Vegetable Broth
This isn't so much a recipe as it is a kitchen trick. It uses up scraps of vegetables and provides a base for soups, sauces, chili, or any other savory items that requires liquid. This stores well in the fridge and is incredibly easy to make, as you'll see in just a moment.
What exactly is broth? It's basically the liquid bi product of any number of items that you simmer to release the flavor and nutrients of said items. You can have a meat broth or a vegetable broth. Stock, on the other hand, is when you're using bones and cartilage as an ingredient. So, there is no such thing as vegetable stock--just vegetable broth. I spent years thinking that stock and broth were synonyms. I've just spared you that fate.
Anyway, veggie broth is a really helpful ingredient to have on hand as the base for any number of recipes. It adds flavor and a bit more depth than just water. I make mine by saving scraps from different vegetables in a Ziploc gallon bag in my freezer. I keep adding to the bag until I have a decent assortment of vegetables, then use my pressure cooker to turn it into broth. The one trick I will tell you is that you want a lot of onions in your scrap bag, as they bring the most flavor. Keep in mind that whatever you put in your broth bag will end up as a flavor, so if you hate kale, don't put too much kale in. If you don't like too much heat, don't put too many jalapeno ends in. Conversely, if you're like us and you love heat, put a bunch in! If you make broth this way it will never taste the same way twice, but it will reduce waste in your kitchen!
What You Need:
At least 3 cups of Vegetable scraps (with a good amount on onion. You can see in the picture below that I'm really talking about scraps--the ends of onions, the cores of peppers, kale stalks, etc.)
8 cups of water
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (Optional)
2 tablespoons Amino Acids (Optional)
Spices (These are optional and I don't use any as I want my broth to have a versatile flavor so it can work in a curry or a pasta sauce. However, if you have some fresh spices going bad or have a spice flavor you're very partial to, you can always throw it in!)
Directions:
Option 1: Put all of your ingredients in your pressure cooker. Use the 'time cook' setting and cook for 40 minutes (I used the vegetable steam setting). Allow to depressurize naturally. Once you can take the lid off, strain in a colander, then put into a container and store in the refrigerator.
Option 2: Put all of your ingredients in a slow cooker. Leave on high for four hours. When finished, strain in a colander, then put into a container and store in the refrigerator.
That's it! Super easy, and you'll have an indefinite supply of vegetable broth. This particular recipe will leave you with about six cups, depending on how much liquid you lose in the cooking process. I made a batch today and drank a cup like tea with just a little bit of salt. That's an especially satisfying way to use this if you have a cold!
