How to make Vegetable Stock
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This homemade vegetable stock recipe uses leftovers to create a delicious, rich and bursting-with-flavor result that can be used in soups, stews or anything else calling for stock!
Step-by-step photos and instructions are below. Jump to the recipe card if you wish!
This is a really tasty, gorgeous colored, full of flavor veggie stock that will lend itself well to anything you decide to use it in! I use leftover vegetable scraps ie the ends of a bunch of celery, carrots, and onions that needed to be used, and a lonely tomato left in the fridge. Using leftovers and past-their-best vegetables makes this super frugal too.
I love to make my own pantry staples, and stock is just another of those that is so stupidly easy to make I never end up buying it. It’s great in that you can control the ingredients and add salt as needed.
This recipe is great for soup recipes, including Broccoli Cheddar Soup, White Bean Soup, or Quick & Easy Vegetable Soup
Why you’ll love this
- Very inexpensive to make. You can use whatever you have in the refrigerator. The ends of celery, an onion, and some wilted carrots can bring amazing flavor.
- Super easy. We are literally roasting vegetables, then simmering them to extract maximum flavor.
- Vegetarian Friendly. You can use this in any recipe that needs stock, and the bonus is that anyone can eat it!
How to use Vegetable Stock
- Anywhere you need stock!
- Try it in vegetarian recipes like Butternut Squash & Apple Soup or in my Lemon Spinach Risotto.
Step-by-step photos and tips and tricks are below. Jump to the full recipe card instead
Key Recipe Ingredients
Note: This highlights some ingredients. Full list is in the recipe card.
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How to make this recipe
This is a step-by-step photo guide. Full ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
JumpGet prepped. Heat the oven to 400°F and cut vegetables into chunks.
Roast the vegetables. Place carrots, onions, celery, garlic and tomatoes in large roasting pan. Toss in olive oil, and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until they are a dark brown color.
Deglaze the pan. Remove veggies from the oven, then pour 2 cups of water into the pan and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom and sides.
Simmer. Pour the vegetables, the water and scraped up bits in the stock pot (or Dutch oven. Add the remaining 4 cups of water, bay leaves, peppercorns, and thyme into a stock pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are very soft (for 15 minutes up to 30 minutes) and the vegetable broth is rich in color.
Season and Strain. Season with salt, if using, then strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Discard the cooked vegetables. The stock is now ready to use. Or, you can cool it off and refrigerate or freeze in 1 cup portions.
Kylee’s Notes
Use any veggie scraps that you have. Including carrot peels, onion skins, garlic, celery, anything!
Any herbs or none at all are just fine. You can use fresh or dried, whatever you have will work perfectly!
How to store Vegetable Stock
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Freezing instructions
Ladle into freezer safe containers, leaving room for expansion, seal, label and freeze. This will be good in the freezer for up to 6 months.
You can also portion into a freezer bag and freeze flat for easy storage.
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How to make Vegetable Stock
Ingredients
- 3 medium carrots peeled and coarsely chopped
- 2 medium onions peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 stalk celery coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and sliced in half
- 2 medium tomatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 Tbs dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 6 cups water
- salt optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Place 3 medium carrots (peeled and coarsely chopped), 2 medium onions (peeled and coarsely chopped), 1 stalk celery (coarsely chopped), 2 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced in half), and 2 medium tomatoes (cut into 1-inch pieces) in large roasting pan. Toss the vegetables in 1 teaspoon olive oil, and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are a dark brown color.
- Remove vegetables from the oven, then pour 1/3 of the 6 cups water into the pan and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom and sides.
- Pour vegetables, scraped up bits, and the remaining water, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, and 4 sprigs fresh thyme into a stock pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- Season with salt, if using.
- Strain the stock into a large bowl. Discard the cooked vegetables etc.
- It's ready to use! Or, you can cool it off and refrigerate or freeze in 1 cup portions.
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
Make sure to follow @kyleecooks on Instagram for more and tag me #kyleecooks so I can see!Update: This recipe was originally published in September of 2015. It was republished with updated photos in October of 2021.
About Kylee Ayotte
I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee
Excellent use of random veggies that need to be used up! Roasting first makes the stock so much richer. My ratios were a bit different based on what I had. I didn’t have tomatoes and used 1/2 of a red bell pepper that needed some final purpose in life. I omitted the thyme because after making the stock, I made a black bean corn soup which had Mexican oregano, cumin and chili powder.
I will definitely use this again as a veggie stock base – so many possibilities.
Lovely blog and the recipes are fantastic!
I love this and definitely need to start making my own stock!!
I have this (or my version) cooking right now. I used what I had in the fridge, so similar to yours, but different. The idea is there though. Thanks. Can see this as a wonderful flavour addition for my kitchen.