This vegetable stock takes a total of 5 minutes to prep and store, is ten times better than store-bought and is completely FREE! Which is really great for a girl who loves a bargain.
I learned this trick from my old roommate from when I lived in New Orleans. It’s made from the scraps of vegetables from meals past, kept in your freezer until you are ready to use them.
Chances are, when you cook with fresh produce, you are left with scraps that end up in the trash (or if you are a better citizen of the earth than I am, your compost pile. I’m waiting to not live in an apartment for that one).
Many of those scraps can be saved in your freezer to make stock. Almost any mild-tasting vegetable will work, but the most basic and traditional to use are onions, celery, and carrots. This is the combination of scraps I usually use for my stock:
- Onion ends (if you leave the peel on, the stock may turn a darker color than usual, but it’s still edible)
- Garlic ends and bulbs that have started to sprout
- Herb sprigs and stems (parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc.)
- Bell pepper ends and seeds
- Jalapeno ends (not the seeds- they would be too spicy for plain stock)
- Carrots
- Celery
- Scallions
- Leeks
Although I have not tried it, I’ve read that you can use corn cobs, asparagus, potatoes, fennel, parsnips, squash, mushrooms, and other vegetables with a mild flavor.
...GET THE RECIPE for Scrap vegetable stock/broth!