Oil-free vegetable stock is something most people don’t make, but it is pretty easy to do (aside from chopping the veggies) and it’s worth it because it’s fresh, tastes better and is cheaper than buying it if you cook like I do. I use my vegetable stock for sautéing onions and garlic in (instead of oil) and as a base for my (oil free) vegan soup recipes.
For my Low Fat Vegan Comfort Soups Recipe eBook I had to make A LOT of stock. Often the store bought stock is only 1 quart or 1 liter and often I needed more than that. It can cost up to $2.99 a pop and that can add up when you use stock as much as I do.
So once a week or maybe twice a week I’ll make some fresh vegetable stock in my pressure cooker. It’s a great way to use up some leftover carrots or celery and some herbs like thyme or parsley that you don’t need for any other recipes.
When compared to the store bought low sodium vegetable broths mine taste MUCH better and have a nice light flavour and a natural sweetness. I find the store bought ones are a little too strong and bitter and are not something you’d want to drink a cup of.
You can use homemade vegetable broth or stock for soup, sautéing, risotto and more. And this way you get to control the flavour and the amount of sodium in it.
So here are my recipes. I have one for a 9 cup recipe and a large one for a 14 cup recipe. Sometimes you just need a lot, and sometimes you just need a little.
Homemade Vegetable Broth/Stock Recipe (smaller recipe)
Yields about 9 cups/2.25 qts/~2.12 L of broth
Ingredients:
8 cups/2 quarts/~1.9 L of filtered water
2 large onions, diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 large stalks of celery, sliced
Mushroom stems and ends *optional
1/2 bunch of parsley and a few sprigs of fresh herbs like thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. whole peppercorns
Dash of salt *optional
Pressure Cooker Method:
1. Place the vegetables, water and seasonings into a pressure cooker. Fill with water and bring to high pressure and cook for 5-6 minutes until vegetables are very tender. Use the quick release method (putting in the sink and pouring water over the lid until it releases) and let it cool until you can open the lid.
2. Strain vegetables from broth in a large mesh strainer and use a ladle, nested measuring cup or bowl to press out the excess liquid from vegetables through the strainer to yield the most broth.
Stovetop Method:
1. Place vegetables, water and seasonings into a large pot and bring to a boil. When it’s boiling turn it down to low and simmer for an hour. Don’t let your vegetables overcook and completely fall apart, check on them after 45 minutes or so.
2. Strain vegetables from broth in a large mesh strainer and use a ladle, nested measuring cup or bowl to press out the excess liquid from vegetables through the strainer.
Additional Tips:
Use the broth right away or let it cool and store in a sealed container(s) in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can freeze any extra you won’t use in that time. Use in recipes or for daily sautéing for onions and garlic.
For the pressure cooker, I chop the vegetables a little smaller. For the stovetop you can cut them into bigger chunks and keep the garlic whole, as they will cook longer.
This recipe is really flexible, if I need more for a soup recipe I’ll just add a little more water and dilute it. When I’m making it, I will use what vegetables I have but the main important ones are onions, carrots and herbs. The point is you want the water to taste like vegetables and not like plain water and homemade broth gives the best flavor for soup.
You can also use any other vegetable tops or skins if you like, but leave out the celery leaves, as they can be too bitter. I suggest that the vegetable peels be organic if you do use them. You can also add leeks, green/spring onions, other root vegetables, already cooked beans etc. to add more depth to the flavor.
Things You Do Not Want To Add To Vegetable Broth
Don’t add cruciferous vegetables as they contain sulfur and can make the broth bitter and smell unpleasant. No kale, collards, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts or leafy greens aside from fresh herbs. You’d get more out of eating or juicing the greens than adding them to your broth. It won’t make it taste better for your recipes. Please do not add raw beans, grains or pasta to your vegetable broth either.
My stock is done cooking so I open the lid.
I ladle it out into a strainer/colander that is over another pot or bowl.
Pick up the strainer/colander filled with cooked vegetables and strain it.
I push the juices out the veggies to get any extra broth.
Now my vegetable broth/stock is ready to be used in my recipes!
How about a cup of fresh vegetable broth?
Larger Vegetable Soup Stock Recipe
Yields 14 cups of broth
Ingredients:
12-13 cups/~3 qts./2.9 L of filtered water
2 large onions, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
8 large carrots, sliced
10 stalks of celery, sliced
Any other vegetable leftovers like the tops of leeks or ends of mushrooms
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp whole peppercorns
Pressure Cooker Method:
1. Place the vegetables, water and seasonings into a pressure cooker. Fill with water and bring to high pressure and cook for 5-6 minutes until vegetables are very tender. Use the quick release method (putting in the sink and pouring water over the lid until it releases) and let it cool until you can open the lid.
2. Strain vegetables from broth in a large mesh strainer and use a ladle, nested measuring cup or bowl to press out the excess liquid from vegetables through the strainer to yield the most broth.
Stovetop Method:
1. Place vegetables, water and seasonings into a large pot and bring to a boil. When it’s boiling turn it down to low and simmer for an hour. Don’t let your vegetables overcook and completely fall apart, check on them after 45 minutes or so.
