Last Sunday, we cut up a bunch of carrots & celery into sticks for healthy, quick snacks to munch on during the work week. As we peeled & chopped these fresh vegetables, we found ourselves producing a lot of trimmings. Recently inspired by the documentary Just Eat It, we weren’t willing to just throw away all of this perfectly good food. So, we decided to put these carrot peels & celery leftovers to work over the stove top with a few additional aromatics. An hour later? Voila! Vegetable broth!
What You’ll Need
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 cups carrot scraps
- 1-2 cups celery scraps
- 1 large onion, peeled & quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled & halfed
- 8 C water
- 2 strips kombu (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp salt or to taste
How To Make It
- In a large stock pot, sauté the onions, celery and carrots in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and continue to sauté the mixture for 2 more minutes.
- Next, pour the water into the stock pot over the softened vegetables. Add the bay leaves, optional kombu and salt. Continue cooking over medium heat with the pot partially covered for 20 minutes.
- If you added kombu, remove it now to prevent it from becoming slimy and bitter. Continue simmering, partially covered, for another 25 minutes.
- Remove the aromatics by pouring the broth through a through a fine mesh strainer into a large heat-proof bowl. Discard or compost the remaining waste.
- You’re done! Enjoy or freeze this vegetable broth made from your own recycled veggie trimmings!
Recipe Card for Vegetable Broth From Trimmings
Here’s the recipe card for Vegetable Broth From Trimmings. Print, share or save!
Vegetable Broth From Trimmings
Equipment
- Large stock pot
- Mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 2 cups carrot scraps
- 2 cups celery scraps
- 1 large onion peeled & quartered
- 4 cloves garlic peeled & halfed
- 8 cup water
- 2 pieces kombu optional
- 2 each bay leaves
- 2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, sauté the onions, celery and carrots in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and continue to sauté the mixture for 2 more minutes.
- Next, pour the water into the stock pot over the softened vegetables. Add the bay leaves, optional kombu and salt. Continue cooking over medium heat with the pot partially covered for 20 minutes.
- If you added kombu, remove it now to prevent it from becoming slimy and bitter. Continue simmering, partially covered, for another 25 minutes.
- Remove the aromatics by pouring the broth through a through a fine mesh strainer into a large heat-proof bowl. Discard or compost the remaining waste.
- You’re done! Enjoy or freeze this vegetable broth made from your own recycled veggie trimmings!
Nutrition
Community Tips & Tricks
Taji says, “Freeze the Scraps!”
I keep all of my veggie scraps in a large freezer bag in the freezer. When the bag is full, I make veggie stock. I use every part of the plant!
Smart thinking! Thanks, Taji Kommineni!
Colleen says, “Use an Instant Pot!”
I use my Instant Pot pressure cooker and have rich veggie stock in minutes! Organic and delicious!
We love it! Thanks, Colleen Wolfe!
