Homemade Vegetable Stock
Updated Oct 08, 2025
Learn how to make flavorful homemade vegetable stock using veggie scraps or fresh produce and even beans - great for soups, stews, and sauces.
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Make Vegetable Stock From Scratch!
Here is how I make vegetable stock for vegetarian soups and stews. It’s totally vegan, too! The added beans and their juices give the stock thickness so it doesn’t have a watery texture, but a better mouth texture. Using beans in the brto h is my little tip for how to make vegetable stock have a similar texture to a long-simmered chicken or beef stock. Try it!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
How to Make Vegetable Stock
Homemade Vegetable Stock
Ingredients
- 2 white onions quartered
- 5 carrots peeled and quartered
- 3 celery ribs quartered
- 15 ounces cannellini beans with liquid
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 Fresh rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- As needed water about 8-10 cups
Instructions
- Place all items in a pot large enough to hold everything.
- Add 8-10 cups of water, enough to cover ¾ of the vegetables in the pot.
- Bring to a simmer on low heat. Once simmering, cook for 2 hours.
- Let cool, then strain. Makes 6-8 cups of broth
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Roast the vegetables for deeper flavor. Caramelizing the veggies first will develop more flavor and give the stock a darker color.
- Add a little tomato paste. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to the stock after the vegetables have been strained, reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. This is a great base for sauces or vegetarian gravies.
- Stay away from adding vegetables from the brassica family Cauliflower, kale, cabbage, broccoli, and other brassicas add bitterness to stock. Save them for their own soups.
- Hold the salt. You’ll notice there is no salt in this recipe. That is a deliberate choice to avoid oversalting since salt will be added to the final recipe for how you use the homemade vegetable stock.
Recipes to Make with Easy Homemade Vegetable Stock
- In a soup: Chicken Noodle Soup, One-Pot Ravioli Soup, White Bean Soup
- In a sauce or gravy: Vegan Mushroom Gravy, Pasta Bolognese, Sautéed Chicken and Mushroom
- In a casserole: Easy Eggplant Moussaka, Potato Cauliflower Casserole, Mushroom Stuffing
- In pasta or grain bowls instead of water: Pumpkin Pasta, Mediterranean Couscous Salad, One Pot Chicken and Rice
FAQs
There are a few differences. Stock is made specifically for use in other recipes. That is why there is no salt added (See above). Broth is thinner and seasoned to be sipped as its own soup. Meat-based stocks have their gelatinous texture from long-simmered bones. My vegetable stock uses beans to get a similar texture.
Parsley and mushrooms make good additions as do leeks, or other alliums like shallots. Tomatoes are also not a bad idea. If you are making your stock for a specific dish, you can flavor according, for instance using ginger,, if you intend it for an Asian dish.
Comments
I have made this soup. I put in a whole packet of celery. It turned out sweet. Thank you so much Beautiful Soul for this recipe. Itโs simple and tasty!
Thank you, Catherine! I’m so happy you liked it!!
Hello Yumna!
I love homemade soup stock! Can you recommend a veg that can substitute for the carrots? I cannot eat carrots or fennel or corn.
Thank you ๐
Hi Anna, you can leave the carrot out or you can toss in some caramelized Vidalia onions for that touch of sweetness. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Yumma. I want to know what can I do with the cooked vegetables and beans left – I don’t like throw away food. Thanks for your recipes
I totally understand that! Check out my Mediterranean White Bean Soup recipe.