Make a delicious vegetable broth that keeps all the nutrients right in the mix with this super easy method. It’s a wonderful way to add extra veggies to soups, pastas, and more.
Vegetable Broth
For years, I’ve heard of people making vegetable broth from veggie scraps—but then I realized it’s also possible to make broth with pureed vegetables in the mix. That means you get to keep all the vegetable goodness and enhance many recipes with more nutrients.
I love this as an option for recipes for kids, for when we’re sick and wanting extra comfort, or simply as a way to add nutrients into a child’s diet when variety is otherwise lacking. Also: It’s a wonderful and easy way to add flavor to all sorts of foods.
We love this as a base for Pastina Soup, Alphabet Soup, Minestrone, and Black Bean Soup. It’s my favorite alternative to chicken stock and it’s so easy to make at home.
Contents hide 1 Vegetable Broth 2 Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here! 3 Ingredients You Need 4 Step-by-Step Instructions 5 How to Store 6 Recipes that Use Vegetable Broth 7 Best Tips for Success 8 Related Recipes 9 One-Pot Vegetable Broth
Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!
Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox.
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at what you need to make this homemade vegetable broth so you know what to have on hand. (I love this since the ingredient list is so basic.)
- Carrots: I use regular carrots here and simply wash them and trim the ends. You don’t need to peel the since they’ll be pureed at the end.
- Celery: Along with carrot and onion, I add celery for that classic flavor you expect in broth. Simply trim the ends and give it a quick rinse.
- Onion: I like to cook with yellow onion as I like the flavor, but white onion works here, too. Trim the ends and cut it in half.
- Garlic: I usually add fresh garlic cloves if I have it. I don’t add a ton since I don’t want the flavor to be too strong, but if you love garlic, add more!
- Water: I use regular filtered tap water as the liquid here. You don’t need anything fancy, just the normal stuff will do.
You can also season this with salt and pepper to taste, or add tomato paste, parsley leaves, or ginger to make a delicious broth for Rice Noodle Soup. I don’t typically add bay leaf, but you could add that and remove it before pureeing.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s an overview of how to make this quick vegetable broth so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Wash, dry, and trim the vegetables. Discard any peels.
- Add to a pot with a lot of water. Simmer. I prefer to keep it at a heat level below a boil so it cooks more gently.
- Once the ingredients are very soft, add them to a blender.
- Puree smooth, thinning with additional water as you like to reach the desired consistency.
You can now use this as is or use it half-and-half with chicken stock.
How to Store
Let the homemade broth cool at least slightly and store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to a week. Or, let cool fully and freeze in a Souper Cube or in an ice cube tray. Freeze for up to 6 months.
If you use an ice cube tray, you can add one frozen cube at a time to a child’s serving of pasta or rice to add flavor and cool the hot food down.
Recipes that Use Vegetable Broth
Below are some of my favorite ways to use homemade vegetable broth.
Quick Pastina Soup With just a handful of simple ingredients, you can make this cozy Pastina Soup to share with the kids in under 30 minutes. Look for little star “pastina” pasta in the pasta aisle. Get the recipe
Favorite Alphabet Soup You can use ABC pasta, orzo, pastina, or ditalini—or any other very small pasta shape in this Alphabet Soup recipe. And you can start with fresh or frozen veggies. See below for options. Get the recipe
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup for Kids This easy recipe makes a big pot of comforting soup to feed the whole family—babies, toddlers, and big kids included. The leftovers store nicely so you can enjoy it for a few days! Get the recipe
Easy Macaroni Soup Made with mostly pantry and freezer staples, this cozy Macaroni Soup is easy and flavorful—and so nourishing. I love to make this with elbows, but other small pasta shapes such as wagon wheels would work well, too. Get the recipe
Easy Butternut Squash Apple Soup With a quick cooking method and the creamiest texture, this easy Butternut Squash Apple Soup is a family favorite. It is great for babies on up to adults, is dairy-free and packed with vegetarian protein, and just tastes so good. We love this with buttered toast or crackers. Get the recipe
Quick Rice Noodle Soup With a quick cooking time and streamlined technique, this Rice Noodle Soup is full of flavor and an easy family meal. Get the recipe
Best Tips for Success
- Trim and wash the veggies before adding to the pot.
- Puree really, really smooth for the best results.
- Add more water or chicken broth as desired to thin out (or lighten the color of) the sauce.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Feel free to double the garlic.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste for more Italian flavor. Add herbs such as basil or parsley if you like.
- To make this into an Asian-style broth, grate 1 inch ginger on a fine microplane into the soup. Then add 1-2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce and 1-2 tablespoons lime juice.
- Use an ice cube of the broth to add directly to a bowl of pasta or rice to add flavor and cool the food. Stir it in the hot food to thaw and mix.
Related Recipes
Dinner