Nutritious Instant Pot Vegetable Stock by Amy + Jacky (2024)

FAQs

Is homemade vegetable stock worth it? ›

This is a great, classic Vegetable Stock recipe that's easy to make. It's an essential in every kitchen, and will make anything you use it in tastier. As with all homemade stocks, it's far superior to store bought! Naturally this is a perfect substitute for vegetarians and vegans whenever a meat stock is called for.

For example, cream of broccoli soup might contain broccoli stems in the stock and cream of mushroom would have mushrooms in the stock. Don't use red beets for stock unless you want it to be very colorful! Gold beets are fine.

There's no doubt a pressure cooker is the best tool for flavorful, gelatin-rich chicken stock that's ready in just about an hour.

Fill a large pot with 4 quarts of water and add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a low boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and let cook for at least 20 minutes and up to 40 minutes. Strain and use as needed.

Softer vegetables such as potatoes or pumpkin are no good as they break down too easily, creating a cloudy stock. If adding fresh tomatoes, remove the seeds as they can impart a bitter taste. The fresher the vegetables you use for stock, the better the flavour will be.

But if you keep an eye on sodium levels, both broth and stock can be healthy. Taub-Dix notes that stock is often considered healthier than broth since it tends to be slightly higher in protein and other nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, than broth.

Vegetables to Avoid When Making Vegetables Stock

Starchy vegetables like potatoes and turnips will make for a gummy, cloudy vegetable stock. Beets overpower their aromatic counterparts. Zucchini and greens beans become bitter when slowly simmered for as long it takes to make this stock.

Cruciferous veggies: Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, or kale – these can make your broth become bitter. Green bell peppers (and possibly other colors of peppers, as well): these can make your broth become bitter. Especially avoid using the inside white pith of the pepper.

Remove the tops/bottoms/skins/stems from any vegetables you are preparing (avoid vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower as they will add a bitter taste to your stock) and place them in a ziplock bag - they can stay frozen up to 6 months. Note: You can add many other vegetable scraps (think sweet!)

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What's the difference between stock and broth? ›

Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.

Cubes are mostly salt and often take too long to dissolve when cooking a recipe , whereas the “jellied” beef or chicken stocks are more flavorful and easier to use . Still -cubes keep longer and don't need refrigeration .

The bones and vegetables should simmer for several hours in order to extract the most flavor and health benefits from the broth. A minimum of 2-4 hours is recommended, but it can simmer for up to 24 hours. Finally, strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard the bones and seasonings, and save the broth.

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!

MISTAKE #1: TOO HOT IN HERE

The hotter you cook the stock, the faster you convert collagen into gelatin. Cooking low and slow gives you good conversion while preventing fat, minerals and other gunk from emulsifying into your stock. Boiled stock will be cloudy, greasy and have a lower yield.

In most recipes that call for vegetable stock, its main advantage over water is that it provides flavor, which is especially important if you're making vegetarian or vegan food that's missing the richness from meat.

Boxed stock has virtually no gelatin, which means that it does not have the viscosity and richness of a homemade stock. A homemade stock will thicken and intensify as it reduces, while a store-bought stock will remain thin and watery until it completely boils away.”

If you buy vegetable stock, you'll likely get a product with a lot of sodium but not a lot of flavor. By making your own stock, you can control the amount of sodium and create an incredibly flavorful base for soups, stews, risottos, and other dishes that call for stock as the primary cooking liquid.

Making stock from your leftover scraps is easy, saves you money, reduces food waste, and is a so-simple way to transform ingredients you'd normally toss into a flavorful kitchen staple.