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Home Method Instant Pot
/5
1 hour 30 minutes

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Gluten Free Gluten Free Low Carb Low Carb Nut Free Nut Free Vegan Vegan Vegetarian Vegetarian
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By: Denise BustardLeave a Comment
Posted: 9/29/21 Updated: 9/21/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This Instant Pot vegetable stock is so much better than store-bought, and is so easy to make at home! A great way to make use of vegetable scraps, this recipe is nutritious and very versatile!

If you've learned how to make turkey stock, and bone broth it's time for a new challenge! Instant Pot vegetable stock is such a great cozy fall staple to stock up your fridge and freezer with.

vegetable stock in quart mason jars
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1 Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
2 Recipe Video
3 Ingredient Notes
4 Step by Step Directions
5 Optional Ingredients for Extra Flavor
6 FAQ
7 How To Use It Up
8 Storage
9 More Instant Pot Basics
10 Instant Pot Vegetable Stock

Vegetable stock is a staple in the Sweet Peas and Saffron kitchen and can be used in so many meals: from soups and stews, to rice, quinoa, and more. This Instant Pot vegetable stock is by far the easiest way to make homemade stock or broth from scratch. Rather than babysitting a large stockpot on the stove for hours, the pressure cooker does all the hard work!

Best of all, it is freezer friendly and meal prep friendly - you can use it in so many delicious meal prep recipes. This Instant Pot vegetable broth is vegan, low carb, and gluten-free.

Reasons You'll Love This Recipe

  • it's a great way to make use of all parts of the veggies and reduce your kitchen waste
  • it contains many vitamins and minerals which are beneficial to your health
  • the Instant Pot does all the heavy lifting - just dump all the ingredients in, and pressure cook!
  • it stores really well in the fridge or freezer

Recipe Video

Watch the video below to see how to cook this recipe! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Ingredient Notes

ingredients required to make vegetable stock

This Instant Pot vegetable stock recipe is very flexible, meaning you can use up veggie scraps that you have leftover from other meals or scraps you have frozen. Here are some of the veggies you can include in this stock, as well as some veggie scraps to stay away from.

veggies To Include in Stock

  • carrots, including the peels, stems, and leaves
  • celery stems and leaves
  • onions and onion skins (so long as not moldy, be sure to wash away any dirt)
  • green onion
  • shallots
  • fresh herbs including: thyme rosemary, sage, oregano, chives
  • ginger
  • garlic
  • leeks
  • mushrooms
  • fennel (in moderation)

Veggies to Avoid Using in Stock

We recommend staying away from some veggies, simply because they do not add good flavor or texture to the finished stock. For example, cruciferous veggies have a bitter flavor, and bell peppers or beets have a strong flavor that is too potent for an all-purpose veggie stock. These veggie scraps are best put to use in a soup or stew instead!

  • potatoes
  • soft veggies such as squash
  • bell peppers
  • cabbage
  • cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower)
  • bitter greens (kale, chard)

Step by Step Directions

vegetable stock ingredients in instant pot before cooking

Combine

In the stainless steel insert of a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, combine the celery, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, fresh herbs, sea salt and water. Add in nutritional yeast and additional vegetable scraps if using.

instant pot with 30 minutes on the timer

Pressure Cook

Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to the 'sealing' position, and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. When the cooking cycle has completed, allow for a full natural pressure release.

vegetable stock ingredients in instant pot after cooking

Strain

Strain off solids and collect stock in a large bowl or measuring cup. Store in mason jars or soup storage containers. Use in soups or as a cooking liquid.

vegetable stock in large measuring cup after straining

Optional Ingredients for Extra Flavor

  • add 2- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • sautée veggies before pressure cooking
  • add 1 -2 teaspoons of turmeric powder, or 1 inch fresh turmeric root
  • bay leaf
  • add 2 tablespoons of miso paste for umami flavor
  • add 1-2 sheets of kombu for umami flavor

FAQ

Can I make this recipe on the stovetop?

