Learn how to make vegetable stock! Perfect for using in soups, sauces, risottos, and more, this homemade broth is super flavorful and easy to make.
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The other day, I was making vegetable stock with veggie odds and ends I’d accumulated throughout the week. As I stood in the kitchen, savoring the delicious aroma wafting from my stock pot, I realized that I had yet to share my method for how to make vegetable broth on the blog. I have over 80(!!) soup recipes on here, and another soup season is right around the corner. Suffice it to say, this vegetable stock recipe is long overdue.
I’m so excited to share it today because I believe that vegetable stock is something that everyone can and should make at home. It’s unbelievably easy and cheap, and it tastes SO much better than any broth you’d find at the store. Don’t worry – I’ll never blame you for reaching for store bought broth when that’s the most convenient option (I still use it sometimes too!). But whenever you do make your own, the extra time and effort will always be worth it.
Vegetable Stock Recipe Ingredients
I have two methods for how to make vegetable broth. The first starts with fresh, aromatic veggies. I use
- onions,
- garlic,
- carrots,
- celery,
- and herbs like thyme and parsley.
Then, to give the broth even more depth of flavor, I add salt, whole peppercorns, leek tops, and bay leaves.
In the second method, I use vegetablescraps instead of the vegetables themselves. This method keeps these veggie odds and ends from going to waste, and it yields a super tasty broth. As it turns out, the parts of vegetables that we normally toss are actually packed with flavor.
All sorts of scraps can contribute to a flavorful stock. Here are a few that work especially well:
- leek tops,
- fennel fronds,
- carrot tops,
- herb stems,
- corn cobs,
- mushroom stems,
- scallion roots or tops,
- onion skins and ends,
- and garlic skins and ends.
Steer clear of veggie scraps from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, or cauliflower, as they can make your stock bitter.
Tip: Keep a freezer bag or container of veggie scraps in your freezer and add to it whenever you cook. When you have about 6 cups of frozen scraps, it’s time to make veggie stock!
How to Make Vegetable Broth
Whether you’re using whole vegetables or vegetable scraps, making homemade vegetable broth is incredibly easy.
- First, wash the vegetables well.You don’t want to simmer any dirt or sand in your stock!
- Next, chop them.The shape isn’t important – you just need to break them down enough so that they fit neatly in your pot.
- Then, simmer.Add the vegetables to a large pot with the salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add 10-12 cups of water and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
- Finally, strain the stockthrough a fine mesh strainer to remove the vegetables and peppercorns.
That’s it!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Storing and Using Homemade Vegetable Stock
Allow the stock to cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze it for several months. (Psst! When you have a stash of homemade vegetable stock in your freezer, it’s just as convenient as the store bought kind!)
Use the homemade stock as you would any veggie broth – in recipes for stuffing, gravy, pasta sauce, and risotto, and, of course, soup. Find my favorite soup recipes below.
Favorite Soup Recipes
Once you make this vegetable broth recipe, try using it in one of these soups:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Many-Veggie Vegetable Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Easy Vegetarian Chili
- Or any of these 30 Best Soup Recipes!
Vegetable Stock
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Serves 8
Once you learn how to make vegetable broth, you'll never get the store-bought kind again! It's easy, cheap, and super flavorful, perfect for making soups, sauces, and more.
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions, halved
- 4 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 to 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
- Leek or fennel tops, chopped
- 1 garlic bulb, halved
- Handful fresh parsley
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 10 to 12 cups filtered water
Instructions
Place the onions, carrots, celery, leek tops, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat (If 12 cups of water won’t fit in your pot, you can use 10). Reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered, for 1 hour.
Strain and discard the vegetables. Season to taste and use in your favorite soup recipes.
Notes
Note: I often like to use all vegetable scraps to make my stock (leek tops, fennel tops, carrot tops, scallion tops, herb scraps, and herb stems). 6 loose-packed cups of roughly chopped veg scraps can be used in place of the vegetables listed in the recipe above.
FAQs
Some vegetables that don't do well in stock are:
- Leafy green parts of carrots and celery.
- Brassicas, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, rutabagas, collard greens, kohlrabi, and kale.
- Artichokes.
- Beets.
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes.
- Squash flesh, including winter squash and zucchini.
