Vegetable stock recipe | Homemade vegetarian vegetable stock

Vegetable stock with leftover vegetables, turns into a flavourful base for soups, pulao, risotto and gravies following easy no fuss steps, with simple ingredients available at home.

Make a batch whenever you have to clear the fridge, or if you plan to make soup. You can use it straight from the fridge or freezer.

Check out my minestrone soup and mulligatawny soup recipes in my blog.

Jump to:

• About Vegetable Stock
• Vegetable stock ingredients
• Step by step pictures
• Top tips
• Variations
• Storage
• FAQs
• Recipe card

I'll admit it upfront! I am not really a soup person. Even at restaurants, I junk eat the other starters rather than a soup. There are sometimes I crave a bowl of soup and when I do, I want it done right. I love both kinds: Thick, creamy soups and the light clear ones. For a while I was hooked on the tomato basil bisque from Subway.

Wanted to try vegetable stock in some soup and see the taste difference and searched for vegetable stock at stores and sadly all the top brands aren't vegetarian. So I had to try myself at home. And this stock recipe is one I adapted from an Italian cook book.

It may not be an Indian style stock recipe, but sure is healthy and tasty. And I really don't know if there is Indian style stock recipe.

About Vegetable Stock

Vegetable stick is a simple cooking liquid made by simmering vegetables and herbs in water. The strained liquid can be used to add flavour to soups, sauces, gravies and other dishes.

Traditionally stock is made by simmering various ingredients in water but modern method uses a pressure cooker.

Why this recipe works?

• Basic ingredients available, roughly chopped, beginner friendly method
• Gentle simmer keeps the stock clear instead of cloudy
• No frying/ sauteing - less oil, a lighter, more neutral tasting stick
• Use odds and ends of vegetables from your fridge - Zero waste

Vegetable stock ingredients

• Carrot - Adds natural sweetness
• Cabbage - Contribute mild, umami flavour
• Beans - for fresh, green note
• Celery stalks - the backbone of most Western-style stocks, adds a savoury, slightly peppery depth
• Onion - builds the base flavor
• Tomato - adds slight tang and rounds the taste
• Sugar - to balance any bitterness from the vegetables
• Salt & Water

Please refer my Recipe card below for quantities.

Step by step pictures

1. Bring water to boil in a large vessel and add all the vegetables roughly chopped to it.When it boils, simmer the flame to lowest and cover cook for 45-60 mins.

2. Strain the vegetables, pressing down in a sieve or metal strainer and cool down completely.

You can store this stock in a container in fridge for 3 days or even freeze and use as when needed! Next post is a soup recipe obviously!

Top tips

• The vegetable list is only a guide. The best stock is made from whatever vegetables you already have in the fridge. This is genuinely one of the best ways to use up vegetables.
• You can use corn cobs, East Asian Kombu, mushrooms, mushroom stems, broccoli, fennel, garlic cloves, spices like whole black peppercorns, potatoes, turnips, beets (careful with the color) green parts of spring onion, onion skins, vegetable scraps
• Better vegetable variety = more rounded stock
• You can use vegetable trimmings like carrot peels, onion ends, celery leaves, stalk. You can freeze through the week and then use it to make stock.
• Press down firmly while straining, then only you get maximum flavour.

Variations

Add a bay leaf. A reader mentioned that Indian style versions of stock includes Biryani leaves while simmering.

You can add few sprigs of parsley or thyme along with the vegetables. Add towards the end for fresh flavor.

Pressure cooker method: If you are short on time, it is a great shortcut and you can use an Instant pot too.

Storage

Fridge - Store in an airtight container for 3 days.

Freezer - You can pour into ice cube trays and once frozen, transfer to a ziploc and use as needed. You can store upto 3-4 months.

FAQs

What to do with the strained vegetables after making stock?

You can blend it and use to thickening in soups, or stir in a pasta sauce.

What is the difference between vegetable stock and vegetable broth?

The terms are used interchangeably at home. Traditionally, stock is left unseasoned so it stays flexible for any dish while broth is seasoned and can be sipped as such too.

Recipe card