Vegetable broth
Vegetable broth is the strained liquid from vegetables simmered in water. It adds a gentle savory base to soups, grains, lentils and risotto without the flavor of meat or fish stock.
- Form
- Prepared liquid, homemade or correctly diluted from a concentrate.
- In risotto
- Add it hot a little at a time as the rice absorbs each addition.
Keep it ready to ladle
Use a homemade broth that has been strained, a ready-to-use liquid, or a concentrate diluted exactly as its label directs. Warm the liquid before adding it to a hot pan. For risotto, add a ladle at a time and let the rice absorb it before adding more.
A flexible Italian kitchen base
Brodo vegetale is used for minestre, soups and risotti. A simple pot may start with onion, carrot, celery and other vegetables; the balance can change with the dish. The result is a liquid to strain and use, not a dry cube or granule.
Build flavor without changing the dish
Use vegetable broth to cook lentils, enrich a soup or provide the liquid for risotto and other grains. Choose a mild broth for delicate vegetables and a fuller one when the dish can carry more seasoning.
Check whether it is liquid or concentrated
A carton of ready-to-use broth and a jar of granular concentrate are different forms. Read the label for the dilution and salt level; do not measure a concentrate as though it were prepared broth.
Store the prepared liquid safely
Follow the package directions for opened commercial broth. Cool homemade broth promptly, refrigerate or freeze it in clean covered portions, and use it according to current food-safety guidance.
