beauty:design:life

Hi friends! I hope you're all excited from my probably much over-hyped soup week. I know I am! Last night, I made one of the soups I'm going to feature next week, and (SPOILER ALERT), it was delicious.

Before we can begin with soup mania, there is one staple ingredient that needs to be prepared and ready to go: broth. I used to buy all of my broth from the grocery store until a) I looked at the sodium content, b) I got sick of paying for it, and c) I realized that it is so easy to make at home!

As you go about your daily cooking business, make an effort to save the scraps from your veggies: onion peels, bell pepper tops, broccoli stems, etc, and also anything that is just shy of going bad. Freeze or refrigerate them, depending on the status of the veggie and when you plan on making your broth.

When you have enough scraps saved up (I just try to fill a big tupperware container), dump them in a big pot. Add water (at least enough to cover the veggies), salt and pepper, and a couple of bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for a couple of hours. Discard the veggies. Store broth in plastic bags in the freezer.

And...voila! You have broth!

Some recipes call for various herbs and spices, which you can use to taste. I like to toss in a little turmeric, parsley and cayenne. But whatever you want to use will work. It is seriously impossible to screw this up.

If you're going for a certain taste, you should be a little selective about which veggies you use: Tomatoes are good for acidity and color, while carrots and corn add sweetness. Cabbage, celery, broccoli, and green beans add earthiness, and onions and garlic add a touch of spiciness. 

So there you have it. The easiest broth you will ever make.

I'm still looking for soup recipes so please send them my way (or leave them in the comments). To clarify, although I am a vegetarian, I am more than happy to share a recipe that calls for meat. This is an equal opportunity soup week, after all.