Vegetable stock is a versatile ingredient for the home kitchen and great for soups and sauces. Let me show you my recipe for fragrant vegetable stock.
Stock Basics
Stocks are the basis of many dishes and making homemade stock is simple yet very rewarding. Meat-based stocks can take a while to prepare to get the maximum flavour but veggie stock can be ready in just over an hour! I love this vegetable stock recipe, it’s simple but full of flavour to use in soups and risotto. It’s a great way of using up leftover odds and ends of vegetables you have lying around.
Making stock was one of my first ventures in cooking – I was a stock cube kind of a guy and never understood why you would need to make stock when stock cubes can give so much flavour and save so much time. For me the freshness sets them apart, homemade stock is so fragrant and pleasing to have the smell wafting through your home.
This recipe is based on a brown stock, where the veggies are sauteed to caramelize them a little before simmering. This adds more colour and flavour to the end product. If you are looking for a lighter more delicate stock, skip the sauteeing of the vegetables, throw everything in a pot and simmer for an hour.
Vegetables To Avoid
You can use whatever scraps you have lying around of old vegetable peelings and odds and sods but some vegetables aren’t suited for stock. Cruciferous vegetables tend to make the stock bitter and sulphur tasting whilst others like potatoes can go mushy and create a cloudy stock. You can add fresh tomatoes, just make sure to remove all the seeds as they can add bitterness.
How to Make Vegetable Stock
Follow these simple steps to make your own homemade vegetable broth:
- Saute your vegetables in a little olive oil and butter till golden around the edges, around 10 minutes
- Add the white wine and reduce down by half (optional)
- Add enough water to cover vegetables comfortably then bring to a boil
- Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add the herbs
- Simmer for an hour then strain
- If looking for a clearer stock, skip the sauteing of the vegetables – place them all in a pot and bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for an hour
Try Another Recipe
Vegetable Stock
Ingredients
- 1 large carrot
- 1 large onion
- 1 stick celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp crushed black peppercorns
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 small bunch of fresh parsley
- 1 small bunch of fresh thyme
- 100ml white wine optional
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Chop the garlic, celery, carrots and onion
- Saute over medium heat in a little olive oil and butter until just starting to turn golden at the edges, around 10 minutes
- Once vegetables are softened and golden, add the white wine and reduce by half
- Add enough water to cover the vegetables, around 1.5 litres
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the herbs and peppercorns and salt. Simmer for 1 hour
- Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve or muslin cloth.
Notes
- This stock can keep for 4-5 days in the fridge in a sealed container or frozen for 3 months
- Try reducing the stock down by half to concentrate and freeze it in ice cube trays to use in soups and sauces for a hit of extra flavour!
- Add salt to taste and depending what you intend to use the stock for – if reducing down add less salt