Budget-Friendly Vegetable Stock Recipe

I’ve recently started storing my vegetable scraps in the freezer.

Why? Instead of composting them or tossing them, these scraps can be used to make a basic vegetable stock that can be used for soups, stews, or any dish that uses liquid.

Writing for SeriousEats, Sho Spaeth argues that there are two benefits to this.

The first is that you save money. Every vegetable that you use, you waste less of it because you’re using the parts that would otherwise get tossed.

And secondly, because you know that every part of the vegetable will inevitably get used, you can be less fussy when it comes to chopping, therefore saving time in the kitchen.

From his point of view, this basic stock, while far from glamorous, can be used to replace any store-bought vegetable stock. You can use most vegetables, skin-and-all, but Spaeth recommends basic vegetables to keep the stock versatile. Things like cucumber, onion, garlic, celery, cabbage leaves, radish, and even fresh herbs.

Budget vegetable stock recipe

Ingredients

• Vegetable scraps
• Water
• Bay leaves

Directions

1. Transfer all your vegetable scraps into a large stockpot and fill it up with water.
2. Add as much water as you like, and remember: you can always simmer to reduce the liquid later.
3. Place the pot on the hob, add 1 or 2 bay leaves, and bring the water to a boil.
4. Once at a rolling boil, reduce the heat and bring the pot to a simmer, and set a 10-minute timer.
5. Get a sieve ready and a bowl to empty the liquid into.
6. Once the 10 minutes are up, drain the stock through the sieve. Separate the stock into individual containers.
7. You can store this in the fridge for a few days, or freeze it and use it as needed.
8. As Spaeth explains in his article, this vegetable stock is not intended to replace specific stocks for specific dishes but rather as a supplement that can be used as a base for many dishes, made from stuff that you were going to throw away anyway.