Homemade Vegetable Stock

This Vegetable Stock recipe is so flavorful and nourishing!  Learn the secret to creating a vegetable broth that is nutritious, flavorful and full of depth- the best foundation for soups, sauces, risottos and more.  Includes a Video. 

Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. You don’t have to like it… it’s just easier if you do.  ~ Byron Katie

Making your own Vegetable Broth will uplevel your soups and other recipes exponentially!  The vegetable broth should be delicious, just as it is.  This recipe is so good-go ahead enjoy a mug by itself!

It may feel like an extra step at first, to make your own broth, but once you get the hang of it is really quite simple with very little hands-on time.   You will eventually get into the rhythm and I think you will be so happy with the boost in flavor and nutritional quality of your recipes!

How to make Vegetable STock | Video

 ingredients in Vegetable Stock

• onions, shallots, or leeks
• garlic
• carrots
• celery
• herbs
• peppercorns and sea salt

Optional Additions

• mushrooms- give a deeper flavor
• apple or pear- a slight sweet balance
• tomato- just a touch of tang

Things that can make a broth bitter

• brassica’s (kale, brussels, cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, broccoli, mustard greens etc.)
• zucchini and green beans
• outer celery leaves
• too many tomato seeds
• some carrot peels and tops
• too many onion skins and ends
• cooking too long
• powdered herbs

How to make Vegetable Broth (instructions)

Step one

In a 6-8 quart stockpot, sauté onions, mushrooms and celery in olive oil for 15 minutes or until lightly caramelized.  This is going to add a ton of flavor to the broth.

That said sometimes, when short on time, I skip this step and just go straight to the simmering.  You’ll still get good flavor, just not as rich and deep.

Step two

Add carrots, leeks, garlic, tomato, apple or pear, parsley, bay leaves, basil, peppercorns, salt, and dulse flakes.  Add cold water. Cover with a lid slightly vented.  Low simmer for one hour.

Step three

Let cool and strain.  Freeze in cup, pint and quart portions for easy prep.  You will be so happy you did!  This homemade broth is so far beyond delicious compared to what you buy in the store.

How to store Vegetable Broth

Keep sealed in the fridge for 5 days.  It also freezes beautifully.

When freezing I use ball jars with these leak-proof lids.  It is important to fill to just a couple of inches from top of the jar for room to expand as it freezes.

Expert Tips

• Cut your veggies– the more surface area exposed, the more flavor will be imparted into the broth.
• No need to stir– stirring can break down veggies and cloudy up the stock.
• Use cold water- veggies have different cooking times and flavor solubility, cold water allows them to release flavor slowly and more fully without breaking down.

Ways to elevate

• sautéing (esp. mushrooms and onions) adds depth
• add a handful of soaked beans or bean water left from cooking
• add a few tablespoons of walnuts or almonds
• a few teaspoons tomato paste or roasted tomatoes
• roast or grill the veggies beforehand
• a few splashes of wine
• small handful of dried mushrooms
• for Italian / European recipes use rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage.
• for an Asian direction add a little ginger, shiitakes and cilantro.

Nutritional Boosting Tips

Make your broth a supertonic by adding one or more of these. They do impart an herby, earthy and rooty flavor.

• reishi mushrooms- deeply nourishing, adaptogenic, anti-cancer, immune modulator, anti-inflammatory
• burdock root– eliminates toxins, increases circulation, blood cleanser
• dandelion root– antioxidant, supports liver health, balances cholesterol,
• astragalus root- an amazing adaptogen supporting physical and mental stress
• kelp and dulse– fiber, tons of nutrients, minerals, antioxidants

Saving Scraps for Vegetable Broth

I keep a plastic ziplock in the freezer and every time I am prepping I throw in broth-worthy scraps.   I add this to the broth when cooking, adjusting amounts depending on how much I have.

• carrot ends and peels (some can be bitter!)
• leek tops
• onion ends and outer peels (go light on the skins and ends)
• mushroom stems
• parsley and cilantro stems
• tomato tops and ends
• peas
• parsnips
• shiitake stems
• fennel tops
• beet tops
• lettuce
• celeriac peels
• scallions
• romaine or mild lettuce leave
• herb stems

Recipes to use your veggie stock in

• Harvest Vegetable Soup
• Creamy Spinach Soup with Mint
• Smoky Tomato White Bean Soup
• Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup w/ Spinach & Mushrooms
• Pumpkin Soup with Leeks and White beans
• Instant Pot Risotto!

I hope you have fun playing around with this Vegetable Broth recipe!

~Tonia

Homemade Vegetable Stock Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 19 reviews

• Author: Tonia | Feasting at Home
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 quarts 1x
• Category: broth, soup,
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

How to make Vegetable Broth!  A nutritious and deeply flavorful recipe to enhance your soups, risottos, sauces, and more.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x

• 2 large onions, roughly chopped
• 1/2 lb mushrooms
• 2 large carrots, cut in chunks
• 2 celery stems, some inner leaves are fine, chopped
• 1 leek or 1 bunch scallions or a handful of chives, chopped in rounds
• 1 head of garlic, cut tips off the head
• 1 tomato, quartered
• 1/2 apple or pear, sliced
• 1 hand full of parsley with stems
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon dulse flakes (optional)
• 5 quarts of cold water
• See post body for other additions to elevate this.

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Instructions

1. In an 8 quart pot, sauté onions, mushrooms, and celery in a little olive oil for 15 minutes or until lightly carmelized.
2. Add carrots, leeks, garlic, tomato, apple, parsley, bay leaves, basil, peppercorns, salt, dulse flakes and water.
3. Bring to a gentle boil.  Turn down to a simmer cover with a with a lid slightly vented for an hour.
4. Let cool.  Strain.

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Notes

If you prefer not to sauté, just skip that step and throw everything in the pot to simmer.

Keeps in fridge 5 days.

Freeze in pint and quart portions for easy prep. If freezing in jars, leave 1-inch headroom.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6 oz
• Calories: 24
• Sugar: 1.7 g
• Sodium: 279.1 mg
• Fat: 0.2 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 5.2 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

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