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There are so many recipes that use vegetable broth beyond soups. We’ve all been in the situation where we open a carton of vegetable broth, use one cup in a recipe, then store it in the fridge and forget to use it again. This post will show you 60 different ways to use vegetable broth in common recipes, so you never waste broth again!
Are you wondering what to do with vegetable broth before it spoils and you end up tossing it? I’m here to help. Below are the many ways you can use vegetable broth. Whether you use store-bought broth or make your own vegetable broth from scratch, you’ll find many uses for it here.
Table of Contents
What is Broth?
Broth is a medley of vegetables, meat, or a combination of both that cook down slowly in water to enrich the liquid with flavor and nutrients. It’s savory and a wholesome addition to making a plethora of recipes and is utilized in different ways.
What’s the Difference Between Broth and Stock
I used to use the terms broth and stock interchangeably. I thought they were pretty much the same thing – savory liquids made from boiling water with meat, bones, vegetables, and/or herbs. But there is actually a subtle difference between the two. Stock is generally made from bony parts of beef or chicken like I show in my post on how to make chicken stock. Broth, however, is made more from meat or vegetables only. Stock tends to be richer, while broth tends to be thinner.
Both play supporting roles in many dishes, helping to boost flavor. But for today, let’s focus on broth. Specifically, vegetable broth.
Why You Should Cook More Recipes with Veggie Broth
- Instant flavor enhancer. Properly prepared veggie stock instantly adds flavor to the most humble grain, legume, or pasta. Try swapping out half of the water with broth to cook lentils, couscous, or brown rice and see for yourself.
- Adds nutrition. It also adds a boost of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (depending on what veggies the stock is made from).
- Avoid food waste. Vegetable broth is an excellent way to use up the kitchen scraps and reduce food waste. Those often-forgotten carrot ends and onion skin is excellent for veggie stock.
- Versatile uses. If you want to solve the problem of what to do with veggie broth – the answer is simple. Almost everything. Beyond using it in soups and stews, you can sautee, steam, cook grains, and much more with vegetable stock.
Tips for Making Recipes Using Vegetable Broth
- Season lightly. I recommend keeping your seasonings in vegetable broth to a minimum to allow you to adjust flavors later when you make recipes with veggie broth.
- Store properly. If making broth at home, be sure to cool the stock quickly and store it in airtight containers.
- Freeze in individual servings. Many recipes using vegetable broth call for a small amount. Freeze in souper cubes or ice cube trays in quarter and half-cup serving sizes. Then pull out just what you need without thawing out the entire batch.
- Deglaze with broth, not oil. If some of the food gets stuck to the bottom of the pan, just give a few splashes of vegetable broth to deglaze and release the stuck-on bits. It adds flavor and reduces the need for additional fat.
How to Buy the Best Broth
I often make my vegetable broth from scraps of vegetables and herbs, but that can be time-consuming. That’s where store-bought vegetable broth comes in. Not all packaged vegetable broths are created equally, so look for these three cues that you’re buying a good one.
- Minimal: Think about if you were to make vegetable broth at home. What ingredients would you include? Probably onions, carrots, celery, and some herbs, and maybe garlic or some seasonings. Bottom line, though, is to keep the ingredient list simple and short.
- High quality: Avoid any vegetable broths that contain low-quality ingredients that may taste good but aren’t really good for your body. That includes MSG, natural flavor, and dehydrated vegetables.
- Organic: I know organic can be tough because of the pricing. But when it comes to broth, the organic one is only about $0.25 more. And that small price difference means it has no GMOs and no pesticides.
Best Recipes with Vegetable Broth
The most common recipes that use broth are soups, stews, and chilis. It’s the best way to instantly enhance a recipe with depth, sweetness, and savory flavors. But, let’s reach outside the box and try new ways to use broth in almost any savory recipe. Try replacing water and oil for broth in pasta dishes, sauté veggies and meats instead of oil, or add to side dishes like mashed potatoes. In other words, recipes with veggie broth are only limited to your imagination. There’s so much you can do with them. And I’m here to show you my favorite recipes using vegetable broth.
Light Soup Recipes with Veggie Broth
Making soups is an obvious choice when trying to figure out what to do with vegetable broth. It’s easy to swap in for chicken or vegetable broth and makes it super easy to keep the soup vegetarian, as long as you don’t include any meat. I especially appreciate vegetable broth in light and refreshing soups, where the flavors of the broth really shine through but not overly heavy that they steal the show. Here are some of my favorite soup recipes using veggie broth.
Tomato Cabbage Soup
Lemon Rice Soup
Zucchini Orzo Soup
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Mediterranean White Bean Soup
Red Curry Noodle Soup
Chickpea Noodle Soup
Creamy and Blended Soups
I love blended soups because it’s so easy to sneak in a few servings of vegetables that even the pickiest of eaters will gobble it up. These soup recipes with veggie broth are easy to make, satisfying yet refreshing, and are simply delicious. Plus, there’s a blended soup that’s perfect for any time of the year.
