Vegetable Broth From Scraps (Printable)

Transform kitchen trimmings into a rich, golden base for soups and stews. Simple, sustainable, and deeply nourishing.

# Ingredient list:

→ Vegetable Scraps

01 - 4 cups assorted vegetable trimmings (carrot peels, onion skins, celery ends, leek tops, mushroom stems, parsley stems, garlic skins)

→ Aromatics & Seasoning

02 - 1 bay leaf
03 - 5 to 7 black peppercorns
04 - 2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
05 - 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste (optional)
06 - 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
07 - 8 cups cold water

# Cooking steps:

01 - Collect clean, fresh vegetable scraps in a large bowl. Avoid potato peels, brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, or overly starchy and sweet vegetables as they may add bitterness or cloudiness.
02 - Place the vegetable scraps, bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic, salt, and thyme in a large stockpot.
03 - Add the cold water, ensuring all scraps are completely submerged.
04 - Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
05 - Simmer uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, occasionally skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
06 - Taste the broth and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container. Discard the solids.
08 - Let the broth cool completely, then transfer to airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • You'll stop throwing away vegetable trimmings and start seeing them as liquid gold for every soup and grain you make.
  • This broth tastes expensive and refined but costs almost nothing, which feels like getting away with something delicious.
  • Making it turns a routine kitchen task into an act of mindfulness—no stirring required, just gentle simmering while you do other things.
02 -
  • Never use potato peels or cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, or cauliflower—they make the broth taste bitter and cloudy, a mistake that taught me to be intentional about what scraps actually belong.
  • Skimming the foam off the surface really does matter; it takes just a minute but transforms your broth from murky to crystal clear, which somehow makes it taste better too.
03 -
  • Save your scraps in a container in the freezer if you're not ready to make broth immediately—frozen scraps work just as well and mean you can broth-make on your own schedule, not urgency's.
  • Never add brassicas or potato peels, but do get creative with whatever else comes from your cutting board—onion ends, garlic skins, carrot tops, celery leaves, herb stems, and mushroom pieces all belong here.
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