Munchy Monday: Veggie Broth

The Captain and I eat mostly vegetarian at home so we use a lot of veggie broth to cook grains, make soup bases and ramen broths. The store bought versions are easier and less time consuming but I worry about the sodium. Yes, I know, I know, if you know me you know I put salt on just about everything. I love salt, which is why I want to know how much I am getting, so we decided to start making our own.

I did some research and found that it is actually pretty easy. Just collect your veggie scraps in a container in the freezer, make sure not to use anything with an overpowering or bitter flavor such as cabbage, broccoli and brussels sprouts. We typically have ends of onions, carrot peels, garlic ends (I always throw in a few cloves when making the broth), green onion bits, butternut squash pieces, mushroom stems and bell pepper bits, to name a few. We also freeze any veg that is wilted or about to go off.

Once I have about 4 or 5 cups I toss it in the biggest pot I have and fill it with water. I don’t measure the water, just enough to cover the veg and turn it on medium heat. I add some salt, pepper, bay leaves and a few cloves of garlic. Let it simmer for about an hour, it makes the house pretty fragrant. Use it right away or let it cool and dispense into single use containers. Be sure to strain the veg out. I save the jars from sauces and jams to store the broth. Depending on the meals planned for the week, I’ll put some in the fridge or freezer.

This is a healthier and cost saving alternative. I mean, you already have the veg why not use as much of it as you can? It has also cut down on the amount of veg we toss out because it is wilted. As soon as we see veg that is about to go off, we just toss it in the bags. Feels good to waste not.

xx

Mariam