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    Home | Recipes | Soup Recipes

    How To Make Homemade Vegetable Stock Recipe From Kitchen Scraps

    Published: May 28, 2014 · Modified: Oct 19, 2023 by Sarah Mock As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links.

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    Vegetable stock is so easy to make with vegetables or even vegetable scraps you already have in your refrigerator. Start with onions, carrots and celery and simmer with aromatics for a delicious broth that can be used as a substitute for chicken stock or beef broth in many recipes. 

    vertical image of vegetable stock in a ball canning jar.

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    Jump to:
    • 🥕 Is vegetable broth and vegetable stock the same thing?
    • 🫑 What do you need to make vegetable stock?
    • 🧅 Additional vegetable scraps suggestions
    • 🧄 Aromatics to be used to make vegetable broth.
    • 🥔 What kitchen scraps should not be put in vegetable stock?
    • Saving veggie scraps for basic vegetable stock
    • 🔪How to make homemade vegetable stock
    • How to strain veggie stock
    • ❄️ How to store homemade vegetable broth
    • 🫙 How to can this vegetable stock recipe
    • 📝 Frequently asked questions, tips and tricks:
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock
    • Comments

    🥕 Is vegetable broth and vegetable stock the same thing?

    Vegetable broth and vegetable stock are terms that are used interchangeably. I call a broth a stock that has roasted bones or seafood added to it. The flavors of a broth are also more concentrated defined and developed. So the stock is the foundation of a broth. 

    water filling a pot for vegetable stock

    🫑 What do you need to make vegetable stock?

    Basic vegetable stock is made of onions, carrots, celery, and water. But it is very common to add aromatics such as garlic, fresh parsley, bay leaf, rosemary, peppercorns and other herbs. I like to add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste just to round out the flavor profile of the stock. This easy recipe can be doubled or tripled depending on how large your cooking pot is. Just keep a ratio of 2 parts onions to 1 part celery and 1 part carrots. Any extra vegetables added will just be a bonus in flavor when you make stock. 

    🧅 Additional vegetable scraps suggestions

    • Leeks : leeks are a lovely addition to veggie broth, just be sure to properly wash them to remove any sand or silt that may be stuck in the vegetable.

    🧄 Aromatics to be used to make vegetable broth.

    I like to use 2 bay leaves, 10 peppercorns, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 sprigs of rosemary and a small bundle of thyme in my vegetable stock. Other delicious options are:

    • Fresh parsley
    • Ginger root
    • Fresh sage
    • Dill (use sparingly)

    🥔 What kitchen scraps should not be put in vegetable stock?

    Obviously, you should not put in meats such as chicken, beef or seafood. That is a completely different stock. But here are some vegetables to avoid and the reasons why. These are just suggestions to give you a jumping-off point as to what will not work for homemade stock.

    • Potatoes - sweet, russet, white, red bliss. All potatoes will give the stock undesirable cloudiness, plus they don't offer too much flavor. 
    • Turnips, Rutabega, Radishes, Kohlrabi - all can add a strong or bitter taste to the stock.
    • Pumpkin - not recommended because it will cloud the stock, but add in small quantities if you don't mind the cloud.
    • Corn - doesn't add much flavor and can make the stock cloudy

    Saving veggie scraps for basic vegetable stock

    I save my 'kitchen scraps' from when I am chopping vegetables in a zip top bag and store them in the freezer. I use onion skins, garlic peels, bell pepper membranes, zucchini tops, you name it..it goes in the bag. When I get a gallon bag mostly full of frozen scraps I know it is ready to be added to the basic veggies for the stock.

    🔪How to make homemade vegetable stock

    horizontal image of Vegetable Stock with vegetables surrounding the jar
    1. Wash all the vegetables and chop them into 2-inch pieces, or leave them whole for easier cleanup. 
    2. Heat a large pot to medium-high and heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
    3. Add the carrots, onions and celery to the pot and stir until the vegetables start to sweat.
    4. If adding aromatics, add them to the pot as well as any spices or tomato paste. Stir to warm through.
    5. Deglaze the pan with wine, if using. If not using wine, deglaze the pan with water or store bought stock.
    6. Add 1 gallon of water to the stock pot, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
    7. Simmer the stock for a minimum of 1 hour. Allow the stock to reduce by 25-50% for optimal flavor. The longer the cook and the more it reduces, the stronger the flavor of the stock. 
    8. Turn off the heat and strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into containers, discarding solids.

