for the environment, to do our part, and this vegetable broth recipe is a little piece of doing our part!
Thank you so much for being here and for being a part of Brit’s Table.

With all that to stay, let’s move on to my links and where you can find me (more below).

I am now an Amazon affiliate, so I want to disclose that I do have links to products I use in case you guys are curious! Now, here’s the part where I drop all my links to my socials for you. Appreciate you!

The first stop is always IG. IG is my stomping grounds, I am there most often to talk on my stories and respond to DMs and comments. So, if you ever want to get in touch with me, my DMs are a great place to go! Also, if you have a question, hit me up.

Pinterest is the best place to save these recipes. You can put them in a folder and keep it all organized!

The final spot where big things are happening… YouTube. I am starting long form content on there and will be doing tutorials on cooking. Super excited about this and would love to see you over there.

What caused me to make my own broth instead of just buying it??

When I first made this recipe, I was living in Canada and at the peak of my learning about ingredients. I was deep in trying to find the healthiest option and doing it from scratch.
I had read some of the broths I would buy without even thinking about it and without checking the ingredients.

Yikes. It’s crazy how your mind doesn’t even think to look at first. We have this blind trust in the ‘food people’ and regulators. I, myself did too. Given I was young and would buy the cheapest product because I was broke. But I still didn’t think there would be harmful ingredeints in it??

Also, there are healthy broths out there, and of course, if I run out of broth, I am going to buy some if I need it for a recipe. But I always buy top-shelf and organic!

Things you may need for this recipe

• Stainless Steel Large Pot – This is a must-have to be able to make this recipe and especially a large amount. If you don’t have one, here is a link to an Amazon basic one.
• Zip Lock Large – To collect all the scraps and save them in the freezer.
• Large Fine Strainer – This is a great thing to have in general and is very useful in the kitchen. You need it to strain the vegetable scraps from the broth.
• Ice Cube Holders – This is how I store the broth. I pour it into these ice cube holders and let it freeze then put it all in a bag. I date the bag and continue.
• Funnel – This can be useful if you are going to jar the broth and keep it in the fridge to use that week! You can use plastic or stainless steel.

Orangic or no?:

Not all vegetable shaving or scraps are created equal. There are certain vegetables that will make your broth sour, so it is good to avoid those. Another thing to note is that it is wise to only use organic vegetables.

Why use only organic?

Organic farming restricts the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides, reducing your exposure to harmful residues. They also don’t contain a very harmful chemical, “glyphosate.”

Why is Glyphosate so bad?

Carcinogenic Concerns: The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2015. It has been linked to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in some studies.
Endocrine Disruption: Glyphosate may interfere with hormone systems, potentially affecting reproduction and development.
Gut Microbiome Impact: Some research suggests glyphosate residues might disrupt the gut microbiome, impacting overall health.
[Just to name a few things and reasons to buy organic…] I used to think organic was bullshit, too, but if you can afford it, it’s better for your health.

Vegetable scraps to avoid:

No Asparagus & Artichokes:

Asparagus or artichoke scraps and skins will make your broth taste bitter and sour. Definitely a pass.

Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes:

They can make the broth cloudy and add an unappealing starchy texture.

Rosemary, sage, or dill:

These Herbs can overpower the body.

The Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 – 2 Gallon Freezer Safe Zip Lock Bag – Filled with vegetable scraps, like packed
• 4 Gallons of Water – So basically double the amount of vegetables with water
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
• Fresh Ground Pepper

Method:

1. Over a few weeks you should have collected enough vegetable scraps to be able to do this recipe or maybe even enough to double this recipe! YAY!
2. Remove the vegetable scraps from the freezer and pour the entirety into the stainless steel pot.

3. Now you are going to fill up about 4 gallons of water into the pot. Your pot may be bigger than the amount of water you need. My pot is so big I usually double the recipe.
4. Then, we will add the bay leaves, oregano, and pepper.

5. Place your pot over the stove and bring it to a boil.
6. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with pot with the lid and allow to simmer for 2-4 hours. The longer, the better.
7. After the aloughted time I turn off the burner and let it sit for a couple hours. [I usually start this broth in the morning].

8. Now, it is time to stain the broth. I have since upgraded my system compaired to the pictures above. I currently take a huge pot and place the strainer inside, and then slowly pour the broth through, catching any of the vegetable scraps. Toss vegetables and repeat this step until all the broth is stained.
   [Then I discard the vegetables into the compost, which then goes to the clean green. However, if you have a yard and compost, it is great to use the scraps as fertilizer after it composts].

9. Now, you can either store this in sanitized jars for up to 3 days or in the freezer in cubes for up to 3 months!
10. You are done! Enjoy this as the base for your soups or in your recipes that require some broth!

Questions/Comments:

If you ever have a question or a comment on a recipe, please always comment if you have any questions. I am happy to hear from you and answer anything that maybe on your mind!
I hope you use this broth to grace all the recipe you will make.

Don’t forget to share your creations on Instagram and tag me so I can see your soups you make with this broth!

Thank you so much for being here! I appreciate you all and your support!

Other Recipes You Will Love:

Italian Penicillin Soup – My all time fav. You can also skip the noodles if you dont want them.
Roasted Tomato Soup – Literally home in a pot. A must try.
Loaded Miso Soup – This soup recipe was inspired by the blue zone Okinawa.

Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Italian Meatball Soup