Creative ways to transform vegetable scraps into gourmet broths
The peels of root vegetables contain many valuable nutrients, yet they often end up in the bin. Instead, you can freeze these leftovers. Once you've collected enough, try making a vegetable broth which can be used in soups, sauces, or risottos. To ensure the broth is flavourful, it's worth following a few simple guidelines.
Broth made from leftovers can have a rich, and possibly even more intriguing, flavour with the addition of other vegetables not typically found in standard soup mixes. Everything you usually discard during meal preparation, such as the ends of asparagus, tough parts of broccoli or cauliflower, or the green portions of leeks, can be added to the pot. Garlic and onion skins can also enhance the broth.
How to store vegetable peels?
If you're considering making broth from leftovers, set aside the vegetable peels as you go. Ensure they are clean. If you don't wash the vegetables before peeling, wash them afterwards and lay them on a paper towel to dry. Place the clean peels in a zip-lock bag and store them in the freezer. In this way, vegetable scraps can be stored for up to 9-12 months. This method applies to peels from carrots, parsley root, celery, green beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kohlrabi.
Recipe for broth from leftovers
You can use the broth made from vegetable peels as a base for vegetarian soups or sauces. If you have an excess, prepare frozen flavour cubes by adding fresh herbs and storing them in small containers in the freezer.
Ingredients:
- Approximately 1 kilogram of frozen vegetable scraps,
- About 2 litres of water,
- 3 bay leaves,
- 4 allspice berries,
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil,
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions:
- Place the frozen vegetable scraps in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaves and allspice.
- Once the broth begins to boil, lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about 1 hour.
- When the broth becomes aromatic, strain it through a fine sieve to remove the scraps. These can be discarded.
- Finally, stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ideas for dishes based on leftover broth
The aromatic vegetable broth can serve as a base for creamy soups. It’s perfect for cooking rice for risotto or grains for casseroles. You can add a bit of broth to pancakes, fritters, or sauces, giving simple dishes a deeper and more flavourful profile.