Then, to give the broth even more depth of flavor, I add salt, whole peppercorns, leek tops, and bay leaves. In the second method, I use vegetable scraps instead of the vegetables themselves. This method keeps these veggie odds and ends from going to waste, and it yields a super tasty broth.
How do you make vegetable stock thicker? ›
Gelatin shouldn't generate "blocks or blobs" when incorporated correctly, but if you don't want to use gelatin, you can also add corn starch, arrowroot powder, potato starch, tapioca flour, or other starch to thicken the broth.
How to make vegetable stock taste like beef? ›
Dried Mushrooms
Dried shiitakes are especially tasty if you're trying to add meaty savoriness to veggie stock. Add 3–4 mushrooms to a 1 quart of stock. You've seen those fancy dried morels at the market.
Should I put potato peels in my vegetable stock? ›
Save those vegetables that may have lost their crunchy appeal for a flavorful veggie stock. Even if stored properly, celery and carrots may become floppy after some time, but don't let them go to the compost. Throw in your onion skins, potato peels, and other veggie scraps from cooking to add more flavor to the mix!
What two types of vegetables should be avoided in stocks? ›
Beet roots and onion skins should also be avoided, unless you don't mind your stock turning red or brown. Spoiled vegetables: Although stock is a great way to use veggies that are wilted or slightly past their prime, be sure not to use produce that is rotten or moldy.
Can you put lemon in vegetable broth? ›
Just season with more salt and add scallion, cilantro, fresh chile, a few drops sesame oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice for a vegan brodo. You can also make a quick soup with any vegetables you have in your fridge—just make sure to thinly slice or shave them so they cook quickly.
How do you take the bitterness out of vegetable stock? ›
If it tastes bitter to you, there are a couple of ways to fix that. Consider adding one to four tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add one at a time, melt it in, cook for two minutes and taste.
How do you add depth to vegetable broth? ›
Boost the Umami of Vegetable Broth
Soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos add great depth, but watch out for using too much—you'll end up making the stock only taste like super-salty soy. Start with about 2 teaspoons per quart and adjust from there. Remember, you can always add more.
What is the difference between a stock and a broth? ›
Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.
Tips for Making Vegetable Stock
Other than water and your frozen scraps, you need very little to complete cooking except for a quick sauté. You can do this in the same pot you'll simmer the stock in. A small amount of fat — olive oil, in this case — goes a long way to enrich a stock's flavor.
Is it OK to use starchy vegetables when making a vegetable stock? ›
Avoid using starchy vegetables like potatoes or winter squash, along with overpowering cruciferous veg like cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Bitter greens and beets should also be skipped. You want the flavor to be well-rounded and complex, but not overwhelming or heavy in any one flavor.
How to make vegetable stock taste better? ›
How to boost flavour:
- Cut the vegetables roughly, but on the smaller side. ...
- I brown the onions thoroughly in hot olive oil for about 5 minutes. ...
- Use fresh herbs like thyme and parsley, and also dried bay leaves.
- I salt the stock at the end.
"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.
What cooking method is best for stock? ›
Never boil stock.
Just bring to the boil then turn down to simmer slowly for hours. Remember: if you want a darker, richer stock, brown off the bones and vegetables first before adding water to simmer.
What veggies are not good for stock? ›
What Not to Use for Making Vegetable Stock
- Moldy or rotten vegetables. ...
- Anything with a very strong, specific flavor (or color)—Cabbage, broccoli, artichokes, and beets are a few examples.
Remove the tops/bottoms/skins/stems from any vegetables you are preparing (avoid vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower as they will add a bitter taste to your stock) and place them in a ziplock bag - they can stay frozen up to 6 months. Note: You can add many other vegetable scraps (think sweet!)
What not to use in stock? ›
NOTE: Avoid cruciferous veggies like cabbage or brussels sprouts as they can result in a bitter stock. Other fun ingredients to add: Fresh herbs like thyme and parsley are lovely in stock but be careful of intense/woody herbs like rosemary as they can overpower it.
What ingredient items should never be used in stock preparation? ›
Dark greens (spinach, kale, etc) can make a stock bitter and of course greenish in color. Cabbage also can impart a overwhelming bitterness. Potatoes can cloud a stock from their starchiness, so they are not good when you want clear stock for something like a soup or consomme.
