I would like to say that this recipe came out of a love of conservation and environmentalism, that I was born with an inherent respect for all parts of an ingredient and that I’ve never wasted a drop in my life. That is obviously untrue. While I do value conservation and environmentalism, and have grown to so deeply respect food and avoid waste at all costs, this recipe grew out of financial desperation.
I am a college student with limited grocery money but the palate of a wannabe chef. I want to live large, cook amazing meals and spend very little money. One way to do this is to make as much from scratch as possible, including broth. I’m a vegetarian and don’t eat chicken broth (although if it sneaks into my food at restaurants, I don’t lose much sleep) so I’ve developed a super rich and flavorful vegetable stock that uses exclusively veggie scraps.
When you throw away the (clean) peels and ends of vegetables like carrots and onions, you’re throwing away flavor and nutrients. Unsightly bumps or weird texture doesn’t matter in a stock pot, so why not repurpose those scraps into a fantastic, nutrient rich stock where you can control the flavor and ingredients. This means no added sugar, no gums, thickeners, or bizarre additives plus a sodium level you can control.
The vegetables I use in my stock are typically garlic, onion, carrots, and mushrooms. Then I often add in a seasonal vegetable I have on hand, like pumpkin skins in the fall. There are vegetables that do not work in stock. Anything really dark green (think spinach, collards, any bitter greens or broccoli) will not impart a good flavor to a broth. In general, stick to vegetables that have a level of sweetness, like garlic, butternut squash or pumpkin peels (not the flesh), shallots, green onions or leeks (or really anything in the onion family). I hate celery but I know that it is a staple in most soups and broths, so feel free to add celery to your stock as well.
I save the peels and ends of carrots, onions and garlic cloves, as well as the stems of mushrooms, and freeze them in quart or gallon sized ziplock bags. Once I’ve gathered a sufficient amount, about 4 quarts of veggie scraps, I put them in a large stock pot, cover them in water, bring to a boil and then reduce for a simmer for about three hours. I know it’s done when the stock is a dark orange or pale brown color (depending on how many carrots and onion skins are in your vegetable scrap mix) and is very fragrant.
Sometimes, if I’m feeling fancy I’ll throw in a couple of fresh, smashed garlic cloves or half a fresh onion that I have lying around. It can be helpful for developing flavor to sauté the fresh vegetables before adding them in. Another fun addition is a small handful of herbs. I like to use chives, dill or parsley, depending on my intended use for the stock. (I would avoid very strong herbs like cilantro and basil but who am I to tell you what to do!)
I really love this method, it has become a really important tradition for me. Even when I’m able to afford to use whole vegetables, I still prefer to use this scrap method because I love to breathe new life into something that we usually take for granted. I hope this can become a tradition for you as well!
Ingredients:
4-ish quarts of vegetable scraps
enough water to cover vegetables
salt to taste
a very small handful of tender herbs (optional)
1/2 a fresh onion (optional)
a few smashed cloves of fresh garlic (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil (optional, only necessary if sautéing fresh vegetables)
Instructions:
- After peeling, chopping or cutting vegetables, transfer the scraps into a plastic zip top bag and freeze.
- Once you’ve collected enough scraps, transfer them into a stock pot and cover completely with water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately turn down to a simmer and cover.
- After a few hours, when the mixture is darker in color and very fragrant, remove from heat and strain the vegetable scraps out and throw away.
- Season the stock to taste.
- Transfer to zip top bags or tupperware containers to keep in the fridge or freezer and enjoy!
Clementine and Coriander 