Vegetable stock is easy to make. All you need is a little bit of time and a collection of some of your favorite vegetables, water, salt, and a heat source.
This won’t take up much of your time, though, because almost all the “time” it takes to make vegetable broth is simmering on a stove top. So you can be doing plenty of other things while your veggie stock simmers.
As for the vegetables -- those could even come from scraps!
*Note: Vegetable Stock is also sometimes called Vegetable Broth. There isn’t really a difference; it’s more in what people are familiar with as a name. For the purpose of this article, we will use the two interchangeably.
Jump to:
- What Vegetables Should You Use in Vegetable Broth?
- Other good vegetables to add to vegetable stock
- Kitchen Hack: Use Up Your Scraps!
- There are no “wrong” vegetables to use in veggie broth, but…
- Vegetables to Avoid in Vegetable Stock
- How to Make Vegetable Broth
- The quickest way to make veggie stock
- Packaging and Storing Vegetable Broth for Future Use
- Use or package and store within one week
- Freezing vegetable stock:
- Canning vegetable stock:
- Where and When to Use Vegetable Stock
- Homemade Vegetable Stock Recipe
What Vegetables Should You Use in Vegetable Broth?
Many, if not most, vegetables can be used to make vegetable stock. What ends up in your stock might reflect what you use and have on hand in your kitchen.
You do want a mix of vegetables to impart a well-balanced, well-rounded flavor.
A good, basic vegetable stock will often include:
- Carrots
- Onions
- Garlic
- Celery
- Herbs such as parsley, thyme, basil, bay leaf (preferably fresh but dried work well, too)
Other good vegetables to add to vegetable stock
The basics will deliver a nice vegetable stock, but consider adding other vegetables you like, too.
Other vegetables you might add include:
- Leeks
- Scallions
- Greens like chard or spinach
- Mushrooms
- Beets or other root vegetables
- Fennel
- Celeriac
- Peas or pea pods
- Squash or pumpkin (but may impart slight cloudiness)
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Turnips
Kitchen Hack: Use Up Your Scraps!
A great way to reduce food waste and get more for your money is to save kitchen scraps and use them in your vegetable broths.
You can even build a freezer scrap bag of veggies that you then use for your broth base.
This is where your broth might really start to reflect the things that you use and eat on a regular basis.
Some ideas for broth scraps are
- Tops and ends from root vegetables (carrot tops, etc.)
- Herbs that are about to go by and won’t be used in time
- Skins and roots from garlic and onions, outer trimmed portions of the same
- Mushroom stems
- Tops from root vegetables like carrot tops or beet tops
- Tips and ends from beans
- Ends from celery
- Peels and trimmings like pea pods from shelling peas
- Ends from peppers
- Tomato skins or cores
A lot of the scraps of vegetables that don’t feel good to chew are perfectly fine in a broth, since they get strained out.
There are no “wrong” vegetables to use in veggie broth, but…
There are no edible vegetables that are wrong to use or that you can’t use in a homemade vegetable stock.
There are some vegetables that are not typically used in veggie stock. There are some that it is generally advised to avoid when making a vegetable stock.
The reason(s) to avoid these vegetables is not from the point of danger. It is from a point of outcome for your finished product.
The usual reason to avoid certain vegetables is that they may impart an undesirable flavor (some can result in bitter or sulfurous undertones in the broth).
Another reason is that they can cloud the broth, and most people are looking for a clear stock. Starchy vegetables will do this. However, there are times when that might not matter to you and may even enhance the recipe in which you’re using the vegetable stock.
The point is, if you want to experiment with vegetables that you love, or that you have an abundance of or extra scraps from, go ahead. Just know that it is an experiment for the first batch or two.
If you like the results? Repeat it. If the taste or appearance is off because of it, next time, find a different recipe for those vegetables and scraps, or compost them instead.
Vegetables to Avoid in Vegetable Stock
The vegetables that are more commonly avoided in vegetable broths are these:
- Starchy vegetables like potatoes and potato peels (because they tend to make a thicker, cloudy broth)
- Cruciferous vegetables because they can come off as bitter and sometimes impart sulfurous flavors: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale (sometimes), Brussels sprouts
Again, if these flavors work for you, use them! If a thicker or starchy broth is not a problem, use the potatoes, too. In fact, for thicker recipes, casseroles, and sauces, a little starch in the broth might be a benefit.
How to Make Vegetable Broth
The following ingredient list is for a typical, basic vegetable stock. Feel free to add or subtract vegetables to taste.
This recipe makes about two quarts of finished vegetable broth.
Ingredients:
- 3 medium to large carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 medium onions
- 1 head of garlic (4 to 5 large cloves or 8 small)
- 1 large bunch parsley
- 6 to 8 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste at the end)
- ¼ teaspoon cracked peppercorns
Instructions:
- Chop all vegetables and ingredients. Large vegetables should be chopped into one-inch pieces. Chop garlic to a rough chop. Herbs can be left as sprigs or given a rough chop.
- Saute vegetables in one to two tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes, until vegetables start to brown and soften.
