Merken My freezer had become a graveyard of vegetable scraps, and one rainy afternoon I decided something had to give. Rather than tossing another handful of carrot peels and onion skins, I threw them into a pot with water and watched as the kitchen filled with this warm, golden steam. That first sip was a revelation, honestly, the kind of moment that makes you feel a bit foolish for all the years you'd been buying boxed broth.
A friend came over during winter and I served her a simple bowl of this broth with crusty bread, and she asked if I'd bought it from somewhere fancy. The fact that it came from scraps I'd been saving in a bag made her laugh, then immediately ask for the recipe.
Ingredients
- Vegetable Scraps: Carrots, onions, celery, leeks, mushroom stems, and garlic skins are your gold mine, but avoid the bitter ones like raw broccoli or too much cabbage or they'll hijack the whole pot.
- Bay Leaves: Two of these quiet workers add an earthy backbone without announcing themselves loudly.
- Black Peppercorns: Eight to ten whole ones give gentle heat and complexity as they steep, nothing sharp.
- Garlic: Optional, but if you add it smashed, it blooms into something mellow and rich.
- Fresh Herbs: A small handful of parsley or thyme stems (not just leaves) transforms the whole thing into something bright.
- Salt: One to two teaspoons depending on how concentrated your scraps are, added at the start then adjusted at the end.
- Cold Water: Two liters is your baseline, but the amount depends on how many scraps you've gathered.
Instructions
- Prep Your Scraps:
- Give everything a quick rinse under cold water, making sure they're clean before they hit the pot. You're looking for trimmings that look fresh, not wilted or bruised.
- Build the Base:
- Pile your scraps, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt into your largest stockpot, then pour the cold water over everything. The pot should feel generous, not cramped.
- Bring to a Gentle Boil:
- Turn the heat to medium-high and watch for small bubbles to start breaking the surface, then listen for that soft rolling motion. Once you see steady movement, lower the heat immediately so it settles into a calm simmer.
- Simmer and Skim:
- Let it bubble quietly for a full hour, and every ten minutes or so skim off any foam that rises to the top with a spoon or ladle. This keeps the broth clear and bright rather than cloudy.
- Taste and Adjust:
- After the hour is up, taste a spoonful and decide if it needs more salt or if the flavor feels complete. Trust your instincts here, not the recipe.
- Strain Everything:
- Pour the whole pot through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl, letting gravity do most of the work. Don't squeeze or press the solids, just let them drip naturally.
- Cool and Store:
- Let the broth cool to room temperature before transferring to airtight containers. It keeps in the fridge for five days or frozen for three months.
Merken My neighbor started saving her scraps in a container and bringing them over, turning our broth-making into a small ritual. What began as waste reduction became an excuse to catch up over steaming cups of something we'd made together.
The Magic of Zero-Waste Cooking
Making broth from scraps isn't just about saving money, though it does that beautifully. There's something grounding about transforming what you'd normally throw away into something nourishing, a small rebellion against the throwaway mindset of modern cooking. The fact that you're reducing kitchen waste while creating something genuinely delicious feels like winning.
Vegetables That Shine and Ones to Skip
The best broth comes from knowing which scraps to welcome and which to wave goodbye to. Carrots, onions, celery, leeks, and mushrooms are the backbone, while fresh herb stems add brightness that dried herbs can't match. Avoid cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage because they'll turn the whole pot bitter and funky, and raw garlic in large amounts can overpower everything else if you're not careful.
Simple Flavor Variations
Once you've mastered the basic broth, you can layer in deeper flavors by adding things like kombu or dried shiitake mushrooms, which bring an earthy umami note that feels almost meaty. A star anise or a strip of ginger adds warmth without changing the essential character, and a handful of dried porcini mushroom stems creates something almost luxurious for not much extra effort.
- Freeze your scraps in a bag so you're ready to make broth whenever inspiration strikes.
- Taste as you go and adjust salt at the end rather than the beginning, since the flavor concentrates as it simmers.
- Clear broth signals success, so if yours looks murky, your heat was probably too high.
Merken This broth has become my answer to so many kitchen questions, the liquid foundation that turns leftovers into comfort. There's real joy in sipping something this simple and knowing it came entirely from things you were about to discard.
Fragen & Antworten zum Rezept
- → Welche Gemüsereste eignen sich am besten?
Karottenschalen, Zwiebelschalen, Sellerieenden, Lauchgrün, Champignonstiele und Knoblauchschalen sind ideal. Diese Teile enthalten viel Aroma und geben der Brühe Tiefe.
- → Warum sollte man Kohlreste vermeiden?
Brokkoli, Blumenkohl und Kohl können bitter werden und das Aroma dominieren. Für eine saubere, ausgewogene Brühe sind mildere Gemüsesorten besser geeignet.
- → Wie lange hält sich die Brühe?
Im Kühlschrank bis zu 5 Tage in verschlossenen Behältern. Eingefroren hält sie sich bis zu 3 Monate und ist portionsweise verfügbar.
- → Kann man die Brühe würzen?
Ja, nach dem Kochen mit Salz abschmecken. Weitere Gewürze wie Thymian, Rosmarin oder Wacholderbeeren ergänzen das Aroma harmonisch.
- → Lohnt sich das Sammeln von Resten?
Absolut. Durch das Sammeln im Gefrierfach entsteht aus vermeintlichem Abfall ein hochwertiges Produkt. Das schont Umwelt und Geldbörse gleichermaßen.
- → Wie kann man den Geschmack intensivieren?
Kombu-Algen oder getrocknete Shiitake-Pilze fügen Umami-Töne hinzu. Auch leichtes Anrösten der Gemüsereste vor dem Kochen vertieft das Aroma.