What is Vegetable Stock?

Vegetable stock is an incredibly common ingredient staple to add to a variety of recipes. From pies to pastas, brothy ramens to casseroles – the list is endless. As broth and stock are slightly different, with stock often being made using animal bones, a common question for cooks is what exactly is vegetable stock and why is it such a common ingredient in cooking? Take a look below to find out more.

Vegetable stock is a common ingredient for vegan, vegetarian and meat-based dishes alike. Stock is often used for heartier dishes, especially soups, sauces and casseroles, as it simmers with the ingredients to enhance their flavour. Vegetable stock differs from its chicken and beef counterparts as it does not use bones to create flavour. Instead, vegetable stock is made from vegetables, herbs and water. To create the perfect stock, each of these ingredients are simmered together to make a hearty flavour and consistency to cook with.

Vegetable stock is common in a lot of recipes as it can add extra flavour to a variety of dishes. The most important step of cooking with stock is to allow all of the ingredients to simmer with the stock so they can soak up all of the flavour. By simmering stock with additional ingredients, you are also allowing the liquid to reduce while extracting flavours from the other ingredients. As this step is so important, it is no surprise that vegetable stock is most commonly used for heartier dishes, such as filling soups, rich curries and slow cooked meats.

Vegetable stock is becoming increasingly common in cooking recipes because it can be suitable for a variety of dietary requirements. As many vegetable soups and sauces rely on using water to create volume, it can be easy to dilute the flavours, resulting in a less impressive dish. By substituting the water for vegetable stock, you can enhance the flavours instead, creating a much more delicious meal.