by Homemade vegetable stock always seemed like one of those challenging recipes to make, before I actually tried making it. Spoiler alert: it’s actually one of the easiest recipes that you could make. I hesitate to even call it a recipe because it’s that easy. One of the best parts about this vegetable stock ‘recipe’ is that you can adjust it based on what you have on hand and taste.
Why make your own vegetable stock? Besides the fact that it’s delicious, it relies almost solely on vegetable scraps, meaning it costs next to nothing. Because vegetable stock repurposes vegetable scraps that would otherwise be thrown out (hopefully in the compost!), it means that there’s less food waste and less packaging waste from avoiding the need to buy store-bought vegetable stock or bouillon cubes. As previously mentioned, it’s also insanely easy, so it’s pretty much a no brainer.
To save vegetable scraps for this vegetable stock recipe, simply place scraps in a freezer bag or container in your freezer until you have enough to make the stock. It usually takes me about 2-3 weeks to build enough of a stash to make the stock, but this will depend on how much you cook. You want to aim for about 8-12 cups of vegetable scraps, depending on how much stock you want to make. Scraps can be anything from ends of onion and garlic (including the skins!), ends of carrots, potato skins, stocks of broccoli, the leaves, and ends of celery, and pretty much anything else you’d otherwise compost. Using limp vegetables is also fine for this stock. Keep in mind that pigmented vegetables like cabbage and beets are fine to use, but will color your stock.
Use this stock as a base for soup, to cook rice with, or to add flavor to pasta dishes. I recommend using the stock within 5-7 days, but feel free to freeze the extra stock in a mason jar or freezer-safe container (remembering to leave extra space in the container for expansion when it freezes!).
Save this Recipe!
Let me know if you try this recipe down below, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you try it!
Vegetable Stock Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 cups vegetable scraps
- 12 cups water
- 4 cloves garlic, with peel
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- salt, to taste (I usually do ~1-2 tsp)
- pepper, to taste (I usually do ~2 tsp)
Instructions
- Accumulate vegetable scraps in a large freezer bag or container in the freezer until you have enough to make stock.
- Add frozen vegetable scraps to a large pot with all remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer for 3-4 hours.
- When finished, strain scraps from the stock using a collander.
- Portion stock into large mason jars or containers to use in soups, stews or pastas. Enjoy!
