Thrifty Thursday: Vegetable Broth

My thrifty thought for today is to share my vegetable broth recipe. I did get it from a source.  I thought it was one of Dr. Furhman's books but I don't see it in there now. So, again, I can't site my source on this recipe.  Sorry about that.

I make this every week.  Well, sorta. I make vegetable broth ever week, but it isn't always the same. 

See, I start with this recipe as my primary guide.  But, I twist and turn a bit based on what I have on hand.  That's the thrifty part.

During the week I save some of the bits of vegetable scraps from our meals.  As I'm chopping mushrooms for G-Bombing our meals, I pull the stems off completely and toss them in a bag in the freezer.  Then, when I get to Saturday, I can just dump them and any other vegetable trimmings I have in the pot for my broth. 

I've learned that cruciferous vegetables aren't good for a broth, as they can make it taste bitter. So, I no longer add my broccoli stems to the broth.  Instead I reserve them for soup or to shred for salads.

I added a few notes to the recipe in parenthesis to show what I usually use in place of the listed ingredients.  I rarely have scallions, so those don't make it into my broth. Also, I don't measure the water. After I've put the vegetables in my large stock pot, I just fill it to the top with water.

Vegetable Broth
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup finely chopped scallions
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 28oz can diced, no-salt added tomatoes)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved crosswise (2 tsp minced garlic, no-oil)
3 bay leaves
1 cup chopped fresh dill (1-2 tbs dried dillweed)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (1 TBS dried parsley)
6 whole black peppercorns (ground pepper to taste)
1 tsp dried oregano
14 cups water

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least one hour.  Skim and discard any foam from surface. 

Strain broth, discard bay leaves but reserve the vegetables to eat as is or puree them and use to thicken soups or sauces.

Can be frozen in small containers; will keep frozen up to 6 months.

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Here's the other thrifty thing I do with this mix.  Once I have strained the vegetables from the broth, I puree them in the food processor, like recommended.  When Monday Pasta night comes along, I have the perfect beginning for a home made marinara sauce. 

I dump the pureed vegetables in a pan and add a 28oz can of no-salt added crushed tomatoes and 1 6oz can of tomato paste.  Add in water or vegetable broth as needed.  Season with your favorite Italian seasonings (oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, bay leaves, pepper) and let simmer so the flavors mix. 

And here's a new thing I did this week.  I had some sauce leftover at the end of the week. I dumped it in with the breakfast black beans and that gave them a new flavor.  Not one that everybody loved, but it got eaten.  I'm sure, if I try it again, it will be better received.  I find that, for most of my family, the first time I serve a new flavor to their old stand-by there is some resistance that wanes as they get familiar with it through further introductions.

So, there ya' go.  Scraps, trimmings, water, seasonings.  All mixed and made into some flavorful broth for cooking during the week as well as vegetable puree for some creative uses along the way. 

I'd love to hear what you use your broth and vegetable puree to create.  Leave me a note with ideas!