How To Make Vegetable Stock

A golden, delicious vegetable stock infused with layers of flavor from herbs, spices, vegetables and even fruits can be a great tool in a cook’s arsenal. Whether it’s a vegan risotto you are making or a vegan beef stew, a good stock, like this mushroom stock or the vegetable stock I am sharing here, can make all the difference, adding depth of flavor and umami and that critical je ne sais quoi to any recipe. This vegetable stock is a frugal recipe: it is made entirely with vegetable scraps or portions of veggies that you might just throw out. I save these scraps in a large freezer bag and pull them out when I need to make a stock. Add a few herbs and spices and voila, you have an amazing vegetable stock to make your stews and soups taste wow! This is my everyday stock, the stock I’d have in my fridge at any given time. I also make a roasted vegetable stock with caramelized veggies that I will share with you another day. Meanwhile, save those vegetable scraps for a couple of weeks and then, get cooking!

Why you will love this recipe

Loaded with flavor and umami. The addition of a few simple spices and herbs makes this vegetable stock so, so flavorful. Allowing the veggies to cook slowly also infuses the stock with all of their healthy goodness. Cooks itself. Making a vegetable stock can’t be easier: you just throw all the ingredients into a pot and let it cook. No stirring required. This is also a great recipe to make in the Instant Pot or crockpot. Frugal recipe. Using vegetable scraps makes this recipe an extremely frugal one. You can save nearly any part of a veggie or fruit you might normally throw out (see ingredients below for more on this). Remember, you won’t actually be eating these: you’ll just infuse the stock with all of their goodness, which is considerable, and then strain them out. Perfect for meal prep. If you do a lot of meal prep, a good vegetable stock can make things much easier by adding valuable flavor to dishes without the need for multiple ingredients.

How to make vegetable stock

Top tips

Cut the vegetable scraps into smaller pieces before freezing. That way you can add them directly to the pot, no need to thaw them first. The smaller the veggies are, the more goodness will be extracted from them. Even if you use a stockpot or pasta pot with a strainer, as I did, pass the stock through a fine mesh strainer or sieve lined with cheesecloth to remove any floating pieces of veggies or spices. That way your stock will last longer in the fridge. The color of the homemade vegetable stock will change depending on the veggies you add to it. Adding more mushrooms and red onion skins, for instance, will give you a deeper colored stock. If possible, make sure the vegetables and vegetable scraps you use are organic for the healthiest, most flavorful stock.

Storage instructions

Refrigerate: Refrigerate the vegetable stock once it has cooled to room temperature. Store in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze: Freeze the vegetable stock in portion-sized storage containers or in ice cube trays. Once frozen, you can transfer the vegetable stock cubes to a freezer-safe bag. You can freeze the stock for up to three months.