Ultra Satisfying Homemade Vegetable Broth Recipe

Roasting is the secret for rich and hearty vegetable broth. When seasoned well, we find this veggie broth just as satisfying as bone broth. Think of the recipe below as a guide and feel free to add any vegetable scraps in your fridge or freezer. Leeks, turnips or mushroom scraps are all excellent when added to the broth. For even more richness, we add dried mushrooms—these can be purchased online and are often found in the spice aisle of larger grocery stores. They pack a punch and add a “meatiness” to the broth.

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Ultra Satisfying Homemade Vegetable Broth Recipe Save
Ultra Satisfying Homemade Vegetable Broth Recipe

Roasting is the secret for rich and hearty vegetable broth. When seasoned well, we find this veggie broth just as satisfying as bone broth. Think of the recipe below as a guide and feel free to add any vegetable scraps in your fridge or freezer. Leeks, turnips or mushroom scraps are all excellent when added to the broth. For even more richness, we add dried mushrooms—these can be purchased online and are often found in the spice aisle of larger grocery stores. They pack a punch and add a “meatiness” to the broth.

  • Preparing Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Served Person: 10
  • Carbohydrate 0.4554 g
  • Cholesterol 0 mg
  • Fat 0.685032000289468 g
  • Fiber 0.0587999988555908 g
  • Protein 0.089664 g
  • Saturated Fat 0.0953928000399697 g
  • Serving Size 1 1 Serving (447g)
  • Sodium 186.026100009622 mg
  • Sugar 0.396600001144409 g
  • Trans Fat 0.0215310000078389 g
  • Calories 8 calories

Step-by-step

  • Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Grab a rimmed baking sheet or a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish for roasting the vegetables.
  • Peel onion and roughly chop into 1-inch chunks. Scrub carrots and celery clean and cut roughly into 1-inch chunks. Rinse tomatoes and if they are large, half or quarter them. Add onion, carrots, celery, tomato, and the garlic to baking sheet or pan. Toss with olive oil then roast 15 minutes. Stir vegetables and roast another 15 minutes. Stir once more then roast until the vegetables are nicely browned and the tomatoes are caving in, another 10 minutes or so.
  • Cover dried mushrooms with about 1/2 cup of cold water and set aside for 5 minutes.
  • Spoon the roasted vegetables into a tall stockpot. Add 1 cup of water to the baking sheet or pan then stir it around, scraping up as much of the browned bits stuck to the bottom as you can. Pour over the vegetables in the stockpot.
  • Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, vegetable scraps you need to use up, and the salt (if using). Add the partially rehydrated mushrooms then pour the water they are sitting in through a fine mesh strainer to catch any grit. Add the strained mushroom water to the pot with vegetables.
  • Cover with 11 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 45 minutes. Strain broth and use immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months. When using, taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or if you are okay with using it, a few dashes of fish sauce.
An ingredient list cannot explain why high heat matters so much for root vegetables. Setting the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit transforms basic onions, carrots, and celery through caramelization rather than simple steaming. When chopping these roots into uniform one-inch chunks, you create maximum surface area for Maillard browning without causing them to burn before the interior softens. Deglazing the roasting pan with water pulls those sticky, caramelized remnants back into the liquid, effectively building flavor from the foundation of the pot rather than relying solely on the herbs. Dried porcini, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms introduce glutamates that mimic the savory depth found in traditional meat stocks. Rehydrating them briefly in a half cup of water and straining the soaking liquid removes any residual grit while preserving valuable flavor compounds. Stems of fresh parsley and thyme contribute aromatic woodiness without the expense of whole bunches, while flexible additions like leek tops or turnip trimmings absorb whatever surplus vegetables require using. Simmering the combined ingredients for forty-five minutes extracts these flavors fully without turning the broth bitter. Straining the final mixture through a fine mesh sieve yields a clear, golden liquid that keeps safely in the refrigerator for up to three days or inside the freezer for up to three months. Adjusting the final salinity requires caution because salt concentration increases if the liquid reduces during storage, so seasoning should happen primarily right before utilization. For those seeking additional savory depth without animal products, adding a few drops of fermented soy sauce or fish sauce provides a substantial umami boost during the final taste test.