This is a great, classic Vegetable Stock recipe that’s easy to make. It’s an essential in every kitchen, and will make anything you use it in tastier. As with all homemade stocks, it’s far superior to store bought!
Naturally this is a perfect substitute for vegetarians and vegans whenever a meat stock is called for. But really, it’s delicious in its own right and suited to all sorts of applications by anybody!
Homemade Vegetable Stock
As with all stocks, homemade Vegetable Stock is far superior to store bought, with the added benefit that it’s much easier to make than seafood and meat stocks which often call for manhandling of considerable amounts of bones (I’m thinking of you beef stock!).
You’ll love that this recipe is really simple, just calling for vegetables, herbs and aromatics to be simmered gently for 2 hours until the water is infused with beautiful flavours.
What Vegetable Stock is made of
This is a traditional Western-style vegetable stock, free from any bells and whistles like ginger or obscure vegetables. It’s made with carrot, celery and onion as our base vegetables, plus parsley, bay leave, thyme, garlic, black peppercorns and coriander seeds as our added flavourings. Nothing more.
How to make Vegetable Stock
This is a great classic, simple recipe for vegetable stock where everything is just placed in a saucepan and simmered very gently so the water is infused with flavour from the vegetables and aromatics. There’s no need to sauté the vegetables first – this actually makes the stock cloudy which to me is not desirable as it limits the usefulness of the stock (for example to make attractively clear soups).
Place in pot – Place water and all the ingredients in a pot;
Simmer 2 hours – Simmer for 2 hours and reduce by half. We’re starting with 2 litres / 2 quarts of water which will reduce to 1 litre / 1 quart;
Strain – Strain into a bowl, pressing juices out of the vegetables; and
Measure – Pour into a jug to measure. If you have much more than 1 litre / 1 quart, return to the pot and simmer to reduce further. If you have much less, top it up with water (because otherwise it will be too concentrated).
Storing Vegetable Stock
Being free of meat, homemade Vegetable Stock will last at least 5 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer. When freezing, I typically freeze in 1 cup measures, just to make it easier to portion out (rather than defrosting an entire 1 litre batch just to use 1 cup).
Below it’s simply shown in one large jar because I made it to cook Mushroom Soup, which uses most of the batch.
How to use Homemade Vegetable Stock
The strength of this stock is such that it can be used 1:1 in any recipe calling for Vegetable Stock. It can also be used as an alternative for any recipe calling for chicken stock if you prefer a light, cleaner, vegetal flavour.
Here are some recipes that will really be elevated to restaurant quality if you make them with homemade Vegetable Stock instead of store bought stock:
And so another stock is added to my homemade stock collection – few more to come! 🙂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Homemade Vegetable Stock
Ingredients
- 2 litres / 2 quarts water
- 2 medium carrots (unpeeled), cut in 3 (180g/6oz each)
- 1 onion , quartered (~250g/8oz)
- 1 celery stem , cut in 4 pieces (~180g/6oz)
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed (Note 1)
- 3 parsley stems
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp salt , kosher/cooking for store bought level salted vegetable stock (Note 2)
Instructions
- Simmer 2 hours: Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours without a lid. The water should not be bubbling, it should just ripple gently. Stock should reduce by about half.
- Strain, pressing juices out of the vegetables. You should have 1 litre / 1 quart (4 cups) of stock. If you have much more than this, return the strained liquid into the pot and simmer to continue to reduce.
- How to use: Use in place of store-bought stock in any recipe – 1:1 ratio.
- Storage: Keeps in the fridge for 5 days, or freeze for 3 months. I usually freeze in 1 cup portions in jars, small ziplock bags (freeze flat for efficient use of space and faster defrosting) or in plastic containers.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Never listens when I tell him there is NO ROOM on the sun lounge for him!! (And you know secretly I love it 😂)
Wasn’t sure whether this would be worth the hassle but I’ve had great success with several of your other recipes. So I trusted your comments, and was richly rewarded. Superb. Used the stock to make the El Bulli Bean Soup – it’s just cooling on the stovetop now and it’s fabulous, too. Thank you. Your blog’s on speed-dial!
Love the array of recipes and will try 3 for the time. You are organised and well planned.
Thank You for being an In-spiration to me when I don’t know what to cook.
This has become my go to stock recipe. Have made it many times and love it. Like other comments and your reply, I find weight a better guide than number.
One question, as I hate waste – have you found any use for the discarded vegetables ( other than compost)? Can they be puréed for any other use?
Hi Nagi, just curious. What do the coriander seeds do? I’ve never used them in vegetable stock before. Thanks
Fantastic… I drank half of it and then had to make more for my soup… next time I’m doubling up the recipe… thank you for your generosity … 🙏
I made this stock last night and it was fabulous! I went with the weight specified rather than count for the carrots, onion, and celery and ended up using quite a bit more of each. I guess my carrots, celery, and onions must have been on the small side. Using weight, the stock was perfect and didn’t need any salt other than what was specified in the recipe. Can’t wait to make again!
Hi Katy – weight is always the safest bet when measuring for cooking! I am glad that you enjoyed it!! N x
Hi, Nagi
I’m making my third pot of vegetable stock. Thanks for a great recipe. The first time I followed your recipe exactly, but then I remembered a friend used to save and freeze all the vegetable parings until she had enough to make a big pot of stock. So last time, and this time, I’ve done that. I’m careful to scrub the vegetables well before I peel them, of course. I add a bay leaf and herbs as you recommend, and this time I added an onion. I did it the first time because I was having difficulty finding vegetable stock cubes, but you’re right, home-made is much better.
I made this vegetable stock and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make. And so much better tasting than store bought.
The video and recipe say different things for the carrot and celery. Is it two celery sticks cut into thirds and one carrot into fourths (video) or one celery cut in fourths and two carrots into thirds (recipe)?
Hi Elise – follow the recipe. Sorry about the confusion! Thanks, N x
Hi Nagi, is one medium carrot really 180 g in Australia?
Hi Navi! Love your recipes. I recently discovered my husband is allergic to celery. Besides leaving it out, which is what I have been doing. Is there something you might recommend add back some of the yummy flavor to broth?
Parsley root. It’s amazing in taste. We use it for clear soups in Serbia, but I am not sure why it is rarely used worldwide. Usually people use only parsley leaves
Extra carrots would help! N x
Hi Nagi, is the stock supposed to taste bitter? I don’t have fresh thyme so added dried one instead. Is that the cause of bitterness?
I always wonder why do we have “to reduce” stock or sauce. Why not just to use less water, as much as needed at the end, to start with? It will keep all flavours in, instead of evaporating them with excess water.
Because that’s how you intensify the flavour. If you just start with less water, you’ll boil it down too much. N x
This is such an easy quick stock recipe. I always have the ingredients on hand and can make it while preparing the ingredients for whatever soup I am making. Thank you!
Nagi
Thanks for including the weight of each vegetable as the UK ones are obviously half the size of those in Oz!
Neil
Now I can really avoid store bought cubes
Thank you so very much for such a delightful group of delicious recipes
Can this be made in a pressure cooker? How long should it cook?
Not this one as written Guangye as you want the liquid simmering so it reduces and the flavour intensifies. N x
I’ve just made this (loved the aromatics throughout the house whilst cooking!) and I’ve done the beef stock a couple of times….but where is the chicken stock Nagi? I was sure I’ve made it before but I can’t find it anywhere on your website….
It’s fabulous