Zucchini Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Vegan Broccoli Soup
Vegan Corn Chowder
Roasted Tomato Soup
Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Vegan Asparagus Soup
Sweet Cauliflower Potato Soup
Potato Leek Soup
Hearty Soup Recipes with Vegetable Broth
If you prefer creamy soups or stews that offer a little more heartiness than refreshing soups, get ready to save these hefty stews. They’re delicious and wholesome with a touch of coziness to them that makes them simply too good to pass up. These hearty soup recipes using vegetable broth will satisfy and nourish you so well that you won’t even miss the meat.
Sweet Potato Chili
Lebanese Crushed Lentil Soup
Lebanese Spinach Stew
Easy White Chicken Chili
Vegan Lentil Chili
Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
Peas and Carrots Stew
Freekeh Soup
Lentil Kale Soup
Pasta Dishes with Vegetable Broth
Want to know my trick to amp up nutrition in a carb-heavy dish like pasta? Add veggie broth! It’s an easy way to incorporate more of that veggie goodness and tackles the age-old problem of what to make with vegetable broth. When added to pasta recipes, broth thins out the sauce and adds incredible flavor. But you can also replace half of the water with veggie broth when boiling pasta. Here are some mouthwatering pasta recipes using vegetable broth to get you started.
Hummus Pasta
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
Healthy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles
Baked Pasta with Ground Turkey
Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
One Pan Pasta
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Sauteeing with Veggie Broth
Sauteeing your vegetables and meats using broth may seem like an unusual move, but I promise it’s worth trying. Try this: instead of oil for sauteeing, use the same amount of veggie broth and gently steam. This is an easy swap that cuts your fat content and, as a bonus, adds amazing flavor. It’s a nice trick to have up your sleeve next time you’re wondering what to do with veggie broth.
Green Beans with Almonds
Cauliflower Curry
Sautéed Mushrooms with Garlic
Green Shakshuka
Street Tacos
Molokhia (Mloukhieh)
Side Dish Recipes Using Vegetable Broth
Swap in vegetable broth into salad dressings, when cooking vegetables, or infuse rice with more flavor. It adds a nice savory flavor while keeping things light and healthy. From creamy mashed potatoes to green beans and pilaf, adding vegetable broth to side dish is almost always a tasty decision.
How to Make Gravy
Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Mushroom and Pea Risotto
Bulgur Pilaf
Melting Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash Risotto
Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Cheesy Lemon Orzo
How to Make Risotto
Lemon Rice
Main Courses with Vegetable Broth
I have a simple solution if you want to know what to make with vegetable broth beyond soups and stews. Simply replace chicken or beef broth in basically any recipe for a healthy alternative that still adds amazing flavor. Whether you’re making a hearty casserole or a simple rice dish, recipes with veggie broth are a fantastic way to keep your meals delicious and nutritious.
Easy Eggplant Moussaka
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Mediterranean Ground Beef & Rice
Sautéed Chicken with Mushrooms
Lemon Chicken Piccata
Mediterranean Couscous
One Pot Chicken and Rice
Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Red Lentil Curry
Vegetarian Shepherds Pie
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade vegetable broth will last 4-5 days in the refrigerator, but store-bought vegetable broth will last a little longer, approximately 5-6 days. You can also freeze broth in single serving sizes. When you’re ready to use it, simply remove what you need and add it to the recipe.
Because vegetable broth is made using vegetables and liquid, it is considered vegan. However, be sure to check the package ingredients to ensure that no dairy, eggs, or other unapproved ingredients are added to the broth.
Absolutely! With most recipes, it’s totally acceptable to substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth, especially if you are following a vegetarian diet. But because flavors differ, I always recommend doing a taste test and adjusting with seasonings if necessary.
As you can see, there are surprisingly many ways to use vegetable broth and so many tasty recipes that you can make with it. So remember this list next time you’re stuck with what to do with veggie broth. Get creative and use it as a replacement for water in soups, gravies, pasta dishes, and more!
For more similar roundup of recipes, be sure to check out: Air Fryer Recipes, Healthy Soup Recipes, Recipes to Make with Garden Tomatoes, and Recipes with Canned Beans.
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But MSG, natural flavor, and dehydrated vegetables aren’t bad for your body by any stretch of the imagination …
You can also use homemade vegetable broth, which will last 4-5 days!
hahahah…… Potato & Cauliflower Casserole recipe mentioned above has no broth mentioned as an ingredient.
Thank you for pointing that out! I’ve made the changes to correct that.
I googled How to Use Vegetable Stock and this is all about BROTH
Yes! This post is called 10 Recipes with Vegetable Broth.
Hi it was an honour reading this blog got to know so much about it that I wasn’t aware before but after reading the article I got to know so much about it and will surely work on this skills as well and try and test it as soon as possible.
Thank you!