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–+ servings
a bowl of homemade vegetable stock with onions and herbs dotted around the sides

Homemade Vegetable Stock

Robyn
This simple recipe for vegetable stock is so much healthier, cheaper and tastier than bought stock! This easy recipe can help reduce food waste and you can even use vegetable scraps to make it!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course basics, Soups
Cuisine International
Servings 4 people
Calories 59 kcal

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

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. As a celery substitute you could use celery root / celariac, fennel.
Oil – olive oil or a neutral oil.
Garlic – you can leave the papery skin on.
Spices – here I have stuck with the more basic or traditional spices used, bay leaves and 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.
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.
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.

Nutrition

Calories: 59kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 31mgPotassium: 175mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 5147IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword homemade stock, vegeatbel broth, vegetable stock

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