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This tutorial will teach you how to make vegetable stock in your slow cooker using veggie scraps you already have on hand. It’s a two-part process that will help eliminate food waste and save money at the grocery store!
I’ve shared how to make bone broth in both the Instant Pot and slow cooker. Since then, so many of you have made your own broth and discovered how simple it is! I figured it was time to share how to make vegetable stock because a) it’s the easiest recipe ever and b) it’s perfect for plant-based recipes!
There are definitely some decent vegetable stocks on the market but the best ones (without added preservatives and artificial color) can get quite pricey. Turns out, you can make vegetable stock without having to pay a single penny! How? Save your veggie scraps!
How to Save Vegetable Scraps
I’ll be honest, you have to have a system in place or everything goes out the window during dinnertime. I keep a silicone bag or glass container in my freezer with food scraps so when I’m prepping a meal and have stalks or scraps, I’ll just throw the extras in the container!Â
What Vegetable Scraps to Use
Basically any other than seeded vegetables (like bell pepper). Here are some examples:
- Green onion bulbs or stalks
- Celery stalks
- Broccoli stems
- Onion scraps – I always recommend including at least a little onion in every batch for flavor! Throw the peels in too!
- Kale stems
- Carrot scraps
- Beet scraps
- Garlic scraps
The options are endless! The color of the vegetable impacts the color of the broth so the more greens you use, the greener it will be. The longer you cook it, the more pigmented it will be as well. Have fun experimenting!Â
How to Make Vegetable Stock in Your Slow Cooker
STEP 1: Place your vegetable scraps in the slow cooker and top with water until the vegetables are covered with ½ inch of water. Stir in sea salt.
STEP 2: Cook on low for 12-24 hours. When finished, strain the veggies into a bowl and reserve the liquid in mason jars or airtight containers.Â
STEP 3: Discard the vegetables and store the broth for use!
How to Store Vegetable Broth
If you’ll be using the broth the week you made it, you can store it in the refrigerator. If you need to store for longer, I recommend adding to an airtight container (leaving a bit of room at the top for expansion) and freezing for up to 3 months.Â
PrintHow To Make Vegetable Stock in Your Slow Cooker
This tutorial will teach you how to make vegetable stock in your slow cooker using veggie scraps you already have on hand. It’s a two-part process that will help eliminate food waste and save money at the grocery store!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 hours
- Total Time: 12 hours
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cook
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 4–6 cups of mixed vegetables*
- Water
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Place veggies in a slow cooker and top with water until covered with a 1/2 inch of water.
- Stir in sea salt.
- Cook on low for 12-24 hours.
- Strain veggies into a bowl and reserve liquid in mason jars or airtight containers.
- Discard veggies (they will be too mushy to eat anyway!)
- Freeze for later use or use within one week.
*I keep my veggie scraps in a ziploc bag in the freezer and just dump these into the slow cooker. Ensure that you have at least a bit of onion in there for flavor and feel free to include the peels. Avoid using any scraps with seeds (i.e. bell peppers) but otherwise any veggie scrap is totally fine. The more greens you include (I love adding kale stalks!) and the longer you cook it for, the darker the stock.
Like this post? Here are some recipes that use vegetable broth:
Can garlic skins be used as well as onion skins?
Yes!