Vegetable Broth
Ready in 45 minutes. Cooked longer, it does not become stronger, but bitter.
- Preparation
- 15 min
- Cook/bake time
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
Ready in 45 minutes. Cooked longer, it does not become stronger, but bitter. Unlike meat broth, there is no connective tissue here that needs hours: vegetables have completely released their flavor after just under an hour. Everything after that is a loss.
Why this works
Vegetable broth has a problem that meat broth does not have: it lacks the gelatin that gives a chicken broth body. What it needs instead is glutamate, and that is found primarily in dried mushrooms, tomatoes, and roasted vegetables. That is why there are two dried porcini mushrooms on the list, and that is why the onions are sautéed beforehand. The time limit is the second point: after about 45 minutes, the cell walls have released everything they have to give. Anyone who continues to cook only extracts bitter substances from cabbage and herb stems and concentrates them when boiling down.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Sauté the onions
Fry the halved onions cut side down in oil in a dry pot until they are clearly dark brown. This takes a good five minutes and can easily become almost black. These roasted flavors are the replacement in a vegetable broth for everything a chicken would bring.
- 2
Add vegetables and pour in liquid
Add the roughly chopped vegetables, tomatoes, mushrooms, and spices and fry everything for two minutes. Then fill up with cold water. The skins stay on, as they contribute color and flavor. They just need to be washed.
- 3
Simmer for 45 minutes
Bring everything to a simmer once and then keep it uncovered over low heat for 45 minutes. Set a timer: after this time, the vegetables have released everything, and what comes next are bitter substances from celery and herb stems.
- 4
Strain and season
Pour the broth through a fine sieve and do not press the vegetables. Only now season with salt, exactly how you want to drink it later. For boiling down for storage, it is better to leave it unsalted.
Our best tips
- No longer than 45 minutes. Vegetables release their flavor quickly and after that only bitter substances. Unlike a meat broth, it does not get better, but worse.
