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Vegetable Stock

This homemade vegetable stock is a versatile staple that provides a deep, savoury foundation for your favourite soups, stews and risottos. By browning the root vegetables first, you create a rich colour and a complex sweetness that shop-bought cubes simply cannot match. It is a fantastic way to use up seasonal produce and garden harvests, ensuring nothing goes to waste in your kitchen.

As a nutritious vegan recipe, this stock is packed with vitamins from fresh carrots, leeks and brassica stems. Using onion and turnip skins adds an extra layer of golden hue and earthy flavour to the broth. Prepare a large batch to keep in the fridge or freeze in portions, providing a healthy, salt-controlled base for quick midweek meals and comforting home cooking.

Continue reading below

Ingredients for Vegetable Stock

  • 2 teaspoons canola oil

  • 6 carrots, chopped

  • 3 stalks celery, chopped, preferably with leaves

  • 2 leeks, rinsed well and chopped

  • 2 onions, with skins, chopped

  • 1 turnip, with skins, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 3 to 4 outer leaves of green cabbage

  • 2 cups broccoli stems

  • 2 cups kale stems

How to make Vegetable Stock

  1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over high heat until it starts to ripple. Add the carrots, celery, leeks, onions, and turnip. Cook, stirring, until brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

  2. Add 5.7L water and the salt and bring to a boil.

  3. Reduce the heat to low, add the cabbage leaves, broccoli stems, and kale stems, and simmer for 25 minutes. Strain, cool, and store for use as needed.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.

Article history

The information on this page is peer reviewed by qualified clinicians.

  • 16 Jan 2026 | Originally published

    Authored by:

    UK recipe editors

    Peer reviewed by

    UK recipe editors
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