Recipe video above. This is an easy, classic vegetable stock that's an essential addition to every cook's toolkit. It will complement and bring flavour into anything you use it in.As with all stocks, homemade vegetable stock is far superior to store bought, with the added bonus that it's the easiest of all stocks to make! The ingredients are simple, affordable and very minimal waste is discarded after straining compared to meat based stocks like beef stock.Makes 1 litre / 1 quart vegetable stock (4 cups). Use in place of any recipe calling for vegetable stock (same quantity) or even chicken stock.
Cook Time2 hourshrs
Course: stocks
Keyword: vegetable stock
Servings: 4cups
Calories: 113cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
2 litres / 2 quartswater
2medium carrots(unpeeled), cut in 3 (180g/6oz each)
1onion, quartered (~250g/8oz)
1celery stem, cut in 4 pieces (~180g/6oz)
2garlic cloves,smashed (Note 1)
3parsley stems
1bay leaf
1thyme sprig
1/2tspblack peppercorns
1/2tspcoriander seeds
1tspsalt, kosher/cooking for store bought level salted vegetable stock (Note 2)
Simmer 2 hours: Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours without a lid. The water should not be bubbling, it should just ripple gently. Stock should reduce by about half.
Strain, pressing juices out of the vegetables. You should have 1 litre / 1 quart (4 cups) of stock. If you have much more than this, return the strained liquid into the pot and simmer to continue to reduce.
How to use: Use in place of store-bought stock in any recipe - 1:1 ratio.
Storage: Keeps in the fridge for 5 days, or freeze for 3 months. I usually freeze in 1 cup portions in jars, small ziplock bags (freeze flat for efficient use of space and faster defrosting) or in plastic containers.
Notes
1. Smashed garlic – Place side of large knife on garlic then use the heel of your hand to bash the side of the knife once, making the garlic burst open but mostly hold together.2. Salt – This is the salt quantity required to make vegetable stock taste like store bought stock. It's optional however because one of the nice things about homemade stocks is that you can make the saltiness to your taste. For meat-based stocks, I do not add salt so they can be reduced by 80%+ to make jus without ending up too salty. We don't usually make jus with vegetable stock, so you can salt it if you wish.3. Nutrition for entire batch which includes the calories of all the vegetables. In reality, most of the vegetables are discarded.