The Best Vegetable Broth
- PREP 15min
- COOK 1hrs 30min
- TOTAL 1hrs 45min
This homemade vegetable broth is hearty enough to enjoy alone as soup and perfectly replaces boxed stock in your favorite recipes. Roasting is the secret to rich and hearty vegetable broth. When seasoned well, we find this veggie broth just as satisfying as bone broth.
Think of the recipe below as a guide, and feel free to add any vegetable scraps in your fridge or freezer. Leeks, turnips, or mushroom scraps are all excellent. For even more richness, we add dried mushrooms (these can be purchased online, and I often find them in the spice aisle of larger grocery stores). They pack a punch and add a “meatiness” to the broth.
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) onion, 2 medium
1 pound (450g) carrots, 5 medium
1/2 pound (226g) celery, 4 to 5
1 pound (450g) tomatoes, 3 medium
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 ounce (14g) dried mushrooms such as porcini, oyster or shiitake
Half a bunch of fresh parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 to 2 cups vegetable scraps from fridge or freezer, optional
1 teaspoon sea salt, optional
12 cups (2.8L) water, preferably filtered
Directions
Roast Vegetables
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Set aside a large, rimmed baking sheet or a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish for roasting the vegetables.
Peel the onion and roughly chop it into 1-inch chunks. Scrub the carrots and celery and cut them roughly into 1-inch chunks. Rinse the tomatoes, and if they are large, half or quarter them.
Add onion, carrots, celery, tomato, and garlic to the baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. Stir the vegetables and roast for another 15 minutes. Stir once more and roast until the vegetables are nicely browned and the tomatoes are caving in, another 10 minutes or so.
Make Vegetable Broth
While the vegetables roast in the oven, cover the dried mushrooms with 1/2 cup of cold water and set aside for 5 minutes.
Spoon the roasted vegetables into a tall stockpot. Add 1 cup of water to the baking sheet or pan, then stir it around, scraping up as much of the browned bits stuck to the bottom as possible. Pour over the vegetables in the stockpot.
Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, vegetable scraps, and salt (if using).
Add the partially rehydrated mushrooms, and then pour the water they sit in through a fine mesh strainer to catch any grit. Add the strained mushroom water to the pot with vegetables.
Cover with 11 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
Strain broth and use immediately, refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. When using, taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or, if you are okay with using it, a few dashes of fish sauce.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Dried mushrooms alternative: If you can’t find dried mushrooms, you can add mushroom scraps or chopped mushrooms to the onions and carrots when they roast. Dried mushrooms will taste stronger, but this will still make a delicious broth.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have omitted salt since you will need to add to your tastes.