Vegetable Broth

Ingredients

• Vegetable scraps
  • Scraps can be garlic peels, onion peels, cilantro stems, bell pepper stems, etc. I save any part of every vegetable and collect them into a container over the course of a week if I plan to make broth or freeze them in a bag or container for later use in a broth
  • Seasoning (salt, water, cumin, red chili powder) – I add/adjust spices based on what I plan to use the broth in:
    • Ramen: 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp red chili pepper, 1 tsp Umami seasoning, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, couple garlic cloves, extra cilantro, ginger, cayenne pepper
    • Soups: 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp red chili pepper, 1 Tbsp oregano, 2 tsp crushed red pepper, parsley, couple garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme
    • Indian dishes: 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp red chili pepper, extra cloves of garlic, extra onion with peel, 2 tsp turmeric powder or fresh turmeric, cayenne pepper

Steps

• Cover with water. The entire pot can be filled, but I only filled it halfway since a full pot makes a lot.
• Bring to boil
• Add seasoning
• Stir
• Cover and simmer for 40-60 minutes (longer is better)
• Strain
• Let cool completely prior to bottling. End result looks like muddy water, but tastes incredible 🙂

TIPS

* Make sure scraps are mostly dry when stored in the fridge to avoid mold formation over the course of 1-2 weeks. All scraps can be stored in one container so I keep a dedicated scrap container which I add to daily.
* Freeze scraps divided into 2-3 cup portions when freezing so that a frozen slab can be placed directly into a pot to make broth rather than dividing the scraps later
* Broth itself can be refrigerated or frozen. It can also be used to fertilize plants.
* Scraps remaining after straining out the broth can be used for compost or blended down to fertilize plants – just place in blender, add some water, blend and water your garden.

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