Last Updated on November 14, 2024

Homemade vegetable stock is incredibly flavorful and versatile. Add it to all your favorite soups and recipes to give them both flavor and nutrients.

Whether you’re making veggie stock from fresh veggies or vegetable stock from scraps, it’s almost impossible to mess up this zero waste recipe. Turning your extra veggies into veggie stock is a simple way to fight food waste and buy fewer tetrapaks. Best of all, you can prep and freeze stock cubes in advance so that you have vegetable stock ready to go any time!

vegetable stock recipe

This veggie stock recipe is so easy and inexpensive. Really. There’s no reason to ever buy it in the store again.

You’ll be able to avoid unnecessary preservatives and those awful tetrapaks.

what is veggie stock?

Veggie stock is a flavorful liquid made by boiling and simmering veggies for several hours. It can be used in a variety of different recipes.

what is the difference between vegetable stock and vegetable broth?

The key difference between veggie stock and broth is seasonings and herbs. Veggie stock does not have seasoning in it, so once you add seasoning and herbs, you will end up with vegetable broth instead of stock.

Personally, I don’t like to season this vegetable stock recipe since I can always add seasoning later to any recipe I’m making.

veggie stock ingredients

Most regional cuisines are based on three 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. 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 veggie stock recipe.

You will want to steer clear of the cruciferous family when making vegetable stock. 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 throughout the week, you can cut off the odds and ends of onions, carrots, and 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! 

You can see my “before” above — a nice full pot of veggies scraps…

…and this is after the mixture has been simmered for six hours.

tips for making veggie stock

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, then 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 just an hour or two for a light flavor, but I like my vegetable stock to get very condensed and rich, so I let it simmer for approximately six hours. Then, I store it in the freezer so I always have some on hand. 

I made 15 cups of stock for $3.00! That much organic stock in the store would cost me $21.50. Making this vegetable stock recipe at home is a great way to save money.

veggie stock recipe faqs

how do you use vegetable stock?

I use this vegetable stock recipe in soups, enchilada sauce, risotto, pasta, 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 just okay to amazing. 

can I make vegetable stock from scraps?

Of course! You can absolutely make veggie stock from scraps! That’s one of the great things about living a zero waste lifestyle — using every resource you already have available.

how do I make stock cubes?

If you end up with leftover veggie stock that you want to save, no problem! Turn it into stock cubes by freezing it. After preparing a big batch of stock, divide it into ice cube trays and freeze. When you are ready to use it, thaw as many cubes as you need in the fridge or toss them right into your soup pot!