Homemade Vegetable Broth

A homemade vegetable broth is a must for the Live Dirty, Eat Clean Lifestyle. It can be used to sip on in between meals, as the base of a soup, or instead of water when cooking quinoa and brown rice. Using homemade broth in place of store-bought broth provides a big nutritional boost to all of your dishes, minus the artificial and “natural” flavoring (which is present in most brands, including organic). It’s also easy to make and doesn’t really require measuring. Plus, it’s a great way to make sure that all of the veggies you forgot to eat during the week don’t get thrown away. Start with this basic guideline, which highlights the microbiome-friendly foods and adjust according to tastes and availability.

 

*MAKES ABOUT 10 CUPS

 

Ingredients (More or Less)

1 to 2 onions

6 carrots

6 stalks celery

2 cloves garlic, halved

1 to 2 bay leaves

½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 to 2 parsnips

1 to 2 leeks

1 fennel bulb

8 to 10 black peppercorns

Sea salt to taste

Approximately 1 gallon cold water (make sure all vegetables are covered)

You can also add: tamari, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, greens, turnips, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, kombu (seaweed for minerals), or any vegetable scraps you have

 

Method

RINSE ALL OF THE vegetables and place in a large stockpot. Cover with water so that the vegetables are completely immersed. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for a minimum of 2 hours. Check to make sure that the vegetables are covered. Add more water if it evaporates. Once the vegetables have cooked completely, strain the broth into a glass bowl. Add salt or a dash of tamari to taste. Once cooled, store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in individual containers for up to 4 months.

Recipe by Elise Museles of Kale and Chocolate. Recipe first appeared in The Microbiome Solution (Penguin 2015).