- Add two quarts of cold water and the salt and pepper. (Using cold water helps to remove any impurities and results in a clearer broth).
- Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer. Skim any impurities off the top of the broth after the initial boil and again later if needed.
- Simmer on a low simmer for one hour.
- Remove from heat.
- Strain out the vegetable pieces and discard them into your compost bin.
- For clearer broth, strain through a piece of muslin or a tea towel.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste if you like. Adding most of the salt at the end helps to make a less salty broth, as salt will concentrate as the broth simmers down.
- You can also leave your broth unseasoned, and then season it when you use it. This gives you more flexibility if you are using the broth in different recipes that have their own seasonings.
The quickest way to make veggie stock
It is best to chop your vegetables before you start your broth. That gives them more surface area, which allows them to release more flavor more quickly.
If you want a faster, easier broth, you can skip this step (and also skip the olive oil, which is only used for sauteing).
It is also best to lightly saute your ingredients before simmering. This is optional, but you’ll get a better depth of flavor and a nicer, deeper broth color.
You can prepare this entire dish in a soup or sauce pot or in a dutch oven (including the sauteing).
If you really want to make a good, fast broth, you can skip the chopping and sauteing. Just add all the vegetables or scraps in whole or in a large, rough chop, cover with water, add any seasonings, and simmer for an hour or two. It really can be that easy.
Packaging and Storing Vegetable Broth for Future Use
You can use your vegetable broth right away, or you can store it for later use.
Use or package and store within one week
If you plan to use your broth within a week, just refrigerate it. If not, package and store it for long-term storage.
Freezing vegetable stock:
The broth freezes well. Freezing is the fastest and easiest way to store broth long-term.
- Pour broth into freezer-safe container, like reusable plastic deli containers.
- Leave one-inch headspace for expansion in the freezer.
- You can freeze in canning jars, too, but only the straight-sided, wide mouth canning jars are freezer safe. (Other jars will break at the neck when the broth expands when it freezes).
- The broth will last for one year or more in the freezer.
Canning vegetable stock:
Vegetable broth can also be canned, but it should be canned under pressure in a pressure canner. To pressure can vegetable broth:
- Fill prepared pint or quart jars with hot broth
- Leave one inch of headspace
- Wipe rims and adjust two-piece caps, screwing bands onto finger tight
- Process in a pressure canner for 30 minutes for pints, 35 for quarts at 10 pounds pressure (if you live at altitude, adjust accordingly)
Where and When to Use Vegetable Stock
Vegetable stock or vegetable broth is versatile and can be used in a number of dishes or in everyday cooking to add flavor and nutrition to vegetables, rice, and other foods.
Here are some suggestions for using your vegetable stock:
- As a base for soup
- To replace chicken or meat stock in any recipe you want to convert to vegetarian
- For cooking rice
- Cooking pasta
- Steaming vegetables
- As a sauce base
- In risotto
- In casseroles
Making vegetable broth is really a simple process. It’s a great way to bring more vegetables and nutrients into your life, and a great way to add flavor to so many foods and dishes. Enjoy!
Homemade Vegetable Stock Recipe
Discover how to make a delicious homemade vegetable stock with this easy-to-follow recipe. Perfect for soups, stews, and more!
Ingredients
- 3 medium to large carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 medium onions
- 1 head of garlic (4 to 5 large cloves or 8 small)
- 1 large bunch parsley
- 6 to 8 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste at the end)
- ¼ teaspoon cracked peppercorns
Instructions
- Chop all vegetables and ingredients. Large vegetables should be chopped into one-inch pieces. Chop garlic to a rough chop. Herbs can be left as sprigs or given a rough chop.
- Saute vegetables in one to two tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes, until vegetables start to brown and soften.
- Add two quarts of cold water and the salt and pepper. (Using cold water helps to remove any impurities and results in a clearer broth).
- Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer. Skim any impurities off the top of the broth after the initial boil and again later if needed.
- Simmer on a low simmer for one hour.
- Remove from heat.
- Strain out the vegetable pieces and discard them into your compost bin.
- For clearer broth, strain through a piece of muslin or a tea towel.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste if you like. Adding most of the salt at the end helps to make a less salty broth, as salt will concentrate as the broth simmers down.
- You can also leave your broth unseasoned, and then season it when you use it. This gives you more flexibility if you are using the broth in different recipes that have their own seasonings.
Notes
- It is best to chop your vegetables before you start your broth. That gives them more surface area, which allows them to release more flavor more quickly.
- It is also best to lightly saute your ingredients before simmering. This is optional, but you’ll get a better depth of flavor and a nicer, deeper broth color.
- You can prepare this entire dish in a soup or sauce pot or in a dutch oven (including the sauteing).
- If you plan to use your broth within a week, just refrigerate it. If not, package and store it for long-term storage.
- The broth freezes well. Freezing is the fastest and easiest way to store broth long-term.
- Vegetable broth can also be canned, but it should be canned under pressure in a pressure canner.
- Vegetable stock or vegetable broth is versatile and can be used in a number of dishes or in everyday cooking to add flavor and nutrition to vegetables, rice, and other foods.
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