Skip to Content

Market Vegetable Stock

Share the research:

No critic goes to the theater to write about the foil. But I prefer my stocks to be a foil — a background to other flavors. It is also true that the foil can make the play (or in this case the recipe). Market vegetable stock described here is made from cuttings saved up from the best of the growing season.

Yes, this stock is unassuming, but if you want to see just how useful making this stock can be try using it in a pot of Vegetable soup with Ground Beef.

Notes in ingredients

Making your own vegetable stock is likely the cheapest and easiest way to improve your cooking. It comes down to a simple step. Anytime you find yourself trimming a significant amount of stems that will be too tough to cook — throw it in the freezer. Almost any batch of greens is going to have a lot of stalks for you. But vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower contain a stalk that is often wasted. Eventually, you will have large bags or containers filled with stems and trimmings.

A relatively unattractive pile of cuttings is all you need.

Notes on technique

From there the technique is simple. When enough is accumulated, place in a stockpot, throw in a bay leaf if you like, and add water to just cover. Salt till the water just barely tastes salty (it will evaporate and get saltier). Bring the stock to a boil and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Alternatively, roast the vegetables, as discussed in the caveats below, to get a richer taste.

I call this Market Vegetable Stock because it is easiest with market vegetables. Fresher, dirt-raised (as opposed to hydroponically raised) vegetables will have more stalks that you will want to use. Unfortunately, store-bought vegetables frequently have very dried brown or decaying stalks. These must be discarded. Nonetheless, it is possible to still build up enough to create a stock even if using store trimmings.

A few caveats are in order.

  • I attempt to make this stock lighter than comparable canned vegetable stock. I am looking for an extra dimension to add to ingredients I am happy with, not a backbone to the dish.
  • I generally, add dark red stalks to a separate container. From there I can make a conscious decision to add to my latest batch of stock. Using these colors the stock may not be desirable for appearance’s sake. For example, a risotto.
  • Asparagus stalks are also handled separately. The distinctive taste is one flavor that does not meld with the others. You may not want it in all of your stock. But to use risotto as an example again, an asparagus risotto is much better with some asparagus in the stock.
  • Lastly, again depending on the intended use, you can roast the stems and stalks before adding to the water. Roast on a sheet pan at 375°F for about 10-20 minutes. Keep a close watch and turn as needed.

Related Posts

Pot of Cuttings

Market Vegetable Stock

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Lighter than canned stock, use this as an extra dimension to a dish, not necessarily the backbone.

Ingredients

  • Large batch of stalks, stems and trimmings from greens and other vegetables, (see note 1)
  • Water, Sufficient to just cover greens
  • Salt
  • Bay leaf

Instructions

  1. Place greens in dutch oven or a large stock pot. Add sufficient water to just cover the greens. Add salt.
  2. Bring to boil and simmer for about 45 minutes.
  3. Strain with a fine strainer into a large bowl to cool.
  4. When cooled divide into 1 or 2 cup containers to freeze for future use. Should keep for many months.

Notes

Note 1:  About the only vegetables I avoid using are starchy vegetables.

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 5Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 270mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Calculated Nutrition is estimated. Values can vary depending on your ingredients.

Share the research:

Psst! We are not bugging you with a pop-up to sign up for our mailing list. But it would be great if you did, just submit your email address below.

Skip to Recipe