Learn how to make vegetable stock! Perfect for using in soups, sauces, risottos, and more, this homemade broth is super flavorful and easy to make.
The other day, I was making vegetable stock with veggie odds and ends I’d accumulated throughout the week. As I stood in the kitchen, savoring the delicious aroma wafting from my stock pot, I realized that I had yet to share my method for how to make vegetable broth on the blog. I have over 80(!!) soup recipes on here, and another soup season is right around the corner. Suffice it to say, this vegetable stock recipe is long overdue.
I’m so excited to share it today because I believe that vegetable stock is something that everyone can and should make at home. It’s unbelievably easy and cheap, and it tastes SO much better than any broth you’d find at the store. Don’t worry – I’ll never blame you for reaching for store bought broth when that’s the most convenient option (I still use it sometimes too!). But whenever you do make your own, the extra time and effort will always be worth it.
Vegetable Stock Recipe Ingredients
I have two methods for how to make vegetable broth. The first starts with fresh, aromatic veggies. I use
- onions,
- garlic,
- carrots,
- celery,
- and herbs like thyme and parsley.
Then, to give the broth even more depth of flavor, I add salt, whole peppercorns, leek tops, and bay leaves.
In the second method, I use vegetable scraps instead of the vegetables themselves. This method keeps these veggie odds and ends from going to waste, and it yields a super tasty broth. As it turns out, the parts of vegetables that we normally toss are actually packed with flavor.
All sorts of scraps can contribute to a flavorful stock. Here are a few that work especially well:
- leek tops,
- fennel fronds,
- carrot tops,
- herb stems,
- corn cobs,
- mushroom stems,
- scallion roots or tops,
- onion skins and ends,
- and garlic skins and ends.
Steer clear of veggie scraps from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, or cauliflower, as they can make your stock bitter.
Tip: Keep a freezer bag or container of veggie scraps in your freezer and add to it whenever you cook. When you have about 6 cups of frozen scraps, it’s time to make veggie stock!
How to Make Vegetable Broth
Whether you’re using whole vegetables or vegetable scraps, making homemade vegetable broth is incredibly easy.
- First, wash the vegetables well. You don’t want to simmer any dirt or sand in your stock!
- Next, chop them. The shape isn’t important – you just need to break them down enough so that they fit neatly in your pot.
- Then, simmer. Add the vegetables to a large pot with the salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add 10-12 cups of water and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
- Finally, strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer to remove the vegetables and peppercorns.
That’s it!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Storing and Using Homemade Vegetable Stock
Allow the stock to cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze it for several months. (Psst! When you have a stash of homemade vegetable stock in your freezer, it’s just as convenient as the store bought kind!)
Use the homemade stock as you would any veggie broth – in recipes for stuffing, gravy, pasta sauce, and risotto, and, of course, soup. Find my favorite soup recipes below.
Favorite Soup Recipes
Once you make this vegetable broth recipe, try using it in one of these soups:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Many-Veggie Vegetable Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Easy Vegetarian Chili
- Or any of these 30 Best Soup Recipes!
Vegetable Stock
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions, halved
- 4 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 to 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
- Leek or fennel tops, chopped
- 1 garlic bulb, halved
- Handful fresh parsley
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 10 to 12 cups filtered water
Instructions
- Place the onions, carrots, celery, leek tops, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat (If 12 cups of water won’t fit in your pot, you can use 10). Reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered, for 1 hour.
- Strain and discard the vegetables. Season to taste and use in your favorite soup recipes.
Any value to roast the veggies first?
Do you think we could use radish tops for this veg stock?
Do you think we can use radish tops?
I made this veg stock using the 8-quart instant pot. The broth tastes wonderful!
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe and the great ideas of saving veg scrabs in the freezer.
I’m thinking of trying next vegetarian ‘pho’ broth, where I would char the onion, garlic, and add white lobok, anise bulb, and pho spices (ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick, clove)
Tonight was my first time ever making vegetable stock and I used this recipe. I could only fit 10 cups of water in my pot with all the veggies. It. turned out better than I expected. I’m on froze it in souper cubes for portioning. Thanks for sharing!!!
Very simpel and helpful
Hi Avi, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made the stock and froze it back in December. How long is it good for in the freezer?
Hi Catharine, it should be just fine. That is awhile, so it might be a little less flavorful but it won’t be spoiled.
I would love to pin this recipe
I often make veggie stock from scraps using this recipe. I like to freeze it in one-up cubes so it’s easy to grab exactly what I need. I saw these freezer trays in Real Simple magazine- like ice cube trays only there are four one-cup rectangles per tray. I forget what they’re called but exactly what I needed for freezing stock.
Hi Amy, do you mean Souper Cubes? They’re the best! So glad you’re enjoying the stock recipe too.
Hey Jeanine.
Finally trying your recipe for stock – it looked so gorgeous in the pot before adding the water I took a pic. So excited that my pot held 12 cups so I now have 3 mason jars ready to freeze for my next batch(s) of fall soup. I used some scrapes (fennel, leeks) I basically cleaned out the veggie drawer with what is left from the fall markets. I used pretty much everything you listed and it smelled so good in my house all afternoon. I’ve been buying Organic (reduced salt) stock for years and like everything the price is just getting stupid. expensive. This yielded 12 cups and I think for maybe a few dollars using scraps. Can’t wait to try it my next soup.
Lainey
PS – Also inspired by the stocks in your new book, I just had more ingredients for this version.
Hi Lainey, I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been so inspired by the stocks!
I’m new to making my own stock but I’ve already figured out to use whatever I have and no matter what, it will taste better than anything from the grocery store. Also a great way not to waste veggies that are getting “tired”.
Why dont you use the vegetables after making the stock? I need minestrone soup and all these vegs go in it……
This sounds like a great idea. Have you tried it?
Have you tried it, & if so, how did it go? Also wondering how to use the leftover vegetables but can’t find any minestrone recipes that use leftovers from making vegetable broth.
The vegetables will be flavorless mush after boiling. The point of the recipe is to extract the flavors from the veggies so make a tasty stock. Sure, you CAN eat them, but it won’t taste good.
Would kohlrabi greens work also?
Any vegetable from the cabbage family can make your broth bitter.