Very Vegan Vegetable Broth
One thing I learned really quickly when I started cooking for real 👩🍳 (like an actual grown-up and not making food from boxes), is that there are so many recipes that call for vegetable broth! Countless dishes need that added moisture or that extra flavor flave.
And, when I started buying that organic, low sodium, veggie broth, it was upwards of $4.30 per quart! One large pot of soup calls for about 4 quarts of broth, which means, if I bought enough for one pot of soup, just the liquid alone could cost almost 20 bucks! 😳 Isn’t soup supposed to be an economical dish where a little goes a long way? Sheesh!
💡 Enter a lightbulb moment…make my own low sodium, veggie broth!
There are so many benefits to making your own veg broth. There’s the perk of controlling your sodium levels. The store-bought broth has a lot of sodium and you have no idea what processing was involved to create it. Cooking your own takes the unknown out of the unknown! Oh, and have you noticed? The low-sodium, organic varieties actually cost more than the regular sodium, non-organic kind. So, get this… you are actually paying more for less! 🤔
I also love that you can make a little or a lot too, depending on your cooking habits. Making two big pots of broth for me is as easy as making one pot, and as long as I have room in my freezer, I can make enough broth in one hour to last me an entire month. And did I mention at the fraction of the cost!
Two pots are better than one! 👩🍳
The recipe below makes one big pot, is super simple and I encourage you to use it as more of a guide than a must-follow-or-it-will-taste-horrible kind of recipe.
I switch my ingredients up all the time, depending on what I have available. For instance, if you use red onions or white onions or yellow, no one will know and it will still taste great. Or, if you choose to use 2 carrots instead of 3 because that’s all you have and you are not running to the store for a single carrot! I get you! Be empowered to add more celery or leave out the sundried tomatoes…whatever works for YOU! Scroll below the nutrition facts to see a couple more pics of my very vegan veggie broth variations. 😁
This recipe is perfect for soups, stews and anything that calls for stock or broth. It will totally compliment your other ingredients and flavors, without overwhelming the dish. BTW, I use this broth for my Best Beans Ever recipe and my Spicy Ethiopian Lentil Stew and my Smoky, Spicy & Scrumptious Collard Greens, to name a few.
I would love to hear how this worked for you and the tweaks you used to make it your own!
🍎🥦🥕
Very Vegan Vegetable Broth
Ingredients
- 3 carrots - chop into large pieces
- 3 celery stalks & tops - chop into large pieces
- 2 onions - quartered
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- 1 - 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes preferably not the kind in oil, but, if that's all you have then drain the oil first
- a sprinkle of Himalayan salt Any salt will work, this is just my favorite to cook with. Adjust for flavor and preference...remember, you don't want it to taste like salt!
- 1 gallon water
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer (medium heat). Simmer for 60-90 minutes.
- Let broth cool. Using a fine mesh colander, strain the liquid into storage containers. Use immediately, freeze for 6 months or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Use for soups and stews or add any dish that needs a little sumthin sumthin...
Note: Nutrition Facts on all recipes are an approximation only, using the Very Well Fit recipe nutrition calculator.
Change it up and use what you got! This version has a ton of celery tops that I had frozen, just for such an occasion.
In this version, I added a little sliced lemon.
In this variation, I added a little parsnip because I ran out of carrots. I dodge, I weave!
Certified Plant-Based Chef and Holistic Nutritionist veganizing the planet one meal at a time. Bringing fans vegan food, brand, travel & lifestyle news while offering clients personalized vegan chef services in the Tampa Bay area. For the health of it! View all posts by Jennifer
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Meet Jennifer
I'm Chef Jennifer! A trained and certified personal vegan chef, offering delicious and nutritious animal-free food through personalized, weekly meal-prep services. I also love advocating for the plant-based lifestyle. Changing lives, saving animals and veganizing the planet with REAL food, one plate at a time.🍎🥦🥕
Learn about me, why I started VIR and why I believe food is medicine...for real!
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Thanks for this recipe. I have started trying to eat better and was also getting frustrated with the cost of simple vegetable broth! I think I will try making my own today. Great recipe!
Oooohhh, please do try to make it! I love smelling the flavors in the air as the broth comes together at about the 40-minute mark. The longer you simmer it, the deeper the flavor, up to about 90 minutes – 2 hours. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Yay! I am vegan myself. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will give it a try soon. And also pinning it and subscribing to your blog.
