Nourishing Veggie Broth

Winter calls for early bed times, fires, Netflix binges, snuggles, and soups. I honestly love how the change of seasons brings new wardrobes, different seasonal veggies, and the opportunity to change with them.

I LOVE soups! I could eat soups all day long, in my jammies, by the fire, with a good movie and maybe a glass of clean-crafted wine.

The base of each soup is so important. I stopped buying and using canned or boxed broths years ago when I discovered how fucking easy and cheaper it was to create my own.

Now, does it require just a bit more effort, yes of course… but the fact that my broth isn’t sitting in a weird chemical lined containers makes it all worth it!

I’ll be sharing soon my go-to bone broth recipe, but for now making your own veggie broth should be in your health arsenal! These mineral-rich liquids carry essential nutrients that our body’s crave.

What’s awesome too, is that you can make it with veggies that have seen better days so you waste less and still have the opportunity to absorb those nutrients!

You’ll see below you can use a plethora of veggies. I always like to add seaweed as it infuses the liquid with more nutrients and flavor!

INGREDIENTS:

VEGGIES!

• 1 whole onion (red, white, yellow… you choose), cut into chunks
• 2-3 carrots, chopped in half
• 2-3 celery stalks, chopped in half
• 2 hands full of any types of greens, beet greens, spinach, kale, carrot greens, etc.
• A chunk of seaweed like Kombu, or Dulse
• 2 cups of squash, turnips, beets, mushrooms… pick one or all.. cut into chunks.
• Herbs like basil, parsley, or cilantro
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 heaping tbsp of peppercorns

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker, Instapot or a big soup pot. Fill with water as high as you can.

If using a slow-cooker, cook on high for 4-5 hours.

If using an Instapot, use the soup/broth setting. I then use the slow-cooker option and cook on high for a few more hours.

If using a big soup pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 hours.

Once it’s cooked and making the whole home smell delicious, remove veggies from the pot, and strain through a fine mesh strainer into an air-tight glass container. Allow to cool and place in refrigerator or freezer.

The broth will stay good in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or the freezer for about 6 months.

Ways to use your broth:

• Make Kitchari
• Use for soups, duh
• In casseroles, pasta dishes, and/or to cook your grains!

Be sure to check back soon for my bone broth recipe and more recipes to inspire you to nourish yourself!

Curious, do you make veggie broth? What’s your secret?

With love and gratitude,

Becky Wells