Veggie Stock (2024)

FAQs

What is a good substitute for veggie stock? ›

If you don't keep stock on hand but you don't want to lose out on flavor, McKinnon suggests dissolving bouillon cubes in water. Bouillon powder (which, like cubes, is made of dehydrated veggies and seasoning) is another easy way to add flavor to your vegetarian cooking.

Garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and black pepper perfume the broth for a complex flavor.

Vegetable stock is made with untrimmed, sometimes whole vegetables, while broth is made from trimmed, roughly chopped vegetables. Vegetable stock generally takes longer to cook (at least 2 hours) than broth, which usually cooks for less than 30 minutes.

If you have dried mushrooms in the back of your pantry from the last time you made risotto, ramen, or at-home hot pot, toss them into slowly simmering broth. Dried shiitakes are especially tasty if you're trying to add meaty savoriness to veggie stock.

It's unbelievably easy and cheap, and it tastes SO much better than any broth you'd find at the store. Don't worry – I'll never blame you for reaching for store bought broth when that's the most convenient option (I still use it sometimes too!).

Steer clear of any member of the brassica family; broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage among others. These will ruin your stock with a sulphurous and bitter flavour. Softer vegetables such as potatoes or pumpkin are no good as they break down too easily, creating a cloudy stock.

Vegetable broth contains iron that helps to stimulate the formation of red blood cells, helping to avoid anemia, increase energy levels, and avoid tiredness. Homemade broth helps to manage body metabolism, optimizing nutrient absorption, and resulting in a lighter feeling.

Ensure you've added enough salt and black pepper. Too little salt means your soup's flavours' will remain hidden. When you know your soup is salty enough, move on to other seasonings like herbs and spices.

A squeeze of citrus, a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of cream, a dusting of cheese or a good chile powder, a sprinkling of some herbs or croutons — all can take a perfectly fine soup into the realm of the delectable. Even a spiral of good olive oil to finish and some coarse sea salt can do wonders.

How do you enrich vegetable stock? ›

Add bright, fresh flavor to vegetable broth

Just warm up the broth, toss in some parsley, cilantro, tarragon, sage, thyme, or a combination, and let the broth steep like tea for several minutes before fishing the herbs out. Don't boil fresh herbs in broth, though, or they could make the stock bitter.

Save those vegetables that may have lost their crunchy appeal for a flavorful veggie stock. Even if stored properly, celery and carrots may become floppy after some time, but don't let them go to the compost. Throw in your onion skins, potato peels, and other veggie scraps from cooking to add more flavor to the mix!

Stock bases are usually sold as pastes or in liquid form, where broth bases are most commonly sold as powders or in cubes and can be referred to as bouillon. To use either of these in recipes, simply follow the package directions to add water to create the amount of stock or broth called for in your recipe.

Chicken or Beef Stock

Using chicken or beef stock as a substitute for vegetable broth is a no-brainer, unless you follow a vegetarian or a vegan diet. Both vegetable and chicken broth, in particular, have a similar flavor profile and color, which makes it easy to substitute one for the other (via The Pioneer Woman).

Vegetable broth is an easy substitute for chicken broth—it has a very similar flavor and color and can be used as a one-to-one substitute. It typically has most of the same aromatics like the mirepoix trifecta of carrots, celery, and onions, plus salt, pepper, and herbs, so the flavor will be quite similar in the end.

A vegetable base is simply a concentrated version of a vegetable stock or base where more of the water has been allowed to evaporate while simmering. Bouillon is a dehydrated broth or stock formed into a small cube.

Fortunately, we're here to let you in on a game-changing secret: Water makes a more than acceptable replacement for chicken stock in most soups, stews, sauces, and braises. And in many cases, water actually produces a better-tasting result.

Fumet. The term fumet (essence) typically applies to fish stock but is also used to describe vegetable stock. Fumets are made by gently cooking the ingredients to extract flavor but not enough to produce browning. They're then simmered for an hour or two.