Rock Star Vegetable Broth
You asked for it! Our Rosy Tomorrows recipe for a rich, flavorful vegetable broth. Making your own vegetable stock not only tastes better—it’s more economical and environmentally friendly too. So gather your vegetable scraps for this healthy broth.
At Rosy Tomorrows we only use organic produce, and we suggest you do the same. We save all the odds and ends from our vegetables: anything that’s a little wilted or past its prime, the washed skins from carrots or potatoes, the ends of zucchini or celery, and the like. We put them in a large sealable bag in our walk-in and save them for our stock. You can do this same procedure in your freezer: when your bag is full, it’s time to make broth.
Ingredients to Avoid
There are some ingredients you’ll want to avoid: no salt, no garlic, no cruciferous vegetables – things like kale, broccoli, or brussels sprouts – as they tend to want the spotlight for themselves. Stick to mild, savory vegetables instead. Remember, vegetables past their prime is good but do not use moldy or rotten vegetables.
Necessary Ingredients
- Herbs – parsley, bay leaf or two, thyme
- Onions, we peel away that first layer but include the skins – they are rich in rich in quercetin – a flavonol known to reduce blood pressure.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Leek tops
- Whole peppercorns, about a teaspoon
- A tomato (2 at most)
- One small sweet potato (for body)
- One apple
- Any scraps, snips, or odds and ends
What Else to Add
Scallions, fennel, lettuce and greens, potatoes, parsnips, green beans, squash, bell peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, and corn cobs.
Procedure
The more veg the better! We suggest trying to match equals parts vegetable to water, or it also works to fill a pot about halfway with vegetables and then cover with a couple inches of water.
Bring to boil, though never a rolling boil, and simmer for about an hour. Never exceed an hour and a half for vegetable broth as you want to extract flavor but still taste fresh. You can taste throughout and decide when it’s delicious enough. After, strain through a colander. If you have a big batch, you can put into containers to store in the freezer. If you’d like to strain through a cheesecloth, go ahead.
Enjoy with your soups, chili, risotto, or anything needing some good vegetable flavor.
