Here is an easy, flavoursome, vegetable stock recipe for everyday cooking. It is a vegan, gluten-free, meal-prep-friendly, one-pot stock recipe .
What is a Vegetable Stock?
Vegetable stock is a flavoursome, aromatic liquid prepared by simmering various vegetables, herbs, spices and seasoning in water over low heat. It is commonly used to make soups, pasta, risotto, sauces, and gravy dishes.
It is a wholesome, nourishing ingredient that enhances the flavour of the dishes. A stock adds an excellent depth of flavour that cannot be achieved with plain water.
Homemade vs Readymade
Why make vegetable stock at home when it is readily available in supermarkets? Making your stock will uplevel your soups and other recipes exponentially! The homemade vegetable stock is:
- easy to customize
- free of preservatives
- delicious natural flavour
- no added artificial flavour
- cheap and budget-friendly
- made with quality ingredients
- improves the nutritional quality of dishes
- an excellent way to use leftover vegetables
However, I will not deny that the packaged stock is convenient and does not require extra time and effort like the homemade one. But it may feel like an extra step at first to make your vegetable broth, but once you get the hang of it is pretty simple with very little hands-on time.
Best Vegetables For Stock
You want vegetables with neutral but savoury flavours when making basic vegetable stock. Here are a few vegetables you must include in your stock:
- garlic
- celery
- onion
- carrot
- leek
Now, apart from these, there are a few additional ingredients that are part of my vegetable stock recipe:
- herbs like coriander stalks, thyme, or parsley
- wild or button mushrooms
- ginger
- black peppercorns
- cinnamon stick
- bay leaf
- salt
Optional Taste Enhancers : You can add these vegetables and herbs to your vegetable stock.
- parsnip
- corn cob
- fennel bulb
- lemongrass
- mushroom stems
- vegetables peels like onion, carrot
Vegetables To Avoid
Avoid watery, cruciferous, and starchy vegetables for making vegetable stock, as they lend a bitter taste and cloudy and gummy texture to the broth.
- zucchini
- potatoes
- broccoli
- cabbage
- radishes
- cucumber
- green peas
- pumpkin
- eggplant
- beetroot
- cauliflower
- green beans
- okra (ladyfinger)
- summer squash
- brussels sprouts
- purple vegetables
- spinach and other green leafy vegetables
How To Make Stock
First, wash the vegetables well. You don’t want to taste dirt or sand in your stock! I prefer using farm-fresh, organic vegetables for making stock.
Next, roughly chop them. The shape isn’t important – they can be bite-sized or chunks.
Build layers of flavour by sauteeing – garlic, ginger, onion, celery, bay leaf, and mushrooms in olive oil ( images 1 & 2 ).
Then, simmer. Add the remaining vegetables, spices, salt, and water to the saucepan.
Cover and simmer it over low heat for 30 minutes ( images 5 & 6 ).
Finally, strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer to remove the vegetables and whole spices ( image 8 ).
Vegetable Stock is ready to use or store.
Storage Suggestion
Before storing, allow the vegetable stock to cool down completely. Transfer it to a container with a tight-fitting lid. You can keep it in the refrigerator for a week.
After cooling down, transfer the broth to an ice cube tray, and freeze. Once you have frozen solid stock cubes, pop them into a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer. You can use frozen stock cubes for several months.
How To Use Vegetable Stock
You can use homemade vegetable stock in a million creative ways. The simplest way to use broth is in soups and stews .
Apart from that, it enhances the flavour of pasta sauce , baked vegetable casserole, shepherd’s pie , rice dishes, or vegetables in hot garlic sauce .
You can add vegetable stock to any vegetarian dish that calls for a broth.
Homemade Vegetable Stock has a delicious savoury flavour and is full of good nutrients; you can drink cups of it.
My Tried & True Tips
I would not recommend adding scrapes and peels of vegetables to the broth until and unless they are organic and pesticide-free.
Use room temperature water- veggies have different cooking times and flavour solubility. Cold or room temperature water allows them to release flavour slowly without breaking down.
Celery, Onion, and Carrot are the holy grail of vegetable stock. Make sure to include them in your vegetable stock recipe.
Allow the vegetable stock to simmer over low heat. Do not boil it over high heat. While simmering, there is no need to stir the stock.
Additional Ingredients like coriander seeds, star anise, dried mushrooms, Italian herbs (oregano, thyme, sage), or sundried tomatoes can elevate the flavour of your vegetable stock. It all depends on for what purpose you want to use homemade broth.
Watch Stock Video
More Easy Kitchen Hacks
- How To Freeze Green Peas
- Homemade Garam Masala
- How To Make Butter
- Indian Chai Masala
- Ginger Garlic Paste
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ 2 bay leaf
- ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
- ▢ 2 thyme sprig
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
- ▢ 1 whole garlic, cut into half
- ▢ ¼ Cup chopped celery stalk
- ▢ ½ Cup onion, roughly chopped
- ▢ 1 Cup carrot, diced
- ▢ 1 Cup button mushrooms, diced into quarters
- ▢ ½ Cup fresh coriander stalks
- ▢ 1 litre water, at room temperature
- ▢ 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Rinse vegetables with water and roughly chops them into chunks or bit size pieces. Don’t bother about the shape.
