Vegetable stock is versatile, inexpensive, quick and easy to make. Using a foundation of onions, leeks, carrots and celery, other vegetables and trimmings can be used in all manner of soups, sauces and as the cooking liquid for pasta and grains and can be used as a healthy alternative to meat- or poultry-based stocks. It is an excellent way to use vegetable trimmings. I like to save all the carrot peelings, onion skins, leek greens and parsley stems by popping them all into a large freezer bag as I prepare food during the week. When I’m ready to make stock, I have all the ingredients ready and can simply tip them into a large stockpot and cover the vegetables with cold water. Thirty to 40 minutes later, I’ll have a lovely, clear, bright vegetable stock.

Vegetable stock in a blue stock pot on the stove.

Ingredients

2 large onions, peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
2 leeks, carefully cleaned, trimmed, and quartered lengthwise
1 stalk celery, diced
2 ½ quarts cold water

Instructions

Place all of the vegetables in a large saucepan and pour in 2½ quarts of cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, but do not press down on the solids as this will cause your stock to be cloudy.

Simple Vegetable Stock