Hello, I am new to this forum and relatively new to cooking. I am using a slow cooker for vegetarian recipes, and many of them call for vegetable broth- and a rather lot of it, which is expensive. How necessary is broth over water? Most of the things I make are different types of chili, stews, and soups. And I like things spicy. Does vegetable broth really add much flavor? - or can I just use water? Thanks for any help.
Slow cookers and vegetable broth
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
A good vegetable broth is far better than water. It will add a lot of flavor to your dish. I recommend your saving veggie scraps and buying day-old veggies at the market that are sold at a discount. They make a great broth even though they may be a little past prime.
Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
Although making your own broth is a good idea, another option is using Better Than Bullion base as one tsp. will make 8 oz. of liquid veg broth. You can most likely find it at your local grocery store.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-T...MIo7Xag4ei5QIVgfhkCh0WXwy6EAYYASABEgIruvD_BwE
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-T...MIo7Xag4ei5QIVgfhkCh0WXwy6EAYYASABEgIruvD_BwE
Welcome to the forum.
I agree with Andy. I save vegetable scraps in a container in the freezer. When it's full, I make vegi broth with them. I save stuff like carrot peels, onion skins, parsley stems, vegis that are starting to wilt or are drying out, etc.
It doesn't take too long to simmer all the flavour out of that. If you are interested, we can explain in more detail.
I agree with Andy. I save vegetable scraps in a container in the freezer. When it's full, I make vegi broth with them. I save stuff like carrot peels, onion skins, parsley stems, vegis that are starting to wilt or are drying out, etc.
It doesn't take too long to simmer all the flavour out of that. If you are interested, we can explain in more detail.
larry_stewart
Master Chef
Im a vegetarian.
I do make my own vegetable broth ( sometimes) with scraps .
Basically any vegetables with water, salt ( sometimes herbs ) then strain.
Will definitely add more flavor.
That being said, certain veggies will give more flavor and will change the end result of the recipe that you use it in. For example, mushrooms, cabbage ( or anything in the cabbage family), onions, peppers will often give a strong distinctive flavor which you may not want in the finished product . For example, if your making a tomato based soup, but you are using a veggie stock that has a heavy cabbage, mushroom flavor, it will transfer this flavor to the soup ( which you may or may not want). Something heavily spiced ( like chili) often will over power mist flavors.
For consistency, I use a the "vegetarian bouillon type product". The better than Bouillon is one option, I use another that is a " vegetarian chicken consume bouillon powder". And again, I use it for consistency, cause unless following a specific recipe to make a veggie stock, it will be different every time.
Being a vegetarian and an avid gardener, I eat a lot of veggies and have a lot of veggies available, so Im often just making a stock with what's available, or scraps from cutting up the veggies ( like celery tops, onion and carrot ends, chard stems, mushroom stems ...., whatever I can get my hands on). I salt it as if I were making a soup, and often use that alone as a base for a soup ( usually just a throw together ' whatever is ripe in the garden soup'.
But once again, if Im looking for consistency, ill go to the powdered stuff, cause I know its going to taste the same every time, same salt level every time, therefore very repeatable every time.
What I learned from Jacques Pepin , and others here on the forum, as you use your veggies, just toss the craps in a container or ziplock bag in the freezer. ( celery tops, onion, carrot ends ). And once you have enough, just make a stock out of it, then that can be frozen for later use. basically will cost nothing since you were going to throw out the scraps anyway.
( I also use the scraps for composting and feeding the chickens, so that's why I usually dont have too much left over)
I do make my own vegetable broth ( sometimes) with scraps .
Basically any vegetables with water, salt ( sometimes herbs ) then strain.
Will definitely add more flavor.
That being said, certain veggies will give more flavor and will change the end result of the recipe that you use it in. For example, mushrooms, cabbage ( or anything in the cabbage family), onions, peppers will often give a strong distinctive flavor which you may not want in the finished product . For example, if your making a tomato based soup, but you are using a veggie stock that has a heavy cabbage, mushroom flavor, it will transfer this flavor to the soup ( which you may or may not want). Something heavily spiced ( like chili) often will over power mist flavors.
For consistency, I use a the "vegetarian bouillon type product". The better than Bouillon is one option, I use another that is a " vegetarian chicken consume bouillon powder". And again, I use it for consistency, cause unless following a specific recipe to make a veggie stock, it will be different every time.
Being a vegetarian and an avid gardener, I eat a lot of veggies and have a lot of veggies available, so Im often just making a stock with what's available, or scraps from cutting up the veggies ( like celery tops, onion and carrot ends, chard stems, mushroom stems ...., whatever I can get my hands on). I salt it as if I were making a soup, and often use that alone as a base for a soup ( usually just a throw together ' whatever is ripe in the garden soup'.
But once again, if Im looking for consistency, ill go to the powdered stuff, cause I know its going to taste the same every time, same salt level every time, therefore very repeatable every time.
What I learned from Jacques Pepin , and others here on the forum, as you use your veggies, just toss the craps in a container or ziplock bag in the freezer. ( celery tops, onion, carrot ends ). And once you have enough, just make a stock out of it, then that can be frozen for later use. basically will cost nothing since you were going to throw out the scraps anyway.
( I also use the scraps for composting and feeding the chickens, so that's why I usually dont have too much left over)
larry_stewart
Master Chef
Looks like Taxlady typed a littler faster than I did
or I was just too wordy, but basically she sums up what I said. I just get diarrhea of the mouth sometimes
I thank you all for your time and advice! I should have said in my OP that due to time constraints, I won't be making my own broth. So I apologize for the time that some of you have put into that! I will save that advice in my head for a later date (when I'm retired ) The powdered/ bouillion is a great idea, and must be cheaper than what I'm doing now, which is buying the liquid broth in boxes for $ 2.59/ 32 oz! It's usually the most expensive thing going into my recipes. Thanks again!
) The powdered/ bouillion is a great idea, and must be cheaper than what I'm doing now, which is buying the liquid broth in boxes for $ 2.59/ 32 oz! It's usually the most expensive thing going into my recipes. Thanks again!
larry_stewart
Master Chef
Both the Better than Bouillon and powdered stuff are concentrated, so they will likely cost more than the $2.59, but will give you a lot more in quantity/return on investment. And kinda like I said, also gives you the consistency , this way, every time you make it, it will likely taste the same.
Personally, I dont like the sort bought liquid veggie broth, I tried it a few times, and always go back to the powdered crap ( which isn't great, but a lot better IMO)
Personally, I dont like the sort bought liquid veggie broth, I tried it a few times, and always go back to the powdered crap ( which isn't great, but a lot better IMO)
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