- Heat olive oil in a big stockpot or casserole. Add ginger, bay leaf, cinnamon, thyme, celery, onion, carrot, and mushrooms. Saute them for less than a minute. 2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 thyme sprig, 1 tablespoon ginger, chopped, 1 whole garlic, cut into half, ¼ Cup chopped celery stalk, ½ Cup onion, roughly chopped, 1 Cup carrot, diced, 1 Cup button mushrooms, diced into quarters
- Add water, coriander stalks, black peppercorns, and salt. Stir to combine. ½ Cup fresh coriander stalks, 1 litre water, at room temperature, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. No need to stir the stock in between. Set a timer and forget about it.
- After 30 minutes, turn off the heat. Allow the stock to cool down a bit so that it becomes easy to handle.
- Arrange a strainer over a big bowl. You can add a layer of muslin cloth over the strainer. Filter the vegetable stock through the strainer. Mash the vegetables lightly if you prefer.
- Vegetable Stock is ready to use and store. Before storing, allow the vegetable stock to cool down completely. Transfer it to a container with a tight-fitting lid. You can keep it in the refrigerator for a week, or you can freeze it in an ice tray.
Recipe Notes:
- No need to brown the vegetables while sauteing. We are only trying to release their flavour and infuse it into the oil.
- You can make this vegetable stock in an instant pot using the broth/stock mode or the pressure cook mode.
- I would not recommend adding scrapes and peels of vegetables to the broth until and unless they are organic and pesticide-free.
- Avoid watery, cruciferous, and starchy vegetables listed above in my post for making vegetable stock.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Easy Vegetable Stock Recipe
Equipment
- stockpot or saucepan
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 thyme sprig
- 1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
- 1 whole garlic, cut into half
- ¼ Cup chopped celery stalk
- ½ Cup onion, roughly chopped
- 1 Cup carrot, diced
- 1 Cup button mushrooms, diced into quarters
- ½ Cup fresh coriander stalks
- 1 litre water, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Rinse vegetables with water and roughly chops them into chunks or bit size pieces. Don’t bother about the shape.
- Heat olive oil in a big stockpot or casserole. Add ginger, bay leaf, cinnamon, thyme, celery, onion, carrot, and mushrooms. Saute them for less than a minute. 2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 thyme sprig, 1 tablespoon ginger, chopped, 1 whole garlic, cut into half, ¼ Cup chopped celery stalk, ½ Cup onion, roughly chopped, 1 Cup carrot, diced, 1 Cup button mushrooms, diced into quarters
- Add water, coriander stalks, black peppercorns, and salt. Stir to combine. ½ Cup fresh coriander stalks, 1 litre water, at room temperature, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. No need to stir the stock in between. Set a timer and forget about it.
- After 30 minutes, turn off the heat. Allow the stock to cool down a bit so that it becomes easy to handle.
- Arrange a strainer over a big bowl. You can add a layer of muslin cloth over the strainer. Filter the vegetable stock through the strainer. Mash the vegetables lightly if you prefer.
- Vegetable Stock is ready to use and store. Before storing, allow the vegetable stock to cool down completely. Transfer it to a container with a tight-fitting lid. You can keep it in the refrigerator for a week, or you can freeze it in an ice tray.
Video
Notes
- No need to brown the vegetables while sauteing. We are only trying to release their flavour and infuse it into the oil.
- You can make this vegetable stock in an instant pot using the broth/stock mode or the pressure cook mode.
- I would not recommend adding scrapes and peels of vegetables to the broth until and unless they are organic and pesticide-free.
- Avoid watery, cruciferous, and starchy vegetables listed above in my post for making vegetable stock.
Nutrition
Chilli Mushroom is an Indian-Chinese vegetarian gravy with a sweet and spicy sauce. It is every mushroom lover’s dream come true.
- About Indian Chinese Cuisine
- About Chilli Mushroom Gravy
- Ingredients Required
- How To Make
- Serving Suggestion
- More Indian-Chinese Recipes
- Chilli Mushroom Recipe
About Indian Chinese Cuisine
So what is Indo-Chinese Cuisine ? The quick Chinese stir-fry cooking style spiked with the local Indian-style zest. The result is an outburst of addictive flavours.
It is the perfect amalgamation of sweet, spicy, and savoury flavours, good enough to make your mouth water just by the look of it.
It all started in the Tangra Region in Kolkatta, West Bengal. The region housed many leather tanneries owned and managed by people of Hakka Chinese origin.
Over the years, the area developed into a small Chinatown. And the immigrants started selling Chinese dishes made with locally available ingredients to Indian food lovers. Hence, begin the journey of Indian Chinese cuisine.
Today, Indo-Chinese dishes are all over the street food carts, restaurants, and takeaway joints. From chilli chicken , garlic noodles , to manhcurian gravy , each Indo-Chinese dish is quite popular among food lovers in India.
