The Easiest Vegetable Stock You Can Make at Home (2024)

FAQs

What vegetables make a good stock? ›

Good stock really is key. I prefer whole vegetables for my stock, rather than scraps. I use: onions, carrots, celery, leeks, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, and black peppercorns.

Beet roots and onion skins should also be avoided, unless you don't mind your stock turning red or brown. Spoiled vegetables: Although stock is a great way to use veggies that are wilted or slightly past their prime, be sure not to use produce that is rotten or moldy.

To make homemade chicken stock, place chicken bones, vegetables, herbs and spices into a large pot. Cover with cold water then simmer for about 3 hours. Let it cool, then skim the fat. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Save those vegetables that may have lost their crunchy appeal for a flavorful veggie stock. Even if stored properly, celery and carrots may become floppy after some time, but don't let them go to the compost. Throw in your onion skins, potato peels, and other veggie scraps from cooking to add more flavor to the mix!

Making vegetable stock costs virtually nothing.

You're using ingredients that you already have in the fridge, so, really, it just costs a little bit of your time to make a flavorful stock.

Stocks are prepared with a few basic ingredients including bones, mirepoix, herbs and spices, and sometimes tomatoes or wine. They are often prepared using leftover ingredients as a cost-effective measure for the kitchen.

Vegetable Scraps You Should Freeze for Stock

Carrot: skin, root, tips. Celery: any and all of it, although leaves are better put to use in soups and salads. Turnip: any and all of it. Fennel: in moderation, bulb and fronds.

Vegetable broth contains iron that helps to stimulate the formation of red blood cells, helping to avoid anemia, increase energy levels, and avoid tiredness. Homemade broth helps to manage body metabolism, optimizing nutrient absorption, and resulting in a lighter feeling.

7 Vegetables to Avoid Adding to Vegetable Stock

Leafy green parts of carrots and celery. 2. Brassicas, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, rutabagas, collard greens, kohlrabi, and kale. 3.

Avoid These Vegetable Stock Mistakes

The starch in potato skins can turn stock gummy, while all members of the cabbage family (this includes cauliflower, collards, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and all varieties of cabbage and kale) add unpleasant bitterness.

What ingredient items should never be used in stock preparation? ›

Dark greens (spinach, kale, etc) can make a stock bitter and of course greenish in color. Cabbage also can impart a overwhelming bitterness. Potatoes can cloud a stock from their starchiness, so they are not good when you want clear stock for something like a soup or consomme.

Vegetable stock is a relatively easy stock to make. No bones or carcasses to contend with, just crisper staples like carrots, onions, and celery.

Good, clear stock is simmered slowly and gently. Once it boils, reduce the heat until bubbles bob lazily to the surface, then cover the pan. It won't need much attention, except a top-up with boiling water now and again. A slow cooker is perfect for this, and can be left all day to simmer, if you like.

Vegetable stock is made with untrimmed, sometimes whole vegetables, while broth is made from trimmed, roughly chopped vegetables. Vegetable stock generally takes longer to cook (at least 2 hours) than broth, which usually cooks for less than 30 minutes.

That's okay, because an easy and perfectly good vegetable stock is just minutes away. All you need are some aromatic vegetables and water. At the very least, you'll want to use carrots, onions, and garlic. Celery helps, as do fresh herbs, like parsley and thyme, and dried ones, like a bay leaf.

You can add whatever additional veggies you like, such as zucchini, tomato, leeks, or scallions, but the majority should be carrots, celery, and onions in order to make a flavorful and balanced broth. For an Asian-style bone broth or umami for ramen, you can add dried or fresh shiitake and dried seaweed.

A great deal of recipes for making meat stocks recommend adding vegetables in the last hour of cooking. An even greater deal of recipes adds them at the beginning, together with the meat. I have done it both ways and find that latter approach produces more concentrated flavors.