Instant Pot Vegetable Stock (2024)

Making vegetable stock in your Instant Pot is as easy as can be using vegetable scraps! I’m showing you how to make your own homemade low sodium veggie broth for all your favorite recipes, in just 15 minutes of cook time.

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Instant Pot Vegetable Stock (1)

I love, love, love my Instant Pot. It took a while to catch on in our house but now it’s something we use almost daily. From making Instant Pot Jasmine Rice to Instant Pot Yogurt, it’s always being used to cook up something great.

The Instant Pot simplifies cooking which is why we love it for things like soup and homemade vegetable stock!

Homemade vegetable stock is worth its weight in gold! It’s incredibly delicious, healthy, nourishing, and significantly cheaper than store bought options.

Making homemade stock is also an incredibly eco-friendly way to repurpose vegetable scraps that would otherwise be discarded. Homemade vegetable stock also improves the depth of flavor in homemade soups like Mexican Vegetable Soup or Pasta fa*gioli.

And when you make it in the Instant Pot you save time and energy, and the result is a rich, low sodium, and Vegan friendly vegetable stock for sipping or to use in all your favorite recipes!

Table of Contents

🥣 Why it Works

Use vegetable stock in place of water in soups, stews, rice, and anything you’d like to have more savory depth of flavor. It’s a win-win!!

I use my vegetable stock in recipes like Jasmine Rice, Irish Vegetable Soup, and I even sip it by the cup for a nourishing and delicious drink, especially when I need to detox or feel under the weather.

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock (2)

🧅 Ingredients

  • Vegetable scraps, any kind. I use carrot peels, celery bottoms, onion and garlic scraps, herb stems, and more! Fresh or frozen vegetable scraps can be used interchangeably. Customize the recipe based on what you have and the flavors you enjoy.
  • Peppercorns
  • Bay Leaves
  • Water

Equipment: You’ll need an Instant Pot and a fine mesh strainer.

To Save Vegetable Scraps: I recommend storing vegetable scraps in freezer safe zip top bags. Keep a large bag in the freezer at all times. As you go about your cooking, transfer any vegetable scraps to the bag. Once the bag is full, it’s time to make broth!

If you haven’t been saving your scraps, use whole vegetables! You’ll just need four cups of any combination of roughly chopped vegetables.

🥕 Best Vegetables for Stock

Feel free to add just about any vegetable scraps you have to your stock. You can’t mess this recipe up… it’s incredibly forgiving! These are my personal favorites for adding lots of flavor and vitamins:

  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Shallots
  • Carrots
  • Ginger
  • Mushrooms
  • Celery
  • Leeks
  • Bell Peppers
  • Ginger
  • Zucchini
  • Herbs: Thyme, rosemary, basil, chives, cilantro, and/or oregano.

Adding scraps from starchy and green vegetables like butternut squash, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, and legumes is totally fine- I do it all the time and I love it!

👉 However, starchy vegetables will change the clarity of the stock, giving it a bit of a cloudier look. If you’d prefer a clearer stock as shown in the pictures here, I suggest sticking to the less starchy vegetables listed above.

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock (3)

🧑‍🍳 Step by Step Instructions

The beauty of the Instant Pot is that your vegetable stock is made in just 15 minutes of cook time, and it’s almost all hands-off.

First, add the vegetables, bay leaves, and peppercorns to your Instant Pot. If you’re using frozen vegetables, they do not need to be defrosted first. Use them straight from frozen.

Pour the cold water into the pot. Close the lid and turn to High Pressure set for 15 minutes.

Once it’s done cooking, allow for a natural pressure release (NPR), which means that you do nothing and wait for the steam to naturally dissipate over time. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes.

Once the steam release valve has dropped down, all the pressure has released. Carefully open the lid. Your broth is done cooking!

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock (4)

Last, set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or measuring cup. Use a ladle to spoon the broth into the bowl, straining out all the now cooked pieces of vegetables.

If you like a super clear broth, you can repeat the straining process a second time. I usually only do it once.

