Last Updated on April 2, 2020
Vegetable stock is so easy and inexpensive. Really. There’s no excuse to ever, ever buy it in store ever again. You’ll be able to avoid unnecessary preservatives and those awful tetrapaks. I use it in soups, enchilada sauce, risotto, pastas, dog treats and really almost everything. If you want to amp up rice, cook it in stock instead of water. It takes the dish from OK to amazing.
Also, before we go any further, I just want to get one thing straight:
Stock: Unseasoned
Broth: Seasoned (salt, pepper, herbs, etc.)
I don’t like to season mine; because, I like to keep my options open. Now, that we have that settled. Let’s continue.
Most regional cuisines are based on three very key ingredients. Carrots, onions, and celery are the base of the mirepoix which is commonly found in both French and Southern cuisines. The Italians have a soffrito which is a mix of tomatoes, garlic, and onion. And, in New Orleans they have the holy trinity of celery, onion, and green bell pepper. Depending on what you like to cook you can add any of these ingredients to your broth.
You want to steer clear of the cruciferous family. They can impart a very bitter flavor to your broth. Potatoes are not cruciferous, but they will make your broth very cloudy, and don’t impart much flavor.
As you’re prepping meals through out the week, you can cut off the odds and ends of onions, carrots, garlic peels and throw them all in a bowl in the freezer. Once it starts to fill up, you can use it to make stock!
Before
After six hours
Recipe-ish
Roughly chop and wash your vegetables. You want to make sure you remove any dirt. Dump all of your veggie bits in a pot big enough to hold all of them. Cover them with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Put on the lid and walk away.
That’s it! So, easy right!?
Now, you can let this simmer for an hour – two for a light flavor. But, I like mine to get very condensed and rich. I let it simmer for approximately six hours. I store mine in the freezer, so I always have it on hand.
I made 15 cups of stock for $3.00! That much organic stock in store would cost me $21.50.
I love this post! I didn’t think it would be so simple! I cook with vegetable stock almost everyday, and it’s not only pricey to get organic stock, the canned stuff leaks hormone disrupting bpa and other stocks contain preservatives. Consider me a subscriber! Love your blog and purpose.
Thank you so much! I love it when my bowl of scraps is full and I can make "garbage" stock. It’s full of things that would have been heading the compost. Bone broth takes a lot more babysitting. But, with veggies it’s easy, easy, easy! Thank you so much for the encouragement!
Love love love making my own stock/broth. So much better than the store bought and adds so much flavor to your cooking! Love your little guide and what you can and should not add!
Yes! And it’s SOOO easy! Thank you!
this is great! i should definitely give this a try since i am trying to eat healthier!
http://www.footnotesandfinds.com
Yes! It’s so easy! You have to try it!
I make homemade stock as well! I never throw away a chicken carcass after cooking because it still makes great broth even when it’s been cooked in the slow cooker for a long time.
That’s a great deal. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, I love to make my own stock too! It’s sooo much better than store bought. I didn’t know about the ”no" things… hmmm – thanks!
It’s not a hard and fast, you do this – you’ll ruin it! If a little gets in, you’re fine. But, they’re naturally really bitter, and it’s flavors you wouldn’t want to be a main player in stock.
Since I cut a lot of veggies for my kids lunches, I always save the scraps to make broth. I love your staright forward recipe and the beautiful pictures! ~Nina
Thank you! Yes, I always wind up with lots of carrot nobs and leek ends.
It is such a great idea to make your own stock for many reasons. And it’s a great way to clean out the vegetable bin in the refrigerator.
Yes! I love the different stages of vegetables. Crisp and ready to eat, then sauteed, and the stewed.
Do you have a favorite recipe for dog treats?
Please don’t use for dog treats if there are ANY onions or garlic in your stock, as they are poisonous to dogs! Please feel free to research this on your own. Otherwise thanks for your recipes and blog. 🙂
The only thing I do differently is that I soak and plant the tops of carrots and the roots of onions in indoor pots. They sprout up and give me fresh carrot greens and spring onions year-round. As for potato peelings that do not go into stock, I plant the eyes in indoor pots year-round as I find them, and when it’s time for spring planting, my potato plants have a head start. All other potato peelings get turned into bread or a crispy oven-baked snack.
Hi! I have 2 questions, 1 do you strain it afterwards and throw away the scraps? 2 do you put the glass bottles in the freezer? Love, Linda