Light Vegetable Broth
This clean, aromatic vegetable broth is a versatile kitchen staple that brings a delicate depth of flavor to soups, grains, and sauces.
Ingredients
- •2 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped
- •3 medium carrots, scrubbed and thickly sliced
- •3 stalks celery, thickly sliced
- •2 cloves garlic, smashed
- •1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
- •2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- •2 sprigs fresh thyme
- •1 bay leaf
- •8 cups cold water (2 liters)
- •1 teaspoon kosher salt
- •5 whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- 1
Wash and prep all the vegetables, leaving the skins on the onions for a rich golden color.
- 2
Combine the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, fennel, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and black peppercorns in a large stockpot.
- 3
Pour the cold water over the vegetables and add the kosher salt.
- 4
Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a gentle boil.
- 5
Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot with a lid, and let the broth simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- 6
Remove the pot from the heat and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing gently on the solids to extract all the liquid.
- 7
Discard the cooked vegetables and let the broth cool before using or storing.
💡 Chef tips
- Save vegetable scraps like carrot peels, onion ends, and mushroom stems in a bag in your freezer to use for the next batch of broth.
- Store the cooled broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Avoid using cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, or Brussels sprouts, as they can make the broth overly bitter and sulfurous.
✅ How it should turn out
The finished broth should be clear, golden, fragrant with herbs and sweet vegetables, and have a clean, light, and deeply comforting flavor.