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
Herbs: Herbs like fresh parsley, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and basil provide a range of aromatic and fresh flavors. They infuse the broth with their unique herbal profiles, adding complexity and fragrance. Peppercorns and sea salt: Black peppercorns provide a subtle spicy kick and add a touch of warmth to the stock.
How do you make vegetable stock taste better? ›
Herbs: Herbs like fresh parsley, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and basil provide a range of aromatic and fresh flavors. They infuse the broth with their unique herbal profiles, adding complexity and fragrance. Peppercorns and sea salt: Black peppercorns provide a subtle spicy kick and add a touch of warmth to the stock.
What not to put in vegetable stock? ›
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.
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.
Is lemon good in vegetable stock? ›
Add bright, fresh flavor to vegetable broth
Don't boil fresh herbs in broth, though, or they could make the stock bitter. To brighten any soup, stock, or broth, a splash of lemon juice or vinegar is always a good idea.
How do you make stock taste better? ›
Throw In Extra Aromatics
The base of most stocks are flavorful aromatics, like onion, carrot, and celery. An easy way to punch up the lackluster flavor of boxed stocks is by adding more of those basics. An onion sliced in half, plus a few chunks of carrots and celery can go a long way in flavoring store-bought stocks.
Why does my vegetable stock taste bland? ›
Try adding salt. For my taste buds, the majority of the flavor in broth comes from the salt and the roasted bones/veggies. If it is bland it may need salt.
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!
Can you simmer vegetable stock too long? ›
The vegetables should be cut in small pieces (1/2″ to 1″ pieces) so that they render their flavor more easily. The stock should not simmer for more than 45 minutes. In that time the vegetables have given all their flavor to the water. Simmering them longer will only turn the vegetables into mush.
What two types of vegetables should be avoided in stocks? ›
Avoid These Vegetable Stock Mistakes
The starch in potato skins can turn stock gummy, while all members of the cabbage family (this includes cauliflower, collards, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and all varieties of cabbage and kale) add unpleasant bitterness.
In addition to the classic aromatic trio of onions, carrots, and celery, I use dried mushrooms and tomato for the base of my stock. Both add a rich umami flavor that you'd otherwise achieve from chicken or meat. Garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and black pepper perfume the broth for a complex flavor.
What is the difference between vegetable stock and broth? ›
Vegetable stock is made with untrimmed, sometimes whole vegetables, while broth is made from trimmed, roughly chopped vegetables. Vegetable stock generally takes longer to cook (at least 2 hours) than broth, which usually cooks for less than 30 minutes.
How can I improve my stock in cooking? ›
How to Make Broth More Flavorful
- Add herbs and spices.
- Add acidic ingredients.
- Pack in umami flavor.
- Roast the ingredients first.
- Let it evaporate and cook longer.
- Skim excess fat.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2. onions.
- 2 to 3. carrots.
- 3 to 4. celery stalks.
- 4 to 5 sprigs. fresh thyme.
- bay leaf.
- small bunch fresh parsley.
- 1 teaspoon. black peppercorns.
- Optional extras: leeks (especially the green parts), fennel, tomatoes, mushrooms, mushroom stems, parsnips.
To the stockpot, add 4 quarts of cold water (enough to cover the vegetables plus a bit more), crank the heat up, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the stock mixture comes to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and cook until the amount of liquid has reduced by about half, about 1 1/2 hours.
Is homemade vegetable stock worth it? ›
As with all stocks, homemade Vegetable Stock is far superior to store bought, with the added benefit that it's much easier to make than seafood and meat stocks which often call for manhandling of considerable amounts of bones (I'm thinking of you beef stock!).
How do you fix bland vegetable broth? ›
How to Make Broth More Flavorful
- Add herbs and spices. Herbs and spices add aroma, flavor, and intensity to soup broth. ...
- Pack in umami flavor. "If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. ...
- Let it evaporate and cook longer.
How to Fix Bitterness
- Add an additional ⅛ teaspoon of salt, stir, and taste.
- For every quart of stock you can add one chopped apple and cook the stock for an additional two hours.
- Try a teaspoon or two of sugar, stir it in, and taste it after two minutes.
- Consider adding one to four tablespoons of unsalted butter.
A good chicken broth needs carrots and celery. It also needs chicken fat even if you are skimming the far off after the broth cools. If you feel this has been taken care of and still no flavor, try roasting the chicken back bones till golden brown before adding to the broth.
