Instant Pot Vegetable Stock (w/ Stovetop instructions)

Last updated on May 23rd, 2025 at 11:31 am

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock - Get the most out of veggies or scraps by making this vegetable stock water and up the nutrient value of any dish by using this stock water! It is super easy and flavorful!

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Stock water was like just another liquid to me until I once saw a video of Heston Blumenthal making some Chicken Stock. The process and method made me believe making stock water is a form of art. And I still think so. Which is why I took some time to perfect my own jar of vegetable stock; or frozen cubes of it.

It's really easy to make and store and the flavor without any flavor enhancer will blow your mind. You'll never think of buying a vegetable stock cube ever again. Not to mention the flavor it adds to any dish you make with it also with the added benefit of super good nutrition.

What goes into this Vegetable Stock:

Really simple ingredients go into this. Simple but you may have to run to the store to pick up some fresh veggies and greens and spices if you've run out of it. I almost always make some vegetables soon after my trip to the grocery store.

Onions and garlic give this Instant Pot Vegetable Stock both sweetness and flavor. Carrots are the hero ingredient here and it obviously adds sweetness and the base for this stock. Kohlrabi is something I picked up especially for this stock because it adds an excellent flavor.

Kohlrabi is usually avoided while making stock as it belongs to the Brassica family of vegetables. But it works perfectly, really, when used in small quantities. They add sweetness and a bit of starch to it.

The white parts of leeks are great here; the green part however imparts bitterness. The same goes with parsley when added in large quantities or when simmered for too long. This is why we are going to add them in the last 30 minutes.

Mushrooms are of course great in any possible dish. The same goes for this vegetable stock; they add a wonderful flavor.

Finally, the spices, ooh the spices break the otherwise sweet flavor and gives some substance to the Instant Pot Vegetable Stock. The peppercorns give a much-needed spiciness. The bay leaf and the star anise imparts a wonderful aroma and flavor of course.

If you ask me, I would never make this vegetable stock without spices. Using them, the resulting stock water can be consumed as a soup just on its own.

Storage Instructions:

Storing this vegetable stock is super easy however it stays good in the refrigerator only for 2 days, i.e. when stored in a clean air-tight jar. But the easy way is to freeze the stock water in ice cube trays and then popping the frozen stock cubes into freezer bags. This vegetable stock stays good in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Tips for the perfect stock:

• Use fresh vegetables; organic is available. The fresher the vegetables the maximum flavor in the stock water.
• Do not add too many greens. Add them in small quantities and at the later stage of the cooking time. Otherwise, it would impart a bitter taste.
• Always use some spices. You can also add some thyme or rosemary to this.
• Stay away from broccoli and cabbage. In fact, among all other vegetables in the brassica family, these two give an odd taste.

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock:

Let's see how to make this basic but complex flavored liquid:

Ingredients

• 1 small Onion
• 1 bulb Garlic , (whole bulb)
• 3 medium Carrots
• 1 small Kohlrabi
• 1 Leek*
• 2 cups Button Mushrooms (I use 7 oz)
• 1 whole Star Anise
• 1 large Bay Leaf , fresh or dried
• 1.5 tbsp Black Peppercorns
• 2.5 litres Water , (2.6 quarts)
• 1 small bunch Parsley
• 1 tsp Rock Salt , (optional)

Instructions to make Instant Pot Vegetable Stock:

Prep Work:

• Scrub and clean all veggies to remove any dirt from them.
• Cut the onion in half and then slice the halves. Remove each garlic pod from the bulb and cut each pod in half.
• Slice the mushrooms. Chop the white part of the leek, discarding the green part. Chop off the bottom white part of parsley and discard it.
• Slice the carrots into thick discs. Dice the Kohlrabi.

Simmering Method:

• In a saucepan or dutch oven or Instant Pot, all the above ingredients except the parsley. Bring everything to a boil which takes approximately 10 minutes.
• Once it has started boiling, cover with a lid (for Instant Pot, use the glass lid) and simmer for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, add in the parsley and the rock salt. Simmer for 40 minutes more without the lid.

Pressure Cook Method:

• To make the stock water by pressure cooking it, add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot. Pour in the water. Cover with its lid and SEAL the Vent.
• Set it to PRESSURE COOK mode for 35 minutes. After the timer goes off, hit CANCEL and let it natural release.

Straining the stock water:

• Place a fine-mesh strainer over a 2-quart bowl. Pour the vegetable stock through the strainer. Use a ladle to transfer the stock to the strainer.
• Let the strained stock water cool down completely. Transfer to glass jars into an ice cube tray based on how you want to store it (see notes).
• There you go! A sweet-smelling stock with fantastic flavor is ready!

Notes:

• After straining the liquid, you can return it to the saucepan and let it simmer for 20 more minutes for more concentrated vegetable stock. 
• The vegetable discards have given their all and are done. But if you are still not convinced you can simmer them again in 1 liter of water for 30 minutes. This is a weaker stock; you can use it to cook rice or lentils.
• Storing the vegetable stock: Store this stock water in clean and airtight glass jars in the refrigerator for 2 days.
• Alternatively, and this is the best method, poured the cooled stock water into ice cube trays and put it in the freezer. Once frozen, remove from the tray and transfer to freezer bags.
• A small amount of Kohlrabi adds a wonderful flavor. You can skip it if you don't have it or if you don't want to.
• Use fresh vegetables; in fact the fresher the better flavor. 

More Recipes you might like:

• Freezable Tomato Passata / Puree
• Homemade Schezwan Sauce (Indo-Chinese multipurpose sauce)
• Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste (Easy to store)

Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!