Homemade vegetable broth is easy to make and great to have in your freezer to create nutritious meals in a pinch. A cornerstone of many vegetarian dishes, a good vegetable broth can be the base for risottos, soups and stews. Freeze homemade vegetable broth, so you have it on hand in various proportions to use in your everyday cooking. You can even make vegetable broth easily using leftover scrap pieces of vegetables, including onions, celery, carrots, herbs and a variety of greens. While homemade vegetable broth will stay safe to eat indefinitely, freezer storage of the broth beyond two to three months can impart some off flavors in the finished dish.

Vegetable broth should be slightly cooled before packing into bags, containers or jars for storage. Allow broth to cool no longer than an hour before using a ladle to pour it into your storage containers. If you are using an upright storage container, be sure to leave an inch of headspace to accommodate for expansion. Seal the containers, jars or bags and label them with the date and name of the item. Cool completely in the refrigerator before arranging the vegetable broth containers in the freezer.

Freeze broth in containers of many sizes. Go for a mix of quart, pint and half- pint jars, containers or bags and be sure that whatever you are using is freezer-safe. Some wide-mouth canning jars are labeled as freezer safe and are a good choice for storing vegetable broth. For smaller portions, fill an ice cube tray full of vegetable broth, freeze it, remove the cubes and store them together in a freezer-safe bag. Using freezer-safe bags is also a good way to save space; fill them up, seal them and lay them flat in your freezer.

Make a batch regularly to replenish your supply and ensure that you always have some on hand. Thaw vegetable broth in the refrigerator overnight. Or run cool water over the bottom of the container, remove the frozen broth and heat it in a saucepan. Once thawed, use vegetable broth within three to four days for best quality and safety.

This vegetable broth recipe has a delicate flavor and is ideal for making light soups. Something you may want to make this week before all the rich food appears.

Homemade Vegetable Broth

Use this broth to make the soups below. Don’t add salt. Salt can be added when you use the broth to make a soup recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium yellow onions, sliced in chunks
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in chunks
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced in chunks
  • 1 leek, sliced in chunks
  • 1 bulb garlic, halved
  • 1 medium potato, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
  • 4 sprigs parsley

Directions

Place all ingredients and 1 gallon water in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook 2 hours, then strain and discard solids. Strain once more through a fine mesh sieve. Cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Stir before using if broth separates. Freeze in smaller containers for use with a soup recipe.

Vegetable Broth From Scraps

It’s a shame to waste food and you really don’t have to ? Just get yourself some large freezer bags and start saving virtually everything to make great vegetable broth. Basically you don’t have to throw away the top of a bell pepper, just toss it in a freezer bag, stem and all, to eventually add them to your broth pot. Use the end of carrots or celery that may be going bad soon, just cut them all into 2 inch pieces and add them to your freezer bag collection. Spinach, red cabbage, potato peels, parsley stems or whatever, don’t throw anything away.

1. Place a large freezer bag of vegetable scraps and seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, herbs, etc.) in a large pot and cover completely with water.

2. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour, two is better.

4. Then, strain out the vegetable pieces and your broth is ready for use or freezing.

Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 cups collard greens (or greens of choice), chopped
  • 1/2 cup homemade or store bought marinara sauce
  • 1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups homemade vegetable broth
  • 1 can Borlotti beans (or beans of choice) drained and rinsed
  • 1 lb small pasta shells
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Sauté garlic and onion with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot until onions are translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add parsley and collard greens, cover and cook until completely cooked down, about 10 minutes.

Add beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to boil and simmer 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring 6 quarts water to boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and pour pasta into soup mixture. Stir to mix well. Simmer 10 minutes.

Serve hot drizzled with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over the top of the soup.

Chick Pea Soup with Spaghetti

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. spaghetti, broken into thirds
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 1/2 quarts vegetable broth
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Sauté onions and rosemary with oil in a large pot over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 additional minutes. Stir in chick peas and broth.

Bring mixture to a boil, season with salt and pepper and then reduce the heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cut spaghetti and cook until spaghetti is al dente. Garnish with parsley.

Winter Corn Chowder

Ingredients

  • 2 (10-ounce) packages (or 4 cups from a larger bag) frozen corn, thawed
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium zucchini, (about 1/2 pound) diced
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons

Directions

Put 2 cups of the corn and the milk into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over  medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and zucchini and cook, stirring until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of corn and the broth and bring to a boil. Add the pureed corn and the diced tomatoes and cook until warmed through, but not boiling. Add the salt and season with pepper. Serve garnished with the basil ribbons.

Acorn Squash Soup

Ingredients

  • 3 acorn squash, halved, seeds removed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • Garnishes: yogurt or shredded cheese or croutons and sliced chives

Directions

Preheat oven 400 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, roast the acorn squash, cut side down, until soft, about 45 minutes. Scoop out the squash flesh and set aside.

In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute carrot, apple and onion until soft. Season with ginger and allspice. Add the squash and the broth. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender. (Alternatively, in batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.)

Remove from the heat, ladle the soup into serving bowsl and top with garnishes of choice. Serve with warm bread, if desired.

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