2. Strain vegetables from broth in a large mesh strainer and use a ladle, nested measuring cup or bowl to press out the excess liquid from vegetables through the strainer.
Why do I not see tomato as one of the veg
Tomatoes should never be used in vegetable stocks. You can add canned or chunks of tomatoes to soup recipes later using the vegetable stock.
Buying a pressure cooker soon. What size should I get to make your LARGE recipe? Thx!
You could compost the veggies instead of throwing them out.
I live in Canada, it is pretty difficult to compost most of the year due to the cold temperatures, and I don’t have a backyard at all. When you go through as much produce as I do there’s no way to compost it all in a cold climate.
How long we can freeze it & use it?
I make this recipe a lot, always with good results. One thing I often add is corn cobs. When it’s in season, I cut the kernels off raw fresh corn and add to my daily salad, which is really delicious. I snap the cobs into two or three pieces and freeze them. Then I add them the next time I make stock for a nice rich note.
Hi Veronica
This is a great broth, no more buying vegetable broth at the store. The only thing I would like to ask, is there a way of making this both more savor its to sweet for my taste. I made the cabbage soup with this and it was way to sweet, used salt and pepper but soup was still to sweet. I’m not very good at fixing recipes end up missing it up so much that it’s not edible. Was thinking maybe leave out the carrots not sure. Thanks again for your wonderful website!!
This is great! I wanted to make this to surprise my wife. However, she is allergic to garlic. What do you recommend for a substitute? Thanks
I made this vegetable stock for a bean, lentil, and barley soup. The soup recipe called for chicken broth, but this was a perfect vegan substitute. I look forward to using this vegetable stock in my other recipes. Thanks so much!
This is a great way to save money and makes lots of veg. stock.
Hi everyone,
I’ve been making my own veggie stock for a while – results are always good, but occasionally there’s been a slight bitterness. I’ll try leaving out the kale stems and other crucifersous veggies.
My tip? As you chop up veggies for daily meals, keep anything you might use in the stock – just rinse it and chuck it in the freezer (bagged up with other stuff, that might go to waste).
It’s amazing how fast those peelings/ chopped-off-bits build up (if you eat as many veggies as I do ;-). I can get several liters of stock every week, without buying much extra.
If you’ve got a friendly veggie market, ask them if they have carrots and celery that’s getting a bit old for the shelf.
Veggie stock costs can be pushed close to zero (other than the heat energy of course)
Finally, if you’ve got a compost pile, your stewed veggies (used to make the stock) go there or into your worm farm.
Then, your compost and worms help to grow the next bunch of veggies!
(I’d admit – I live in an apartment, and don’t do these last two steps. If I had some space, definitely!)
Hi Ben
Definitely do not put kale, cabbage, broccoli or any other cruciferous veggies into your stock. The sulfur in them makes the broth taste strong and off when they get over cooked. You can have fresh cooked broccoli or kale added to soups but its best not in the broth.
Thanks!!
I’m allergic to celery. Is there an alternative to use in this recipe since it calls for a large amount of it?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Just leave it out then. You can add extra parsley if you want instead.
Veronica, 01/20/2013
This is Wolfgang Puck’s recipe except he adds 1 ounce of fresh sliced ginger. I’ve been making this since 1991 and alternate between adding ginger and without ginger. Making 9 quarts at a time and freezing. He simmers his for about 3 hours. Will try it for one hour and see if there is a difference in flavor. We’re excited about finding your website.
Lea
I’ve never seen his recipe. This is what I make. Also sliced vegetables cant be simmered for more than an hour they can turn the broth bitter. Maybe he uses whole vegetables.
This is perfect! I can’t wait to try it this weekend. I’d hate to waste the veggies used to make the stock–any suggestions?
Thanks! Happy New Year!
By making stock you suck all the flavor out of the veggies. And it has whole peppercorns and thyme stems. It doesnt taste like much so I dont use it. I make far too much stock to even attempt to use those overcooked veggies in anything. Maybe a marinara sauce thickener but just for bulk. Carrots onion and celery are quite cheap.
Thank you! I just used the mushrooms–always good!
I am looking forward to making fresh vegetable stock for my first time!
The recipe looks amazing and simple!! Can’t wait! Thanks
Thanks for the great and simple broth recipe. I always use stock for sauteeing. A nice tip I can give you is to freeze it in ice-cube trays. That way you can put one on your frying pan and once it melts you know it’s ready to be used!
Since buying my new pressure cooker I have been making at least two batches of broth every week and using it for everything, including just drinking it as a beverage! Still love it as is, but also with the addition of a sweet potato, which gives it a wonderful depth and sweetness. I don’t know why this recipe is so very good … I have tried many over the years … but this one is as close to perfect as it can come. Thank you so much.
This broth is absolutely wonderful, soft and sweet and savory without being overpowering in any one aspect!
Made a small batch yesterday, following amounts given except for a little more garlic and a few more sprigs of herbs from my herb garden. I started making it in my old pressure cooker which died on me (yeah! I FINALLY have an excuse to buy a new one!!) and finished it on the stovetop. It is the best broth and, you are right, it is delicious just as a beverage … next time I will make the larger batch so I can enjoy a cup or two at the finish. I froze batches in 1 and 2 cup containers, and kept some in the fridge. This is now my go-to vegetable broth recipe. Thank you!