Thanks, Anna! I appreciate that! Back at ‘cha! 😀
Great pictures! Looks so good and easy! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
Your broth looks so yummy! I’m not vegan, but I do love my vegetables!
Veggie broth is good in any dish! Even when rehydrating meaty meals or pasta bakes. In the kitchen, I use broth more than I use salt or sugar! 😀
Vegetable broth? I’ve always wondered how they make that. Looks yum!
Veggie broth is my absolute favorite to make…especially when my garden is in full swing! I didn’t think to add sun-dried tomatoes. Bet that is an addition that increases the umami incredibly!
Hi Suzan! The sundried tomatoes were a trick I learned too! Adds that sumthin’ sumthin’!
looks good!
We use vegetable broth in so many of our recipes – even to make plain rice! I have never tried to make it on my own, though – something to try one day!
I used to buy broth like crazy. And, ever since I started making my own I cringe when I have to buy it. I almost never run out of my homemade kind anymore! I’ve spoiled myself with my own cooking! 😀 LOL
I can’t wait to try your recipe. I have had quite a few attempts at making veggie broth, but have never had any success. I would love to use it in recipes, in place of higher sodium options.
Thanks, Jennifer! Please do try it and then let me know. It’s super important to use fresh veggies (or frozen from fresh veggie scraps). If you try to boil store-bought veg for broth, it becomes super watery. AI also recommends organic when available…it really does make it taste so fresh yet subtle!
Love broths! Might have to try to convert this to the instant pot for me!
I haven’t bought an insta pot yet but I hear they are wonderful! I simmer mine on the stove while I multi-task for 60-90 minutes! 😀
Easy, peasy. Thanks. But I swerved at the end and found your ginger citrus smoothie recipe. That is on my list now!!!! Thanks.
Dodging, weaving and swerving are all encouraged at Vegan It Real! 😉
I love that you use the tops and scraps! I’m always telling people to save the stems and tops of veggies to use in broth…they look at me like I’ve lost my mind!
LOL. This is a trick I discovered after working for an organic veg farmer. I brought home veggies and was like “I am not throwing these away!” Thus, broth! 🙂
Great idea! I’m sure it’s hard to find what you need in a store. $4??? Sheesh!
Right! $4.29 for 32 ozs of low sodium Pacific veggie broth and I don’t even like the flavor! :/
Looks so good! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! 🙂
You are right, the organic broth is not very economical. This is a great alternative if you have the time!
Exactly! I take about 2 hours once every couple of weeks to make this. So worth it. Thanks for the comment, Tricia!
Your broths are so beautiful! I can just imagine they taste as wonderful as they look!
Thank you!
Yummy! I love making my own broths! Will have to give your recipe a try =)
Thanks, Brittany! If you do, please come back and let me know what you think!
Do you know if this is something I could can? If so, pressure cooker? I don’t think a hot water bath would work for this.
Hi Pauline! Great questions. I am not a canning expert, but, there is nothing in the ingredients that would “turn” that I know of. There are no preservatives either…so? Let me know if you try this!
This sounds really good! I love using broth to cook with, but I’ve never made it from scratch before. This looks like it would be a fun experiment. ❤
That’s the best thing about most of my recipes…I encourage experimentation to make it your own. They are typically pretty versatile! 😉 Thanks for the comment.
Homemade stocks are always the best, plus they’re super simple and you can use what you have on hand! Looks like the perfect flavor combo here, thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Nail, hit on head! 😀 Thanks for the reply!
I’m an Ex-Vegan, but I would still make this! I love making my own broth. Less sodium the homemade way!
Exactly. The one thing my mother-in-law always asks is “does this have too much salt?” And I’m like…” for who?” But no, this does not have too much salt…hardly any! 😀 Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for this post! I really need to make my own vegetable broth too. I’m plant based. I juice every day and prep lots of veggie meals. What a great way to use the leftovers from juicing…like celery leaves…and food prep…like the cut off ends of veggies. Pinning for reference later.
Yes! Exactly! This broth is a juicer’s dream! I save all my veggie leftovers for just such an emergency! 😉
I need to try making vegetable broth sometime. It looks delicious!
I’ve never made broth at home, but boy this looks good. You may have just inspired me to give it a try.