What is Veg Broth Made of? The Essential Ingredients Guide

November 3, 2025 •

3 min read

According to cooking experts, homemade vegetable broth offers a richer, fresher flavor profile than its store-bought counterpart, often with better quality ingredients. This guide will explain what is veg broth made of, detailing the essential vegetables, herbs, and techniques for creating a deeply satisfying stock.

Quick Summary

Vegetable broth is a flavorful liquid made by simmering vegetables, herbs, and spices in water. Its foundation typically consists of aromatics like onions, carrots, and celery, with additional ingredients and even kitchen scraps used to add complexity and depth.

Key Points

Classic Base: The core of a vegetable broth is a mirepoix of onions, carrots, and celery, providing a sweet and savory foundation.
Flavor Boosters: Ingredients like dried mushrooms, tomatoes, and garlic add umami depth and richness to the broth.
Herb Aromatics: Fresh parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and whole peppercorns are essential for adding complex and fragrant notes.
Zero-Waste Method: Repurposing vegetable scraps like peels, ends, and stems is a cost-effective way to make a flavorful broth.
Avoid Bitterness: To prevent a bitter or off-putting taste, avoid using cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower.
Homemade Benefits: Making broth at home gives you control over ingredients, sodium levels, and flavor intensity.

The Foundation: The Classic Mirepoix

At the heart of most classic vegetable broth recipes is a simple but powerful aromatic base known as mirepoix. This trio of vegetables provides a sweet and savory foundation that many other flavors can build upon.

Essential Base Ingredients

Onions: Yellow or white onions are most common, adding a savory depth and sweetness. The skins can even be included to add a rich, golden color to the finished broth.
Carrots: These contribute a natural sweetness and earthy flavor. They don't need to be peeled, as the skin contains flavor, but should be thoroughly washed.
Celery: Celery adds a refreshing, herbaceous, and slightly bitter note that balances the sweetness of the onions and carrots. Use the stalks, but avoid excessive amounts of leaves, which can make the broth bitter.

Enhancing Flavor and Umami

While the mirepoix provides a great starting point, other vegetables, herbs, and additions can elevate the broth with more complex and savory (umami) flavors.

Vegetables for Added Depth

Mushrooms: Dried mushrooms, such as shiitake or porcini, are a powerhouse ingredient, providing deep umami flavor and richness. Fresh mushroom stems also work well.
Tomatoes: A chopped tomato or even a handful of sun-dried tomatoes can add a touch of sweetness and acidity, enhancing the overall flavor.
Garlic: Whole or halved cloves of garlic, with their skins on, are often added for a pungent, earthy character.
Leeks: The white and green parts of leeks offer a delicate, sweet onion flavor. Be sure to wash them thoroughly, as they can hold dirt.

Herbs and Spices for Aromatics

Parsley: A handful of fresh parsley, including the stems, adds a fresh, green, and herbaceous note.
Thyme and Bay Leaves: These classic additions contribute floral and earthy aromas that perfume the broth.
Whole Black Peppercorns: Whole peppercorns provide a subtle spice and a touch of warmth without adding too much heat.

A Zero-Waste Approach: Using Kitchen Scraps

One of the most cost-effective and sustainable ways to make vegetable broth is by using kitchen scraps. This method repurposes vegetable peels, ends, and trimmings that would otherwise be discarded, allowing you to create a flavorful broth for free.

Ideal Scraps for Broth

Onion skins and ends
Carrot peels and tops
Celery ends and leaves
Mushroom stems
Garlic skins
Herb stems (parsley, thyme)
The dark green tops of leeks

What to Avoid for a Better Broth

Some vegetables, while seemingly good for broth, can impart undesirable flavors or characteristics. It's best to avoid or use them sparingly to ensure a clean, balanced taste.

Problematic Vegetables

Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts can release a sulfurous aroma and a bitter taste when simmered for a long time.
Starchy Vegetables: Potatoes and turnips can make the broth cloudy and impart a starchy flavor.
Beets: Their vibrant color and strong flavor can overpower the other ingredients.
Peppers: Too many peppers, especially bell peppers, can give the broth an overly vegetal or bitter taste.

Homemade vs. Store-Bought Broth: A Comparison


Feature	Homemade Vegetable Broth	Store-Bought Vegetable Broth
Ingredients	Fresh or frozen vegetables, herbs, spices. No preservatives or additives.	Often includes vegetable oils, added sugar, thickeners, and preservatives.
Flavor	Richer, fresher, and more complex due to slow, natural extraction. Highly customizable.	Can taste of raw carrot peel or onion skin; flavor can be artificial or overly salty.
Cost	Virtually free if using kitchen scraps, or a low cost with fresh produce.	Varies, but can be a significant recurring expense for frequent users.
Sodium	You have complete control over the amount of salt added.	Often contains high levels of sodium unless a specific low-sodium product is chosen.
Nutrients	Retains vitamins and minerals from the whole, fresh ingredients.	Nutrient content can vary and is often less concentrated than homemade.

Conclusion

In essence, vegetable broth is a versatile liquid created by simmering a combination of vegetables and herbs in water. The quality and flavor of your broth depend on the ingredients you choose and avoid. By using a base of onions, carrots, and celery, and enhancing it with additions like mushrooms or tomatoes, you can create a delicious, healthy, and customizable broth. The zero-waste method of using kitchen scraps is both an environmentally friendly and economical way to produce this kitchen staple. Whether you're making soups, risottos, or sauces, a flavorful homemade broth will elevate your cooking to the next level. A healthy, rich vegetable stock provides an excellent base for any plant-based cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, using vegetable scraps is an excellent, zero-waste method for making flavorful and cost-effective broth. Freeze clean scraps like onion peels, carrot ends, and herb stems until you have enough for a batch.

Avoid or use sparingly cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, as they can lead to a bitter flavor. Starchy vegetables like potatoes can make the broth cloudy.

For richer flavor, add umami-rich ingredients like dried mushrooms, tomatoes, or a bit of kombu. Sautéing your aromatic vegetables before simmering can also deepen the flavor.

After straining and cooling, homemade vegetable broth can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, or frozen for several months. Leave extra space in containers for expansion when freezing.

While often used interchangeably by home cooks, broth is typically made from vegetables and herbs, while a traditional stock is made from simmering animal bones. As there are no bones in a vegetarian recipe, the term 'vegetable stock' is technically a misnomer, and 'broth' is more accurate.

Yes, you can absolutely use frozen vegetables or a mix of fresh and frozen ingredients. Using frozen vegetable scraps that you've saved is a very popular and effective method.

A gentle simmer for 45 minutes to an hour is often enough to create a flavorful broth. Simmering for too long can sometimes extract bitter flavors, especially if using a wide array of vegetables.