On my stove top in autumn and winter is either a kettle of tea, a pot of stew, or a simmering dutch oven of nourishing autumn vegetarian broth. Every other week, I take the scraps from my vegetables or fresh greens from the garden, with a fist full or two of dried mushrooms, and make a warming, nourishing vegetarian broth. I use broth in everything. I sip it like a tea sometimes, I take it with me when I travel, I cook it with weekly pots of grains, I save it in the freezer for a quick soup base, and it’s a life saver if I come down with a cold or a bug and need something nourishing and easy to digest.
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How to Use a Nourishing Broth:
Sip in a mug or thermos like a tea. They are so nutritious and easy to digest, especially if you’re feeling ill or under the weather.
Use broth as a base for cooking whole grains (instead of water) like brown rice, quinoa or barley. This adds a robust flavor to the grains, and packs in extra nutrients, too.
Freeze small batches in jars and use later as a base for any other soup or stew (like this gem – Roasted Cauliflower & Fennel Soup) .
Vegetarian Broth Basics
Broths are meant to be easy. Vegetable scraps or fresh from the garden goods, dried mushrooms of your choice, filtered water, and seasonings to your liking. I make a batch of this broth about every other week, with whatever veggie scraps I have in the fridge. You can cook anywhere from 1-4 hours. The longer you let the broth simmer, the stronger the flavor. Below is my base recipe, adaptable to throw anything else in that you may have. Broths are simple and forgiving. I tend not to measure when I make broths – estimates are just fine.
