How to Make Vegetable Stock
Learn how to make vegetable stock at home cheaper than store bought vegetable broth. Homemade veggie stock is such as easy way to elevate any of your soups, stews, sauces and casseroles.
Servings: 8 cups
Equipment
- 1 Large stock pot or a Dutch oven
- Weck Jars For storing (Freezer friendly)
- 1 Large measuring cup with a spout for easy pouring (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 large onions roughly chopped
- 4 medium size carrots chopped in 2-inch pieces
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 whole head of garlic cut in half widthwise
- 5 sprigs fresh parsley
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns about 8-10 whole peppercorns
- 10 cups water
Optional Add-ins
- 1 cup Mushroom or mushroom stems
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 leek with the top
Instructions
- Place onion, carrots, celery, garlic, fresh parsley and fresh thyme sprigs, salt and pepper and any of the optional add ins into a large stockpot or a Dutch oven.
- Pour the water in.
- Put the lid on and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
- Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and let it simmer, stirring once or twice, for about an hour to hour and a half.
- Let it cool for 10 - 15 minutes and carefully strain using a fine mesh strainer placed over a large heat proof bowl, pressing the juices out of the vegetables with the back of a spoon. Discard the veggies.
- Transfer the vegetable broth into jars. Cool them to room temperature before storing in the fridge or freezing for later use.
Notes
- Rinse your vegetables well: It is best to give your vegetables a quick rinse to get any debris before using them in your stock. You can also use a soft brush to gently rub them (such as carrots). This way, there is no need to peel them. Needless to say, avoid using moldy or rotten vegetables.
- Vegetables to avoid: You can use this basic recipe and add more veggies based on what you have on hand. However, we recommend avoiding cruciferous vegetables such as kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts as they can make your broth bitter. Also, starch veggies like potatoes would make your stock cloudy so it is best not to use them.
- Storage & freezing instructions: You can store your stock in an airtight container (such as a mason jar) in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight.
- Vegetable stock with scraps: You can make vegetable broth using kitchen scraps or even frozen scrap. The method is similar but there are a few other things to pay attention to. If you want to try that method, check out our detailed post on how to make veggie broth from scraps to learn more.
Nutrition
Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 4780mg | Potassium: 411mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 2mg
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