Yes, you can! Instead of pressure cooking, simmer the broth for 2 hours, then complete directions as written in this recipe.

Can I make it in a slow cooker?

Yes, vegetable broth cooks up really nicely in the slow cooker. Simmer on low for 6-8 hours.

Is vegetable stock healthy?

Yes! Vegetable broth contains lots of electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Including garlic and ginger is a great way to boost the nutritional benefits of vegetable broth as well.

Why is my vegetable stock bitter?

If you added cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or brussels sprouts, they may give your finished stock an unpleasant bitter flavor.


How To Use It Up

  • cooking liquid - works great as a cooking liquid for rice (see how to cook rice) or quinoa (see how to cook perfect, fluffy quinoa) to add extra flavor
  • in soups - vegetable stock tastes better than store bought and makes the perfect base for this leftover turkey soup or this stuffed pepper soup
  • freezer meals - vegetable stock works well in any recipe that calls for chicken stock. Ex: these Instant Pot chipotle lime chicken breasts and this Instant Pot honey sesame chicken

Storage

  • Fridge - store in an airtight container the fridge for up to 4 days
  • Freezer - store in jars (see tips below for freezing in jars) or freezer containers. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Favorite Freezer Containers

Our top picks for the best freezer containers to help your food stay fresh and free from freezer burn! From bags to soup storage to meal prep containers and more.

The Best Freezer Containers

Tips for Freezing In Jars

Here are a few tips for freezing black beans in mason jars to avoid the jars breaking:

  1. Make sure to select canning jars; repurposed pasta sauce or food jars are not designed to withstand dramatic temperature shifts and can break.
  2. Avoid jars that have 'shoulders' and taper in at the top, as they are more prone to breaking
  3. Leave an inch from the top of the jar empty to account for expansion when freezing
  4. Leave the lids ajar until the beans are frozen solid- at this point, you can secure them!

More Instant Pot Basics

  • Instant Pot 101 guide for beginners
  • Basic Instant Pot recipes you need to know
  • Fluffy Instant Pot basmati rice
  • Instant Pot Frozen Ground Beef
  • Perfect Instant Pot Oatmeal 

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

vegetable stock in quart mason jars

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock

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Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Time to pressurize + natural pressure release: 50 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
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This Instant Pot vegetable stock is so much better than store-bought, and is so easy to make at home! Made with vegetable scraps, this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and very versatile!
8 cups

Ingredients

  • 4 celery stalks coarsely chopped
  • 3 carrots coarsely chopped
  • 1-2 onions quartered
  • 1 head garlic top sliced off
  • 1 handful ginger rounds
  • 1 handful fresh herbs see note 1
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 8 cups water
  • 2-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional; see note 2
  • other vegetable scraps see note 3

Instructions 

  • Combine- In the stainless steel insert of a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, combine the celery, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, fresh herbs, sea salt and water. Add in nutritional yeast and additional vegetable scraps if using.
    vegetable stock ingredients in instant pot before cooking
  • Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to the 'sealing' position, and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. When the cooking cycle has completed, allow for a full natural pressure release.
    vegetable stock ingredients in instant pot after cooking
  • Strain- Strain off solids and collect stock in a large bowl or measuring cup. Store in mason jars or soup storage containers. Use in soups or as a cooking liquid.
    vegetable stock in large measuring cup after straining

Tips:

  1. parsley and thyme were added in photos; rosemary and sage are also great
  2. adding nutritional yeast can add depth of flavor to the broth; sauteeing vegetables first is another way to increase the flavor.
  3. add carrot peels, celery leaves, fresh herbs, onion skins, and any other vegetable leftovers you have.
 
Storage
  • store in the fridge for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 6 months

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 28kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 321mg, Potassium: 153mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 3873IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg
Author: Denise Bustard
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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6 Quart Instant Pot
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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

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Hi, I'm Denise

Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too! Read more ...

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