The broth is all done, and it can be used for eating or cooking right away. If you’d like to store the stock for later, allow it to cool completely, then follow instructions for refrigerating and freezing it.

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock (5)

ℹ️ Expert Tips & FAQ

Should I add salt when I make vegetable broth?

There is no salt in this recipe to keep it low in sodium and to allow the most flexibility to use it a variety of recipes. However, many people enjoy the flavor of salt in vegetable stock. Feel free to add 1 teaspoon of salt to the Instant Pot before cooking, if desired.

How to freeze vegetable stock?

Allow the prepared broth to completely cool to room temperature. Transfer to a glass container, mason jar, or super cube tray, being careful to leave plenty of space at the top for expansion. Set in the freezer for 3 hours without the lid on, then put the lid on and return to the freezer. For best taste, use homemade broth within 2-3 months, per USDA.

How long can I refrigerate homemade vegetable stock?

Homemade vegetable stock can be stored safely in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, per USDA. I like to refrigerate cooked stock in large 32 oz. mason jars.

How much broth can I make in my Instant Pot?

That depends on the size of your Instant Pot! This recipe has been tested using a 6 and 8 quart Instant Pot. Regardless of the size of the Instant Pot you use, never fill your Instant Pot past the u0022PC MAX 2/3u0022 line in the inner pot.

How many calories are in homemade vegetable stock?

Homemade vegetable stock is incredibly low in calories! This stock contains about 51 calories per cup.

What to do with vegetable stock leftovers?

Composting the cooked vegetable scraps allows them to be used to the fullest in your kitchen, then broken down and turned into wonderful eco-friendly compost for your garden. ♻️

More Instant Pot Recipes

  • Sautéed Cabbage
  • Chicken Fajitas
  • Irish Lamb Stew
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Cauliflower Mash

Making this recipe? I’d love to hear about your experience with it!
Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock (6)

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5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock

This healthy, delicious Vegetable Stock is made in the Instant Pot using vegetable scraps. Use it in all your favorite recipes!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 8 cups

Calories 51kcal

Author Laura Miner

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups vegetable scraps, roughly chopped. Use any combination of carrot, celery, garlic, onion, and/or herb scraps.
  • 64 ounces water, 8 cups
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt optional

Instructions

  • Add all the vegetable scraps, peppercorns, bay leaves, and water to an Instant Pot.

  • Close the lid and turn to High Pressure. Set for 15 minutes.

  • Once the cook time is done, allow for a Natural Pressure Release (NPR). This usually takes about 20 minutes. Once the steam has released, carefully open the lid.

  • Set a fine mesh strainer on top of a large bowl or measuring cup. Use a ladle to transfer the cooked stock to the strainer.

  • Use immediately, or allow the strained broth to cool completely, then pour into large glass containers or bags for storing.

Video

Notes

  • Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients (salt).
  • If you don’t have vegetable scraps, use any combination of fresh carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and herbs, roughly chopped.

To refrigerate vegetable stock: Allow the stock to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container or bag. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, per USDA.

To freeze vegetable stock: Allow the broth to completely cool to room temperature. Transfer it to a glass container, jar, or super cube tray, being careful to leave plenty of space at the top for expansion. Set in the freezer for 3 hours without a lid on, then put the lid on and return to the freezer. For best taste, use homemade broth within 2-3 months, per USDA.

Nutrition

Calories: 51kcal | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 257mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe? I’d love to see it!Share and tag @cookathomemom on Instagram.

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between vegetable broth and vegetable stock? ›

Vegetable stock is made with untrimmed, sometimes whole vegetables, while broth is made from trimmed, roughly chopped vegetables. Vegetable stock generally takes longer to cook (at least 2 hours) than broth, which usually cooks for less than 30 minutes.

Is Instant Pot good for stock? ›

There's no doubt a pressure cooker is the best tool for flavorful, gelatin-rich chicken stock that's ready in just about an hour.

What vegetables should not be included in vegetable stock Why? ›

Vegetables to Avoid When Making Vegetables Stock

Starchy vegetables like potatoes and turnips will make for a gummy, cloudy vegetable stock. Beets overpower their aromatic counterparts. Zucchini and greens beans become bitter when slowly simmered for as long it takes to make this stock.

