How to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth

Many recipes on our blog call for vegetable broth, and many of our readers have asked for a homemade version over the years. Here's our easy-to-make, inexpensive, tasty vegetable broth.

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You know we swear by homemade ingredients. One thing that sets our recipes apart from the rest is that we try to make them as healthful and natural as possible while still retaining the traditional Dominican flavors you're here for.

Once you notice how easy and inexpensive this broth is, you'll too be a convert. I always have a cup or two of concentrated broth frozen, ready to be added to soups, stews, and many other dishes. This vegan vegetable broth is also the perfect base for many of our vegan dishes.

What is vegetable broth

Vegetable broth is a reduction made by boiling vegetables, herbs, and spices and used to add flavor to dishes when adding liquid is necessary.

Vegetable broth vs chicken broth

Vegetable broth and chicken broth can be interchangeable only in some preparations (in a chicken recipe, for example, as the meat will add chicken flavor anyway). However, chicken broth is not appropriate for vegan dishes, or dishes in which we do not want chicken flavor.

See our homemade chicken broth recipe.

How long does vegetable broth last?

Homemade vegetable broth should be refrigerated or frozen once it reaches room temperature after boiling it. Unsalted broth has a shorter shelf life. It's best consumed within 72 hours of refrigeration, or 2 months after freezing.

How to store homemade vegetable broth

I have 1-cup freezer-safe glass containers [Amazon affiliate link] that are perfect for this. I do not recommend using regular jars with screw caps as the expanding liquid during freezing may make the jar explode.

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Recipes with vegetable broth

Many of our recipes call for homemade vegetable broth or low-salt vegetable broth. If you want to know what to make with vegetable broth, these are some of the recipes you can use it in:

• Vegan "Sancocho" (Root Stew)
• Arroz con Fideos (Rice and Fried Noodles)
• Bollitos de Maíz (Boiled Cornmeal Dumplings)
• Chenchén (Cracked Corn Pilaf)
• Guanimos Salados (Cornmeal and Beef Pockets)
• Crema de Cepa de Apio (Creole Celery Root Cream)
• Arroz con Maíz (Corn and Pineapple Pilaf)
• Sopa Boba (Vegetable Soup)
• Arepa Salada (Dominican Savory Cornbread)
• Arroz Amarillo (Yellow Rice with Carrot and Onion)
• Cream of Broccoli, Cheese, and Potato Soup
• Roasted Auyama Cream with Cheese Crostini
• Squash, Onion and Pancetta Soup
• Brown Rice Pilaf
• Brown Rice Pilaf with String Beans and Bacon
• Brown Rice Asopao

About this recipe

The best thing about making your own vegetable stock or broth (aside from being inexpensive and convenient) is that you can add just the flavors you love. If there's anything you particularly dislike, feel free to omit it, if there's a flavor, spice or herb you love, feel free to add it.

Another great thing about it is that it's a fantastic way to use herbs and vegetables that are not looking their best and add the bits of vegetables that we usually do not add to our preparations. Mushroom stems, for example, impart a lot of flavor to the broth, so I save them and add them to the broth if I have them on hand. I usually keep a bin in the freezer with the ugly bits of vegetables, and assorted kitchen scraps, ready to be thrown in a pot and boiled.

I do not add salt to broth, it would make it more difficult to control for saltiness in the recipe it will be used in.

Also bear in mind that it's hard to duplicate the exact same flavor and color twice using this method. Each new broth is a new adventure.

Is there any special ingredient you love in broth? Let me know in the comments!

Buen provecho!