It’s hard to find a salt-free vegetable broth, so the best way is to make it!
I save any scraps from peeling and cutting vegetables throughout the month in a container the freezer and wait until it is filled up before I boil all the frozen veggies in a stock pot for 1 hour. The less water used in the broth, the more concentrated the flavor is. After I drain the broth, I throw the vegetable scraps into the compost bin.
Sometimes, we just happen to run out of pre-made vegetable broth when we need it most. These are some quick broth recipes that my family uses.
- Quick Broth: If you have cabbage (preferably Napa or green), celery, or carrots, throw them into a pot and boil them while you prep the rest of the ingredients for your meal. By the time you finish setting up your mise en place, you should have a broth ready to use.
- Kombu or dried mushrooms: Kombu is a nutrient-dense edible kelp that is packed with umami. Dried mushrooms have concentrated umami flavors too. Boil kombu sheets and/or dried mushrooms while you prep the rest of the ingredients for your meal. By the time you finish setting up your mise en place, you should have a broth ready to use.
- Dried vegetables: I turn to instant ramen soup packets for inspiration! While instant ramen soup packets are laden with sodium, you can easily replicate them if you keep dehydrated vegetables or vegetable powder on hand! I keep small amounts of different vegetable powders on hand so I can mix and match them to make a quick broth!
