Maybe not the most innovative post ever, but vegetable broth is an ingredient I use almost every day of the week so I thought that it was about time that I shared with you how I make mine. I used to make it on the stove top which required planning a day around making kitchen essentials each week. I wouldn't leave the house that day unless there was an emergency; I made broth, beans, bread, you name it and I probably made it. Lately, I have been way too busy to enjoy days like that so I have been resorting to purchasing pre-made veggie broth from the store. Let me tell you, that stuff isn't cheap and it doesn't taste that hot either. If you are looking for an organic, gluten free broth...you are looking at close to $4 a quart around here.
Recently, I rediscovered my crock pot and at the same time was struck with the simple notion of making homemade veggie broth in the crock pot whenever I needed it. I referenced my copy of Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker and it turns out that it is completely doable! Let me tell you; it tastes amazing, hardly costs anything and I can control everything that goes into it. Even a simple side dish like brown rice is elevated to new levels when using homemade vegetable broth; the broth is rich and buttery without even a smidge of actual butter. I'm not sure how that happens, but I sure do like it!
What is your favorite thing to make in your slow cooker?
Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth (Gluten Free and Vegan)
- Prep Time: 8 mins
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 8 mins
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and quartered
- 2 large carrots, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 celery rib, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- Peels from 2 large well-scrubbed sweet potatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅓ cup chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons tamari, gluten free soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 cups of water
Instructions
- Drizzle the olive oil into the bottom of a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- When the broth has finished cooking allow it to cool in the crock pot, then strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a pot or bowl. Use the back of a spoon to press the veggies against the sieve to strain out all of the juices. Store the cooled stock in mason jars, or other tightly sealed containers in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Jen says
Ok... just had to say this was a really good vegetable broth and it required no roasting. I hate roasting! Thank you for this recipe. I didn't even have celery and it still turned out good.
Meg says
That is so great Jen!! I'm not a huge fan of broth recipes with a ton of steps, so roasting is totally out of me. I am so glad you liked this one too 🙂
Ann Marie Kelly says
just wondering about the first ingredient for your vegetable broth is listed as vegetable broth. thx.
Meg says
So sorry about that Ann Marie, and thank you for pointing that out. Sometimes life with a 2 year old can be a little distracting, I fixed it, the actual first ingredient is olive oil.
Brittney says
I am SOO excited about this broth recipe!!
Meg says
Oh my gosh, seriously it smells like heaven while it is cooking! Enjoy. 🙂