Vegetable stock is being used more and more in restaurants and at home to meet the dietary needs of health conscious individuals, vegetarians, and vegans. Vegetable stock is basically vegetables simmered in water, sometimes with the addition of wine. If this sounds simple and straightforward, it’s because it is. However, there are some guidelines to take into consideration before making your vegetable stock.

Vegetable Stock Guidelines

• If you want to have a vegetable stock with a predominant flavor, a popular example is mushroom stock, add mostly mushrooms to your stock with smaller amounts of complimentary vegetables (such as celery, carrots, and onions) to help round out the flavors.
• Adding a sachet containing fresh herbs and spices will help add depth of flavor to your vegetable stock.
• Avoid using starchy vegetables such as potatoes or squash because they will make your stock cloudy. If a clear vegetable stock is not important in the application for which you will be using it, then starchy vegetables can be used at your discretion.
• Avoid strong-flavored vegetables such as brussel sprouts, broccoli, and beets. They will overpower the flavor of your stock and give it an “off” odor.  Also, vegetables that readily release their colors (such as the aforementioned beets) can dye your stock an unappetizing color.
• Avoid leafy green vegetables. When cooked for an extended period of time, their flavor and color structure break down turning your vegetable stock into a fairly unappetizing, mucky, Army green color.
• Sweating your vegetables in a little fat before adding water will give you a better flavored and aromatic stock since some flavor and aroma molecules contained in vegetables are only fat soluble.
• Cut your vegetables into a fine julienne or a medium dice. This will give your vegetables more surface area and allow their flavors to be more readily extracted.
• Simmer for 30-45 minutes. This will allow the stock to cook long enough to extract the flavors without breaking them down.

Great Vegetables for Vegetable Stock

• Carrots
• Celery
• Onions (any color will do, or use a mix for a more well-rounded flavor)
• Shallots
• Leeks (use mostly the white part -split lengthwise)
• Mushrooms
• Parsnips

Note on Garlic: Garlic can add great flavor to your vegetable stock, especially if you’re a raving garlic fan. In its raw state, however, it can also add an unpleasant bitter bite to your stock. Roasting your garlic before adding to your vegetable stock is one way to counteract this effect - another way is to first blanch your garlic.

Herbs Used For Vegetable Stocks

Note: When using herbs in vegetable stocks, they should always be fresh. Take into consideration the strength of each her band add accordingly.

• Basil
• Thyme (classical favorite)
• Tarragon
• Parsley (classical favorite)
• Cilantro (careful, could very easily overpower your stock)
• Rosemary (can also overpower your stock if too much is used)
• Chervil
• Chives

Spices Used For Vegetable Stocks

• Whole Peppercorns (black or white)
• Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Cayenne (use in very small amounts to help round out flavors)
• Ginger (preferably fresh ginger root)
• Star Anise

For Experimentation: No one says that your vegetable stock has to be boring, bland, or classic. Some non-traditional spices that you can experiment with (at your own risk) are fresh vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Be creative and have some fun!

Further Information

• SCS 2| Stocks Part 2 (Audio Lecture)
• SCS 3| Stocks Part 3 (Audio Lecture)
• Stella Culinary's Guide To Stocks
• Chicken Stock Recipe
• Veal Stock Recipe
• Fish Stock Recipe