The zero-waste broth I keep a bag of scraps for
There’s honestly no wrong way to make homemade vegetable broth from scraps, it always comes out delicious, and it’s the best way to use up whole veggies instead of tossing them. I keep a freezer bag by my cutting board and toss in every onion top and carrot peel; once it’s full, I make a big pot of broth. It stretches your grocery money and makes your kitchen smell incredible.
The best part: you know exactly what went into it, so there are no mystery additives or excess sodium like in store-bought boxes. My one game-changing trick is to roast the scraps first, it deepens the color and gives the broth a rich, almost savory flavor you just can’t get from raw scraps.
What you need to make vegetable broth
- Veggie scraps: save them in a freezer-safe bag or container as you cook, carrot tops and peels, and onion, garlic, and shallot peels and tops.
- More scraps: celery, mushroom, and herb stems (parsley, rosemary, bay leaf, oregano), leek tops and bottoms, and greens like kale, cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli greens.
- Water, oil, and salt: plus a little olive oil and kosher salt for roasting.
Skip the potatoes. Potato scraps make the broth mealy and cloudy, so leave those out (see the expert tips below).
How to make homemade vegetable broth from scraps
- Collect kitchen scraps. Gather your vegetable scraps, almost anything works: seeds, stalks, cores, roots, and skins like carrot or other root-veg peels.
- Roast the scraps. Spread the scraps on a baking sheet, toss with olive oil and a little kosher salt, and roast at 400°F for about 20 minutes, until golden. Move them around and rotate the pan so they roast evenly.
- Boil, then simmer. Add the roasted scraps to a large stockpot (a tall Dutch oven or pasta pot works). Use about 1 cup of water per cup of scraps, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer with the lid cracked. Simmer 30 to 60 minutes for the most flavor.
- Strain the solids. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer or sieve set over another pot to catch the liquid and leave the solids behind.
Expert tips on making vegetable broth
- No potatoes. They make the stock mealy and cloudy.
- Freeze scraps as you go. Collect them in a big container in the freezer and make broth once it’s full.
- Watch small herbs like thyme. The tiny leaves slip through wide-hole sieves, so use a fine mesh.
- Boost the flavor. Add tomato scraps, a splash of soy sauce, or extra mushroom stems for more depth.
- My ratio: about 2 cups of water for every pound of scraps.
How to use your homemade vegetable broth
- As the cooking liquid for brown rice or quinoa.
- To make vegetable soup, lentil soup, or a simple broccoli soup.
- To cook legumes for extra flavor.
- For noodles, miso, or risotto, any recipe that calls for water or broth.
How to store and preserve the broth
Once the solids are strained out, your broth is ready. Keep a portion in the fridge for the next few days and freeze the rest in pint-sized portions to use one at a time.
Use mason jars in the fridge, or freezer bags for the freezer. I don’t freeze liquid in jars because they tend to crack on me. For long-term, shelf-stable storage, you can can the broth, but that’s trickier: since it has no acid or preservatives, you’ll need a pressure canner and a trusted tutorial to do it safely.
Homemade Vegetable Broth From Scraps
Equipment
- fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 8 cups vegetable scraps onion, carrot, celery, leek, mushroom, herb stems, etc.
- 8 cups water about 1 cup water per cup of scraps
- 1 tbsp olive oil for roasting
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- Optional for more flavor: tomato scraps, a splash of soy sauce, or extra mushroom stems
Instructions
- Collect kitchen scraps. Save vegetable scraps as you cook, seeds, stalks, cores, roots, and peels like carrot or other root veg. Store them in a freezer bag until you have enough. (Skip potatoes; they make the broth mealy and cloudy.)
- Roast the scraps. Spread the scraps on a baking sheet, toss with the olive oil and salt, and roast at 400°F for about 20 minutes, until golden. Move them around and rotate the pan so they roast evenly.
- Boil, then simmer. Add the roasted scraps to a large stockpot (a tall Dutch oven or pasta pot works). Add the water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer with the lid slightly cracked. Simmer 30 to 60 minutes for the most flavor.
- Strain. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer set over another pot, discarding the solids. Season with more salt if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Hi, I’m Ale Graf!
I’m a Mexican home cook based in Texas and the voice behind AleCooks and Piloncillo & Vainilla.
I create easy, family-friendly recipes with Mexican roots and a plant-forward mindset—always flexible and made to bring people together. I’m also the co-author of Yo Cocino Latino and love helping home cooks feel more confident in the kitchen.
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