How to make homemade vegetable stock

A good vegetable stock is a versatile kitchen staple that can add a rich, aromatic flavour to all sorts of dishes. Use it as a base for soups, risottos, sauces and stews, or even to cook grains or pulses like lentils. Making your own stock from vegetable scraps is not only tasty - it’s also a great way to reduce food waste.

Leftover peels, stems, and trimmings - that might otherwise end up creating greenhouse gases when buried in landfill - can be turned into a nutrient-packed broth. The cooking process also partially breaks down the scraps, so any remaining solids you remove after simmering are less likely to contribute to harmful emissions.

Whichever vegetable scraps you use to make a homemade vegetable stock, be sure to wash or scrub the veggies before peeling them so no soil or residue sneaks into the pot.

You can use offcuts, stalks and peelings from a wide range of veggies, like carrots, parsnips, leeks, zucchini, butternut squash, turnips, mushroom stems, fennel tops and corn cobs that have previously had their kernels removed. Avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes, and too many cruciferous vegetables, which can make the stock cloudy or bitter.

Homemade veggie stock is naturally gluten-free and low in saturated fat, and can contain nutrients like potassium, vitamin C and calcium.

With just a little prep time, a few fresh herbs, and a large pot, you can transform everyday scraps into a tasty, healthy base for a wide range of meals.

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