About Chilli Mushroom Gravy
Mushroom Chilli is one of the most popular Indian-Chinese dishes. It is vegan, vegetarian, and made with favourite button mushrooms.
In the Indian subcontinent, button mushrooms are commonly used to make various mushroom recipes such as – mushroom masala , pulao , methi matar malai , or chilli mushroom.
There are two versions of mushroom chilli – dry and gravy. The dry mushroom chilli is served as an appetizer or snack. At the same time, the one with sauce/gravy is served with stir-fried noodles, fried rice, or steamed white rice.
Ingredients Required
Vegetables: Button Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Capsicum, Red Onion, Spring Onion.
Herbs: Ginger, Garlic
Spices : Dry Red Chilli, Salt, Red Chilli Powder
Sauce : White Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Tomato Sauce
Other Ingredients: Corn starch (flour), cooking oil, water, cashews
How To Make
Start with frying button mushrooms. Cut button mushrooms into chunks or quarters. Coat them in cornstarch, salt, red chilli, and water batter. Heat oil for frying on a stovetop. Fry mushroom till crisp and golden.
To make your homemade chilli sauce . Soak dry red chilli in hot water. Cover and set aside for 5 – 6 minutes for chillies to soften. Later, blend the chillies with water, ginger, garlic, onion, and tomato ketchup to make a smooth sauce. Set aside.
Make Chilli Gravy. Heat oil. Fry ginger, garlic, Kashmiri red chili, and onion. Stir Fry. Add white vinegar, soy sauce, and homemade chilli sauce (as per your taste). Cook for a minute. Add cornstarch paste, peppers, and fried mushrooms. Simmer till thick or luscious.
Garnish it with green onions. Chilli Mushroom is ready to serve.
Serving Suggestion
Chilli Mushroom is a versatile Indian-Chinese main course dish .
You can serve with – fried rice, stir-fried noodles, jasmine rice, or steamed white rice. Either way, it tastes delicious and makes an excellent meal.
More Indian-Chinese Recipes
- Chilli Paneer
- Soya Manchurian
- Gobi Manchurian
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Honey Chilli Potato
- Veg Hot Garlic Sauce
- Crispy Chilli Baby Corn
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
Ingredients For Crispy Mushroom:
- ▢ 250 gram button mushrooms
- ▢ ¼ cup corn starch (corn flour)
- ▢ 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour (maida)
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ▢ ¼ Cup oil for shallow frying
Ingredients For Homemade Chilli Sauce:
- ▢ 4 whole dry red chill (sabut lal mirch)
- ▢ 2 tablespoon tomato sauce or ketchup
- ▢ ¼ cup chopped onion
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- ▢ ¼ cup hot water
Ingredients For Gravy:
- ▢ 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- ▢ 2 whole Kashmiri red chili
- ▢ 1 cup diced onion
- ▢ ½ cup diced capsicum
- ▢ ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ▢ ½ cup diced yellow bell pepper
- ▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ▢ 1 Cup water
- ▢ 2 tablespoon corn flour (corn starch)
Ingredients For Topping:
- ▢ 1 tablespoon spring onion
- ▢ 1 tablespoon fried cashews
Instructions
Crispy Fried Mushroom:
- Cut button mushroom in quarters. Coat them with flour, starch, spices, and a tablespoon of water.
- Heat oil in a wok for frying the mushrooms. Once oil is hot enough, fry mushrooms till crisp and golden from both the sides. Because of moisture, mushroom takes lot of time to become crisp.
- Transfer crispy fried mushroom in a colander. Set them aside.
Make Homemade Chilli Sauce:
- Soak dry red chili in hot water. Cover and set aside for 5 – 6 minutes for chilies to soften a bit. Later, blend the chilies along with soaked water, ginger, garlic, onion, and tomato ketchup to a smooth sauce. Set aside the chilli sauce.
Make Corn Starch Paste:
- For thickening, the sauce, combine 2 tablespoons of corn starch with ¼ cup of water. Make a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
Prepare Chilli Gravy/Sauce:
- Heat cooking oil in a wok. Add chopped ginger, garlic, whole red chilli, and diced onion. Stir fry over high heat for a minute to release the aroma.
- Next, add white vinegar, soy sauce, and the homemade chilli sauce. Stir to combine. Simmer the sauce for a minute. Taste and season with salt according to your preference.
- Add diced peppers, and corn starch paste. Stir the gravy continuously to avoid any lump formation.
- Once chilli gravy starts thickening, add crispy mushroom. Mix nicely. Turn off the heat.
- Garnish chilli mushroom with fried cashews and spring onion.
- Serve chilli mushroom immediatley with fried rice.
Recipe Notes:
- It is best to cut mushrooms into chunks or quarters rather than finely chopped.
- Do not use too much water to prepare marinade coating for mushrooms.
- Homemade chili sauce is spicy in taste. You can add it in less quantity in the gravy and store the remaining sauce in the fridge to use later.
- To make dry chili mushroom for snacks, do not add any water in the gravy.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