Is Instant Pot broth as good? ›

But, the Instant Pot version was the all-around best for time, taste, and yield. And stove top is a classic method which get's the best of both flavor and time.

Is it worth making vegetable stock? ›

As with all stocks, homemade Vegetable Stock is far superior to store bought, with the added benefit that it's much easier to make than seafood and meat stocks which often call for manhandling of considerable amounts of bones (I'm thinking of you beef stock!).

Which has more flavor vegetable stock or broth? ›

As a result, stock is usually a healthier product, delivering a richer mouth feel and deeper flavor than broth. Stock is a versatile culinary tool that can deliver taste to any number of dishes. Darker in color and more concentrated in flavor than broth, it's ideal for use in soups, rice, sauces and more.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook broth? ›

Conclusion. The standard method and the pressure cooker will both deliver good results. Want your broth finished in just about an hour? Grab the pressure cooker.

Does pressure cooking destroy nutrients in bone broth? ›

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook bone broth? It is better to choose a technique that suits your life and goals. A pressure cooker will save you batch time and get you 75% of the nutrition benefits of bone broth.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook bone broth? ›

A pressure cooker makes bone broth in a fraction of the time the slow cooker does, but both are excellent options. We've shared methods for both below, it all depends on what works best for your timeframe.

What not to put in homemade vegetable stock? ›

Beet roots and onion skins should also be avoided, unless you don't mind your stock turning red or brown. Spoiled vegetables: Although stock is a great way to use veggies that are wilted or slightly past their prime, be sure not to use produce that is rotten or moldy.

Why do you throw away vegetables after making stock? ›

Um, as you're cooking with stock, the the vegetable, the vegetables will release the nutrients and the flavor into the water and what you're left, um, what you're left to it is just kind of a mushy vegetable. It doesn't have a lot of taste.

Should I put potato peels in my vegetable stock? ›

Save those vegetables that may have lost their crunchy appeal for a flavorful veggie stock. Even if stored properly, celery and carrots may become floppy after some time, but don't let them go to the compost. Throw in your onion skins, potato peels, and other veggie scraps from cooking to add more flavor to the mix!

Are Instapots better than crockpots? ›

An Instant Pot does have more functionality (like sautéing, pressure cooking, slow cooking, and acts as a rice cooker, steamer, and warmer!) than a slow cooker, but if you don't plan to use all of its extra functions and just prefer the simplicity of a slow-cooker, then you might prefer a Crock-Pot.

Is it better to cook with bone broth or stock? ›

STOCK AND BROTH

Both simmer anywhere from 45 minutes – 2 hours, and the options available in most grocery stores are based on a concentrate. Stock and broth are both great for cooking with, but not as rich in nutrients or flavor as bone broth.

Is it better to make or buy bone broth? ›

Just like many foods you should be making instead of buying, bone broth simply tastes better when it's made from scratch.

Can I substitute vegetable stock for vegetable broth? ›

When it comes to vegetable broth vs. stock, they're the same thing. Vegetables don't contain gelatin, so it's impossible to make a vegetarian stock without bones. The major difference between the two at the grocery store is the broth may contain salt.

Can you use vegetable stock for vegetable broth? ›

There is no difference between vegetable stock and broth and you can use them interchangeably. Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, widely considered to be the gold standard for culinary definitions, defines stock as, "A flavored liquid base for making a sauce, stew or braised dish.

Which is healthier vegetable stock or broth? ›

Stock! Whether homemade or store-bought it has more protein and usually less sodium per serving as compared to broth. Plus, the flavor is just better which means you'll start with something tastier and will hopefully use less salt to taste at the end.

What is the difference between Swanson vegetable stock and vegetable broth? ›

Vegetable stock has an even richer flavor and a heavier texture than vegetable broth, with simple seasonings so you can adjust your finished dish to taste. It's great as a vegetarian soup base, and it can be used instead of water to boost rich flavor in rice, pasta and veggies.

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