Using tea in broth?

I have never tried this specifically, but I do use tea a lot in cooking. I would suggest to brew tea, then use that as the water base. If you put tea in the water along with the leeks and carrots it may get too strong. But it is really up to your personal taste.

I have done this. Though I added it to a soup not a broth. I made a strong infusion of the tea and added to the soup near the end of it’s cooking stage. It was a pureed soup so I didn’t have to worry about the flavor penetrating the various ingredients. :) If you have a chunky soup, might be good to add the tea earlier in the cooking process.

Apparently the tea I used was super caffeinated (though I’m also quite sensitive) because this soup made me wired! Good thing it was lunch and not dinner or I would have wreck my sleep schedule. :) Just an anecdotal warning.

I love to make soups and experiment with herbs, etc. to add depth without excess salt or use of meat stock/broth. I think the addition of the right tea may be delicious. And as pointed out ^ by Mercuryhime, probably not caffeinated tea.

I have used tea as a broth (lapsang souchong, lady grey, a couple others) or to soak dried products, no problem. But I would advise you to strain it – cooked carrots and onions get soft and melty but not sure if tea leaves would get a pleasant texture plus cooked tea leaves, dunno if the leaves getting a lot of tea would not make it extra bitter. Just make some nice strong tea and use it as you would water.

I have also used tea in milk for chai and chai derived recipes – and also keep in mind that tea "transfers " to the milk differently than in water, it does not get bitter the same way and seems to transfer not so easily so use more tea. and always strain!

I have used herbal teas as broth like Fennel Seed Tea which is wonderful with my noodles and carrots. I sprinkle my matcha powder in just about everything that I am having but this is not a broth. Sorry!

I put Exotica (a lemongrass chai-ish herbal blend) into lentil stew recently. It was awesome.

I marinated and pan fried tuna in Della Terra’s Lime Chiffon recently. Worked out pretty well!

Try some Lapsang to get a smokey flavored soup!

Btw LOVE the name, Zoidberg! :)

I kinda want to try chai in soup.