Quick info

  • Yield: about 1.5L (6.3 cups) of broth
  • Prep: 10 minutes
  • Cooking: 30 minutes – 1 hour
  • Tools: large pot with lid, knife, chopping board, spoon

Quantities and types of veggies here are just a guide: use the broth to clear out the fridge. Just try to always keep carrots, potatoes, celery and onion as the base.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and each cut into 3 pieces
  • 1 medium-small potato, in chunks
  • 2 celery stalks, halved
  • 3–4 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 sprig of parsley
  • 2 liters (8.5 cups) of water
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Prep the veggies: wash and chop everything into rough pieces. No need to be precise — they just need to release flavor.
  2. Sweat them off: put all the veggies in the pot with 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté over medium heat for a few minutes to bring out the flavor. They shouldn’t color.
  3. Add water: pour in 2 liters (8.5 cups) of cold water.
  4. Bring to a boil: as soon as it boils, drop the heat to medium so it doesn’t bubble too aggressively.
  5. Simmer: cook for at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour for a deeper broth. If the level drops too much, top it up during the first half of the cooking time.
  6. Strain: turn off the heat and strain the broth. You should end up with about 1.5L (6.3 cups).

Notes

The longer it simmers, the tastier the broth — but past the one-hour mark you’re not gaining anything. Great to use right away, or keep in the fridge for 2–3 days, or freeze.