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Easy, Frugal & Vegan Plant-based Penny Stock Recipe (Vegetable Scrap Broth)

Easy, Frugal & Vegan Plant-based Penny Stock Recipe (Vegetable Scrap Broth)

Every day we are bombarded with thousands and thousands of adverts (in US people are exposed to about 4000 - 10 000 adverts a day). Some we are aware of and some come more concealed (from influencers to sponsored articles in a news page, fun internet videos to branding on your everyday objects). Lately, as we as the general public are growing more environmentally aware we are also starting to get adverts which promotes a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Some are good (like re-washable face wipes and naturals sponges) and some are simply just wrong and are actually a wolf in a sheep coat (bad companies which just make their branding more green in colour and natural-looking, abusing the word degradable or sells unnecessary items with printed slogans), that is called greenwashing and is targetting unsuspecting consumers.

In reality, the most environmentally and eco-friendly items are the ones you do not buy but already have.

This brings us to today's post and recipe. We produce quite a bit of scrap even if we are trying to be conscious and to cruelty-free and to eat plant-based. We know that throwing it in the general waste bin is not recommended as it decomposes much slower and releases far too much methane trough the process, sometimes the food does not break down at all but mummifies instead. Also, we are loosing out on all the natural and nutritious fertilizers which could be created in composts if we took care of our waste properly.
I have grown up using a compost but was told that cooked food does not belong onto a compost. After looking into it a bit it seems to be a half-truth. Yes, cooked meals do not really belong on composts but it is mainly because they most often contain meat, butter, oils, which do not belong there but cooked / steamed/baked vegetables are most welcomed to join the compost heap.

I have been collecting all my vegetable scraps which would normally be discarded and I have been freezing them in a container in my freezer (the scraps most often consist of onion ends and skins (this creates a wonderful colour of the stock), carrots (adds sweetness), garlic (flavour), parsnip (flavour), shallot (colour and flavour), and any vegetables which somehow went past their best as I did not utilize them on time like mushrooms, herbs, (I try to minimize this of course as much as possible).

Easy, Frugal & Vegan Plant-based Penny Stock Recipe (Vegetable Scrap Broth)

Instructions: 

When I have collected a larger amount I place it in a large pot and fill with cold water and add some spices I have at home (that is why it is called a penny stock as it cost only pennies in items you need to use) like salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, allspice.
Options to add for extra flavour if desired (I do not do it often myself): seaweed, shiitake mushrooms, turmeric, herbs, celery, coriander seeds or ginger (for a more oriental taste).

Let is simmer for around 2 hours (no less than an hour, if you are strapped on time us a pressure cooker).

Sieve your broth.

Let your broth cool down and separate into containers to make it practical to use.

TIPs: 
1. This broth is great as the base for soups and sauces. Personally, I use it mostly as a base for mushroom soups and sauces or tomato soups and sauces, lentil stews or as a garlic noodle broth or miso soup.

2. You can reduce your stock even more into small little flavour bombs you can freeze in an ice tray mold and have for cooking.

3. Freezes extremely well.

27 comments

  1. I love this idea - what a wonderful suggestion! I live on a couple of acres so my raw products get tossed out back but I have to watch what I throw out because my dogs will pick up things they find interesting and I don't want them to get into the onions. This is a great way to use the vegetable pieces and onion pieces that I have left over. Thank you so much for the idea!

    Ruth
    VogueFauxReal

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    Replies
    1. Hello dear Ruth, thank you for your lovely comment. You sound so lucky with your home! Sounds like paradise. Do you toss it on a compost heap or how do the dogs get it?
      Yes, this stock is great and if you make it with no meat nor salt (you can add salt later) you can still compost the veggies as well. Hope you will enjoy your stock as much as we do. Stay safe.
      xx

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  2. Everyone throws those onion scraps away, but they're wonderful for making broth! Thank you for sharing!

    https://sundaydahlias.com

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    1. Yes, they really are! I made the most lovely miso soup with rice noodles, wasabi and veggies yesterday with the stock and it was oh, so delicious!
      Thank you for your lovely comment.
      xx

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  3. This sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing.

    New Post - https://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com/2020/03/kerastase-resistance-masque_20.html

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    1. I am happy you liked it. I hope you will enjoy it as we do. Another soup in the making today just because of this delicious stock:)
      xx

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  4. It is so important that we are more mindful about or usage and how the products we use will affect the environment. It is great that there are so many ways to compost these days. My parents use compost and it helps our garden a ton. They found using coffee grinds will help with steering ants away. It is amazing that you make some broth with leftover vegetables!

    Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me

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    1. Dear Nancy, thank you for your comment and amazing tip! Yes, there really are so many ideas which are beneficial to us and our mother Earth at the same time and living mindfully can be so rewarding as well. It is amazing that we can share our tips between each other:) Do you blend the coffee grounds into the compost or around the compost?
      xx

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  5. This recipe sounds so delicious! I will definitely be trying this ASAP! Thanks for sharing! :)

    melissakacar.blogspot.com

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    1. Yey, I am so happy! I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do :)
      xx

      Delete
  6. This is such a great idea. I am very much guilty of having a shamefully excessive amount of food waste. Though I had taken to utilising my parents compost (I'm a little squeamish about getting my own because of the bug situation, which I know, I sound so bloody ridiculous! I'm working on this) the last few months. I love the idea of freezing then using those odds and ends to make vegetable stock. This really is such an ingenious use plus you still get to compost the scraps afterwards. I am definitely going to try this out. Thank you!

    Sxx
    daringcoco.com

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    1. Yey, I am so happy that you are giving it a try :) There is a good tip in the comments with the coffee grounds to keep ants away. It might help with your situation :)
      We have managed our food waste down to almost zero but it was not always os in the past (some odd item sometimes slips our eyes or is spoiled already when it arrives) but I can not remember throwing food away (apart from long bean being mouldy inside what I did not notice in the shop - very dissapointing). My dad always told me to think how the food got to our kitchen and what all needed to be done. From the preparation of the soil, to the amount of water and care it needed for months to the labour of harvesting it an all the fossil fuel and packaging it needed for it to come to the shop. If one thinks about it it is MUCH harder to waste anything. Also if you do not waste you save money which you can save or use to buy organic produce which then helps the earth even more:)

      Delete
  7. Omg... composts are something we have done in my family since I was a kid. It's like a tradition.
    Hope you're doing well!

    www.fashionradi.com

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    1. I am so happy to hear so! It is wonderful that your family has been doing it and that the younger generations have been taking it on as well to keep it going for generations!
      Do you have any tips so you could motivate people who are currently only thinking about it?
      xx

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  8. Dear Bexa, thank your for your most lovely comment.
    It really is such an amazing base to add to so many different recipes. It is almost free, cruelty-free, vegan and oh, so delicious :) I am playing around with different flavours, but it is always better to add them after the broth is more versitale.
    xx

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  9. I would never think of using the scraps to make a broth! This is such a great idea and a perfect way to adding to your dishes. I bet the broth is really tasty with what is used in it.
    Thanks for sharing....I may just have to give this a try!

    Aimsy xoxo
    Aimsy’s Antics

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    1. Dear Aimsy, thank you so much for your lovely comment :)
      Yes, I adore this broth and you can then easily amend it with extra taste if you wish as well
      but just as it is it is great, too. Saves money, saves the environment. Win-win.
      xx

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  10. Oh wow I would never even think to use scraps, but it makes total sense and means no wastage which is definitely important right now xo

    Makeup Muddle

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    1. Thank you dear for your lovely comment :)
      Yes, there are so many wonderful ways we can live a more sustainable, mindful and cheaper life.
      I hope this platform will be as one where we all can share and learn from each other. :)
      Thank you for stopping by.
      xx

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  11. What a brilliant idea! My husband makes home made chicken and vegetable soup quite often but we've never thought about using the peelings and scraps etc for a broth or stock. You've converted me, this is a great tips, thank you :)

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    1. Hello Lisa, thank you for your comment.
      Hope you are doing well in these times. I am so happy to hear that you are a convert!
      You can even freeze bones from your chicken roast if you eat it to add additional flavour and collagen.
      Waste not -want not is the motto :)
      xx

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  12. great post!!Thank you for sharing!

    https://tiateilli.com/

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    1. Thank you dear Tia :)
      I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)
      xx

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  13. wow never thought of using the peels and skins for stock! thank you for the idea
    xoxo
    style frontier

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    1. Yes, it is really so easy. I have a container in the freezer and when it is full I make this stock recipe.
      It is prefect as a base for quick, easy and delicious soups.
      Hope you are well.
      xx

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  14. penny stock service I feel very grateful that I read this. It is very helpful and very informative and I really learned a lot from it.

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  15. Major Thanks for the blog post. Much thanks again. Great.Botanic Wire

    ReplyDelete