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Making this vegetable stock recipe is one of those small kitchen habits that delivers big rewards. Unlike store-bought versions, which can be watered down, overly salty, or packed with preservatives, homemade stock is rich, flavorful, and totally customizable. You get to control the ingredients and reduce food waste by using scraps. Plus, once you taste the difference, it’s hard to go back—this is the kind of upgrade your soups, stews, and sauces have been waiting for.
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What is Vegetable Stock?
A vegetable stock recipe is typically made by simmering vegetables, herbs, and water for about an hour, then straining out the solids. It’s usually unseasoned or only lightly seasoned, making it a great base for other recipes. Vegetable broth, on the other hand, is similar but often seasoned with salt and spices. It’s meant to be enjoyed as-is—like sipping broth from a mug or using it in a quick soup.
In everyday cooking, most people use the terms interchangeably. But if you’re following a specific recipe, check whether it calls for stock (a neutral base) or broth (ready-to-eat).
November 9-13, 2026
Jen’s Free Soup Challenge
I’d love for you to soup it up with me! For 5 days, I’ll send you a daily veggie-packed soup that’s easy enough for a busy weeknight and makes enough to freeze and pull out all winter.
Tips When Making Vegetable Stock
If you’re someone who loves exact measurements, this vegetable stock recipe might feel a little loose—but that’s part of the magic. It’s all about working with what you’ve got. Here’s how to make it a success:
- Use what you have. This recipe is all about using up veggie scraps you’d normally toss. No need to buy fresh produce just to make stock—this is your compost pile’s glow-up moment.
- Mix it up. The most flavorful stocks come from variety. If you don’t want it to taste like onion soup, make sure your freezer stash includes a mix of veggies like carrots, celery, leeks, herbs—even a handful of arugula or mushroom stems.
- Skip the cruciferous crew. Veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and kale can make your stock bitter. Save those for a separate soup and keep them out of the pot here.
- Boost with anti-inflammatory extras. Want a wellness edge? Add a chunk of fresh ginger or turmeric root. Just a little adds flavor and extra health perks.
This is a flexible, no-stress recipe that helps reduce food waste and boosts your cooking game at the same time.
How to Use Vegetable Stock
You can use my homemade vegetable stock in any recipe that calls for vegetable broth or stock—and trust me, once you taste the difference, you’ll never go back to store-bought. It adds a rich, fresh flavor that makes every dish better. I love using mine in cozy, nourishing recipes like Vegetable Barley Soup, Vegetarian Ramen, Vegetarian Tortilla Soup, and Minestrone Soup. Homemade veggie stock takes them all to the next level.
How to Store Homemade Vegetable Stock
Fridge: Once your homemade vegetable stock has finished simmering, let it cool completely before transferring it to the fridge. Pour it into airtight containers—mason jars, glass storage containers, or BPA-free plastic containers all work great. I recommend using quart-size jars since they hold 4 cups (perfect for most recipes) and fit easily in the fridge. Your vegetable stock will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze vegetable stock to use later in freezer safe bags or Souper Cubes Freezer System—just make sure to let it cool completely before pouring it into your chosen container. Always label everythingwith the date and amount. Trust me, that mystery bag in the back of the freezer won’t be so helpful when you’re guessing what it is three months from now. For the best flavor, try to use your frozen stock within 3 months.
Common Questions
In a vegetable stock recipe, it’s best to use aromatic vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and leeks. These create a flavorful base. Avoid starchy vegetables (like potatoes) or cruciferous ones (like broccoli or cauliflower), which can make the stock cloudy or bitter.
Yes, homemade vegetable stock is a great way to use up kitchen scraps! Keep a freezer bag of clean veggie trimmings—like onion skins, carrot peels, and celery ends—and once you have enough, toss them in a pot to simmer. Just skip anything moldy or overly bitter.
For a balanced vegetable stock recipe, simmer your ingredients for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. This extracts plenty of flavor without overcooking the veggies. Simmer uncovered if you want a more concentrated stock.
Yes! After your vegetable stock recipe is finished and cooled, store it in freezer-safe containers or silicone ice cube trays. It’ll keep for up to 3 months and makes a quick flavor boost for soups, grains, or sauces.
Recipe Card
Homemade Vegetable Stock from Scraps
Ingredients
- 1 cup onion scraps tops, bottoms, and skins
- 2 cup celery scraps tops and bottoms
- 2 cup carrot scraps tops and skins
- 4 garlic clove tops, bottoms, and skins
- ½ cup herbs parsley, rosemary, thyme
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp sea salt, unrefined optional
- 12 cup water
Instructions
- Place the onion, celery, carrot and garlic scraps in a 6-quart pot. Add the herbs, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt, if using.
- Pour in the water so everything is covered by about 2 inches, leaving an inch or two of space at the top of the pot so it doesn’t boil over.
- Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook until the vegetables are so soft they’re falling apart, at least 2 hours.
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the scraps. Pour into airtight containers, such as quart-size mason jars.
Recipe Notes
- Slow Cooker Method: Combine everything in a slow cooker, cover with water by 2 inches and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, then strain.
- Saving Scraps: Collect scraps in a gallon freezer bag as you cook and make stock when it’s full. There’s no need to thaw them first.
- Flavor Boosts: Use all your scraps, including onion and garlic skins. For a different flavor, add fresh ginger, fresh turmeric or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
- Freezing: Refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months, leaving room at the top for expansion.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cup | Saturated Fat: 0.04 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03 g | Sodium: 242 mg | Potassium: 213 mg | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 3954 IU | Vitamin C: 7 mg | Calcium: 33 mg | Iron: 0.4 mg
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Thank you for having this recipe available for us. I will be trying this soon since there is so much broth used in recipes for soups and I want a clean and salt free one made a home. I will post my results soon!
sometimes there is dirt (soil) that doesn’t wash off easily on the carrots, potato peels, or onion bottoms; would you still use those?
Hi Irina, I would! They do make vegetable wash which is a gentle detergent sold in many grocery stores in the produce section. I usually use a vegetable scrubber, or even a fresh dish brush to get any extra residue off. Sometimes I feel a little wild though and just embrace it, though. 😉
Just curious if you’ve tested the nuwave blender sold on tv?
This is copied and pasted. You might want to check the sentence is incomplete—
“What should you not put into vegetable stock?
While you really can put almost any vegetable in your homemade stock, cruciferous foods like kale, broccoli, turnips, etc., squash and green beans.”
Thanks for the heads up. I just went in and modified it to say what I really meant. Hope you give this veggie stock recipe a shot.
I love this idea! I’ve been making chicken and turkey stock for a while now, but didn’t know how easy it was to make vegetable stock too.