    How to strain veggie stock

    Once you have reached your desired depth of flavor (reducing the stock by 25-50%) it is time to strain the solids away from the stock. I have used a fine mesh strainer over a canning jar fitted with a funnel. To get out every last herb use a strainer lined with cheesecloth. The idea is to get as many of the vegetable particles out of the stock. I don't go ultra-fine on my straining because I like to have a few 'floaties' in there. It reminds me that this is homemade veggie broth and not a commercial product!

    ❄️ How to store homemade vegetable broth

    After cooling completely in an ice water bath, I store my flavorful vegetable stock in the refrigerator portioned out in quart canning jars with lids screwed on. I recommend using the stock within a week. Additionally, this easy vegetable stock can be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to a year. Another smart way to store stock is to portion it out into ice cube trays for an easy way to cool down soups for kids.

    🫙 How to can this vegetable stock recipe

    Vegetable stock can not be made shelf-stable by water bath canning it like you would a jam or jelly Stock needs to be pressure canned. The Spruce Eats has a step by step tutorial that is pretty awesome on how to pressure can stock. 

    📝 Frequently asked questions, tips and tricks:

    Are vegetable broth and vegetable stock the same thing?

    Vegetable broth and vegetable stock are terms that are used interchangeably. I call a broth a stock that has roasted bones or seafood added to it. The flavors of a broth are also more concentrated defined and developed. So the stock is the foundation of a broth. 

    📖 Recipe

    Vegetable Stock Recipe

    Sarah Mock
    Vegetable stock is so easy to make with vegetables or even vegetable scraps you already have in your refrigerator. Start with onions, carrots and celery and simmer with aromatics for a delicious broth.
    5 from 7 votes
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    Note From Sarah

    There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

    Prep time for the recipePrep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook time for the recipeCook Time 2 hours hrs
    total time to prep and cook the recipe.Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
    Prevent your screen from going dark, toggle to button to the right to turn GREEN
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Makes 1 gallon
    Per Serving 177 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 pounds onions
    • 1 pound carrots
    • 1 pound celery
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 10 peppercorns
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 2 sprigs rosemary
    • small bunch thyme
    • 1 gallon water

    Optional ingredients

    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • [2 tablespoons tomato paste]

    Instructions
     

    • Wash all the vegetables and chop into 2-inch pieces, or leave whole for easier cleanup. 
    • Heat a large stockpot to medium-high and heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
    • Add the carrots, onions and celery to the pot and stir until the vegetables start to sweat.
    • If adding aromatics, add them to the pot as well as any spices or tomato paste. Stir to warm through.
    • Deglaze the pan with wine, if using. 
    • If not using wine, deglaze the pan with water
    • Add 1 gallon of water to the pot, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
    • Simmer the stock for a minimum of 1 hour. Allow the stock to reduce by 25-50% for optimal flavor. The longer the cook and the more it reduces, the stronger the flavor of the stock. 
    • Turn off the heat and strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into containers, discarding solids.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Calories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 6gFat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 215mgFiber: 10gSugar: 17g

    Nutrition Disclosure

    Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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    First published May 28, 2014

    Sarah Mock of savoringthegood.com headshot 2018

    👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock

    CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

    Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.

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      About Sarah Mock

      Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.

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        Recipe Rating




      1. Sarah Mock

        July 01, 2014 at 4:57 pm

        Never a dumb question Leila! You can just throw the chunks out after straining but I toss mine in the compost. Enjoy your stock!

      2. Sarah Mock

        June 04, 2014 at 1:09 pm

        I totally agree Maggie. It adds a delicious layer of flavor.

      3. Sarah Mock

        June 04, 2014 at 1:09 pm

        It is truly very simple Danielle. Freezing is a good option if you don't have the equipment for pressure canning.

      4. Danielle

        June 03, 2014 at 8:03 pm

        Yum! Veggie stock is something I always keep in the pantry and would save me so much money if I started making it myself.

      5. Maggie Unzueta

        June 03, 2014 at 6:31 pm

        I love making vegetable stock. It's easy, and it makes everything taste that much better. :)

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      Sarah Mock

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      Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
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