What do you do with the pulp? Throw them away or blend in soups?
The veggies taste like nothing and then the thyme and bay leaves and pepper corns are in it too and you’d have to remove them. The flavor is in the broth not veggies anymore. I make so broth much I throw out the cooked veggies. I tried adding it to stuff but it only adds fibre and doesn’t improve the taste of anything. Only use a half cup or up to a cup, if u put all of it into a recipe i would suspect it would ruin it. These veggies are cheap. All my recipes have a lot of carrots and celery in them anyways so they are not lacking for fibre and bulk.
Remember these are just cooked in water, it’s not like they were juiced and stripped of fibre. Water is an essential requirement in the diet anyway, so naturally flavoured broth with vitamins and minerals is even better. There’s no need to fear vegetable broth like you are wasting vegetables. I use those vegetables in so many recipes anyway and the vitamins and minerals do get into the vegetable broth itself.
I’ve never made my own veggie stock before. Will give this a try. Thank you for the great step by step photos.
This recipe is similar to one I learnt from my brother some years ago. Excluding the nonvegan ingredients (I wasn’t vegan then, he isn’t even now) it used Swedish turnip and root celery, not stalk celery. Also no mushrooms, otherwise pretty similar. Thanks for reminding me of that recipe, will have to prepare some sometime.
#2 I love this post, I try to mimic it when making a soup, but leave out the garlic and peppercorns. I also want to eat my soup as soon as possible when making it, so I don’ t really leave broth going for 45 minutes… I just boil all the vegetables for 20 minutes or so and then add all the other ingredients. I don’t know how this effects the taste or if it’s wise to do, but it makes it possible to start making the soup and eat it 60 minutes later or so.
If you boil all the vegetables for that long it can make it more bitter than if you simmer it
Do you have any suggestions for making this in a slow cooker (crock pot)?
Hi Rena,
I would try putting it in a slow cooker on for 2-4 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low maybe. I’m not really sure. I haven’t done it because I usually need my broth right away for a recipe and I don’t want to wait all day to do it. You want the vegetables to cook, but not really for more than an hour or they will fall apart and can add too much bitterness to the broth.
If you try it please let me know what time worked out for you. I don’t use my slow cooker as often, unless I’m making chili because I make more than 1 recipe a day and don’t always start prepping first thing in the morning.
Sorry I forgot the garlic in this! I always add lots of garlic and I forgot to write it down. I added it now. I like lots of garlic and yet the broth doesn’t taste garlicky at all. Use at least a few cloves
Veronica, these recipes for stock are great. I love that you mentioned using a pressure cooker. Have been enjoying reading your recipes and look forward to the upcoming release of your book.
Hi Ann, I love the pressure cooker. It saves me so much time with making stock and beans and is very useful for me! Thanks for reading. I’m excited about the upcoming soup book too. You’ll love the pictures and the variety!
Thanks for this, Veronica. I’ve been searching for a really good homemade veggie broth recipe, and I have total respect for, and confidence in, anything that comes from your kitchen!
Couple of questions – do you have a tutorial posted up for how to saute using the broth? Also, if you only use edible ingredients when making the broth, i.e., no veggie tops or anything of that nature, is there anything that can be done with the mash that’s leftover once the broth is complete? (rather than just compost them…)
Thank you and *hugs*!
Hi Stephani,
Yes I posted how I cook without oil in broth last night. The post is on the front page here http://lowfatveganchef.com/how-to-cook-without-oil-or-how-to-cook-fat-free/
I tried using only scraps to make broth and saved all my potato and carrot skins and it was gross! So bitter and really unimpressive. So I decided just to bite the bullet and keep lots of onions celery and carrots on hand for my stock. (Thank you Costco). The broth that comes out of these recipes is really pleasant tasting and unlike the bitter broths that you get at the store. I find I have to tinker with my soup recipes much more if I use store bought broth versus using my own.
The veggies don’t taste like much. You can blend them up and add them to blended soup or marinara sauce but it’s more for bulk and fiber. It won’t enhance the taste. I’ve done this once in a while when something was too thin. I have so much that I wouldnt be able to use it all.
Thanks for reading!
How about adding parsley with its stems? Bell peppers? Garlic? Beet greens?
Chard and Mustard greens?
Does this recipe work if we cook it way down for a concentrated version that i can freeze in smaller quantities and dilute again when i thaw it? Thank you Veronica!!!
Hi Carolyn. Yes if I have parsley and stems I use those too. I find thyme essential though more so than parsley so I dont always buy it just for stock.
I mentioned not using strong greens or cruciferous veggies because of their strong flavor and sulfur they contain. Do not add greens to your vegetable broth. It wont taste good and you’re better off eating the greens instead.
You can cook it down if you like. I use so much broth that freezing it would be more trouble for me. You’ll want to cook it down on the stove after its strained so you dont get too much bitterness from the veggies in it.