This homemade vegetable stock recipe is so easy to make, and is a delicious and healthy alternative to bought stock. It is is cheaper too! Suitable for vegans, vegetarians and those on a gluten free diet, use homemade veg stock in your favourite soups and sauces.
Homemade vegetable stock stock is not only an easy and healthy recipe, but it’s also one of my favourite recipes for using up vegetable scraps. Homemade stock (or broth if you prefer!) provides a delicious base for so many dishes, from soups to stews, risottos to pasta dishes like this one pot pasta. You can choose to soften the vegetables in a little oil to release their sweet flavour and provide a richer darker stock, good for recipes like this chicken tray bake. Or omit the step and let them simmer in water for a lighter stock which is more suitable for Asian dishes and clear soups such as miso noodle soup. Both methods are included below.
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Why we love this recipe
- Homemade stock is far healthier than most store bought stocks which can be full of salt and artificial flavourings.
- Making stock is a fantastic way to use up any wilting vegetables sat in the fridge, or vegetable scraps, and saves throwing them away.
- It is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
- It is easy to make – no need to peel the onions, garlic or carrots. Stir the vegetables (if using that method), then once you have skimmed the scum off the surface you can leave it to simmer away for an hour.
Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Onion – brown onion. You can use a red onion but be aware that it can give your stock a red tinge. Leave the skins on – they have great flavour!
- Carrots – These budget vegetables are so good to use in stock. No need to peel them – just scrub to clean.
- Celery – you can use just the leaves if you want, or leaves and stalks.
- Oil – olive oil or a neutral oil.
- Garlic – you can leave the papery skin on.
- Spices – here I have stuck with the more traditional spices used: bay leaves and black peppercorns. Feel free to add what you like or have to hand; a few thyme or parsley stalks, or mix it up to suit the dishes you plan to make with this vegetable stock recipe.
How to make vegetable stock from scratch
- If making darker vegetable stock: Finely chop the onions, celery and carrot, leaving the skin on the onion and peel on the carrots.
- Fry the vegetables in the oil over a low heat until soft.
- For both dark and light vegetable stock: Add the water, bay leaf, peppercorns and oregano. Bring up to a boil skimming off any foam, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour.
- Sieve and leave to cool before storing in the fridge or freezing.
FAQ
Onion, celery and carrots are a great base for vegetable stock, then add your choice of tomatoes, mushrooms, fennel, leeks or garlic.
Avoid making vegetable stock with any vegetable that is a member of the brassica family, including broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. They will give the stock a sulphurous smell and flavour. Zucchini / courgette can make the stock cloudy and beetroot will make it pink!
Yes, if you cook the recipe for longer than an hour the vegetables can turn very soft and mushy and this will make it harder to sieve without getting bits of vegetables in your stock.
My recipe tips
- Watch the vegetables carefully and don’t fry them over too high a heat. If the vegetables catch on the bottom of the pan this can make the whole batch of stock taste bitter.
- When you see the scum – the foam – spoon it off immediately. It can disappear as the stock boils and mixes back in to the stock. When the stock cools it won’t be clear. However, if you don’t skim off the scum don’t panic and throw the whole batch of stock away!!! It is still edible, I just wouldn’t recommend using it for a clear broth 🙂
- Always use cold water. By bringing it to the boil with the vegetables, will help to remove any impurities.
- Don’t boil rapidly – if you let the stock boil vigorously the vegetables will break down, making your stock cloudy.
Variations
Other vegetables to add to vegetable stock
- Mushrooms or mushroom peelings
- Leeks – leeks make a lovely stock, even on their own. If I am boiling leeks to make these ricotta rolls, I always reserve the water I cooked the leeks in to use in sauces like a chicken and leek pie or add flavour to soups. It freezes well too.
- Tomatoes – especially useful for using up squishy tomatoes, as long as they aren’t mouldy. You can also add some tomato puree / tomato paste to the stock, added a couple of minutes towards the end of softening the vegetables.
- Potato peelings – a few potato peelings can give the stock some body and a potato flavour, which is especially useful if you like making leek and potato soup.
Asian style stock:
Add a few slices of fresh ginger, chilli and lemon grass or add some miso paste and soy sauce instead of salt.
Zero waste vegetable stock:
I love to use my vegetable scraps to make a flavourful stock. Here are a few of my favourite vegetable scraps I use to make stock with:
- Carrot peelings
- Mushroom peelings and stems
- Herbs stalks
- Onion peelings (these are good for a darker stock, leave out if wanting a pale stock.)
- Leek trimmings
- Corn cobs
If you don’t often have lots of vegetable scraps at once, wash and dry them then freeze them in a large sealable bag and once the bag gets full you can make stock! Add from frozen, either to the oil or straight in to the water. No need to thaw them first.
Baby Vegetable Stock:
Making stock from scratch is especially useful when serving it for baby led weaning or toddlers. You can control exactly what goes in to it, and can omit the salt completely. Use it in blended soups like this roast pumpkin soup, carrot and pumpkin soup or carrot and lentil soup, or to add to pasta sauces such as this sweet potato sauce or baby pasta sauce.
Brown vs light vegetable stock
Slowly caramelising the vegetables in oil before adding water adds extra depth of flavour and colour to your stock. However you can simple omit this step and place your vegetables in cold water, bring to a boil and cook the same way. This will result in a lighter colour and clearer broth (you well get beads of oil with the first method.) The image below shows both – the top bowl is made without softening the vegetables first (light vegetable stock); the bottom bowl contains stock made with vegetables softened in oil before the water is added (dark vegetable stock).
Recipes to make with homemade stock
Use the same amount of this homemade veggie stock as the recipe calls for, no need to dilute it.
- Stock makes a great base for soup, but it is also useful for adding flavour to a sauce for dishes like shepherds pie, or using in stews and casseroles.
- When making a white sauce for a chicken pie, I often use a little homemade stock instead of milk. It adds extra flavour, as well as making it a lighter sauce.
- Use it when making a risotto, or cook couscous, pasta or rice in it to add extra flavour.
Make ahead / storage
Store cooled homemade stock in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
To freeze homemade vegetable stock: cool completely and then measure in cups or 100mls and place in a plastic bag. Lay the bag flat on it’s side to make it easier to defrost the stock. Labelling the stock with not only the contents and dates, but also the amount means you can grab just how much you need from the freezer. If you plan to freeze stock in glass jars, leave a little room – around 2.5 cm / 1 inch – to allow for it to expand in the freezer.
Recipes I love to make with homemade stock
Homemade Vegetable Stock
Author: Robyn
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil (optional – see notes below)
- 1 brown onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 sticks celery
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspooon salt
- 1 litre (4 ¼ c) cold water
Instructions
If sautéing the vegetables first:
- Chop the onions, carrots and celery into cubes roughly the same size. Roughly chop or crush the garlic cloves.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sweat the vegetables in the oil for 10-12 minutes over a low heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until soft.
If not cooking the vegetables first:
- Chop the onion, carrots and celery in half and place in a large saucepan.
For both stocks:
- Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, dried oregano and salt, then pour in the cold water. Turn the heat up and bring to the boil.
- As the stock comes to the boil you will see a white/brown foam appear on the top, called scum, skim this off using a large spoon and discard.
- Turn the heat down and simmer without the lid on for 1 hour
- Pass through a fine sieve and leave to cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge.
- Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Carrot peelings
- Mushroom peelings and stems
- Herbs stalks
- Onion peelings (these are good for a darker stock, leave out if wanting a pale stock.)
- Leek trimmings
- Corn cobs
Nutrition
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