VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY

Homemade Vegetable Stock

A rich vegetable stock made from scraps, ready for soups, risottos and stews.

EASY

45 MINS

3 LITRES

ABOUT THE RECIPE

Homemade vegetable stock started for me with one very disappointing jar of powdered stock. Now I save scraps through the week and turn them into something fresh, useful and full of depth. Soups, risottos, stews, beans: all better when the stock has actually met a vegetable.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients

A large snap-lock bag full of clean vegetable scraps, such as:

Carrot peels, tops and ends

Celery stalks and leaves

Onion, garlic, and ginger skins and ends

Leek and spring onion greens and ends

Mushroom stems

Pumpkin peels and guts

Herb stems

Tomato cores

Broccoli and cauliflower stalks

Method

1.

Collect your scraps. Keep a large snap-lock bag in the freezer and fill it throughout the week as you prep veg. I keep two bowls on the bench; one for scraps that can go into stock, and one for anything that’s not usable. Give scraps a rinse before freezing if needed.

2.

Prepare the stock. Once your bag is full, tip the frozen scraps into a large stockpot. Cover with water until the contents just begin to float.

3.

Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil (the lid helps it heat faster). Once boiling, remove the lid, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.

Turn off the heat and allow the stock to cool. Scoop out the large solids, then pour the liquid through a fine sieve into a large bowl or jug.

5.

Store or use. The stock should be a rich golden brown (though the exact colour will vary depending on the scraps you use). Use immediately, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for later.

SAMANTHA'S NOTES

Choose scraps carefully

Season later

Make it a rhythm

Keep the stock unsalted so you can control seasoning when you use it. A bay leaf or two is lovely for gentle depth without taking over.

Put the stock on while you are already cooking. It is mostly hands-off, and once the scraps have given their flavour, they can go straight to compost.

Skip brassica leaves, citrus peels, and anything mouldy or slimy. Potato peels are fine in small amounts, but too many can make the stock cloudy.

KEEP COOKING

More from Samantha's Kitchen

A few more recipes to cook, save and come back to.

Hearty Tomato & Bacon Stew