Vegetable stock is so easy to make, I’m surprised more people don’t do it. It seems to be one of the best-kept secrets of cooking!
Not only does making your own stock from scratch save you money, but it helps you reduce food waste. Ever wondered what to do with all of those carrot, celery and pepper tops? What about parsley and kale stems? Or vegetables or leftover parsley that’s starting to look a little wilty?
Keep a sealable freezer bag in your freezer and add any leftover vegetable bits to the bag until it’s full. Then all you need to do is throw the frozen veggie bits in a pot or slow cooker, cover with water, and next thing you know you’re enjoying flavourful vegetable stock to use in soups, stews and cooking your whole grains.
I love to make my own stock because I can control what’s in it. Storebought stock is usually expensive water with lots of sodium and even artificial flavours. With homemade vegetable stock, you’re getting potassium and other nutrients along with natural flavour and avoiding excess salt. I would call it a win-win but it’s more of a win-win-win-win… you get the point!

Servings | Prep Time |
8 | 5 minutes |
Cook Time | Passive Time |
50 minutes | 45 minutes |
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This simple vegetable stock saves you money and can help you cut down on salt. It's easy to make and packs in the nutrients.
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- Any vegetable scraps
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- Chop all of your vegetables into large chunks. They don't have to be perfect !
- (This step is optional but helps maximize flavour): Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot, Dutch oven, crockpot or slow cooker. Add the vegetables and saute until softened (about 5 minutes).
- Cover the vegetables with 8 cups of water. Turn up the heat to medium-high until just under a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer.
- Cook for at least 45 minutes on the stovetop or 3 hours in the slow cooker. You can cook for longer if you like for a more concentrated stock.
- Strain the stock through a fine mesh stainless steel strainer
and divide into containers. Let cool and store in the fridge if using within the week or freeze for later use.
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