Instant Pot Vegetable Stock

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Instant Pot Vegetable Stock takes a fraction of the time of the stovetop method and costs a fraction of the price of store-bought stock. Plus, it works great with scraps leftover from other meals!

Two mason jars of vegetable stock made in the Instant Pot  with celery and carrots on a gray napkin in the foreground

Ever since I started making vegetable broth in the pressure cooker, I’ve never gone back to the stovetop method or to store-bought broth! 

Try this easy recipe with carrots, onions, celery and any other vegetable scraps you have, and I think you’ll agree that it’s the best way to make homemade broth.

Update: It’s soup season again, so we’re in the middle of updating our pressure cooker stock recipes, including our chicken broth, turkey stock, mushroom stock, and this vegetable stock. Enjoy!

Pinterest button with text that reads "Instant Pot vegetable stock: Better-tasting and cheaper" overlaid on two photos: the first of the ingredients inside the Instant Pot and the second a tight close up of the broth

How to Make Instant Pot Vegetable Broth 

This vegetable stock recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

Making broth in the pressure cooker means that there’s no need to babysit a big pot of boiling water on the stove. No fear of bubbling over, and it has just a 15 minute cook time! 

This classic recipe is made with a mirepoix of carrots, onions, and celery, but it’s easy to mix and match the flavorings with whatever you have on hand. 

an overhead shot looking into an Instant Pot filled with rough chopped carrots, celery and quartered onions with skins on

Do I Have to Peel the Vegetables?

No! As long as your produce is washed well, you can use it in your broth. You can also use vegetable scraps for delicious broth, including peels and trimmed tops and bottoms of various veggies. 

I like to keep a freezer bag in the freezer set aside for these veggie scraps. Once I have enough scraps, I’ll whip up a batch of vegetable broth. 

Tip: If you like a richer, darker colored broth, leave your onion skins on. If you prefer a more pale broth, remove the skins. The flavor will remain identical.

a 45 degree shot of two mason jars filled with vegetable broth, with an onion, carrot, celery, and wooden spoon visible in the background

Flavoring Ideas for Homemade Veggie Broth

You can easily change up the seasonings in this recipe to suit your family’s tastes. Try adding some of these aromatics and seasonings into your cooking pot for more flavor:

  • Herbs like thyme, rosemary, and parsley stems
  • Hot chile peppers
  • Crushed garlic cloves
  • Lemongrass
  • Ginger
  • Turmeric
  • Other vegetables, such as parsnips, sweet potato, and radishes
a head-on shot of Instant Pot vegetable stock in a mason jar in front of an Instant Pot

Vegetable Stock vs. Broth  

What’s the difference between vegetable stock and broth? Really, the two terms can be used interchangeably. But technically speaking:

Stock is the unseasoned ingredient that you’re making in this recipe. It has no salt or pepper and is used as a component of another dish, such as a soup, stew or sauce. 

Broth, on the other hand, is seasoned enough to be served on its own. You turn your stock into broth when you season it for chicken noodle or tortellini soup, for example.

How to Store Homemade Broth

You can freeze the broth or store it in the fridge if you’re planning to use it right away. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days in the fridge, and in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

One great tip for freezing the stock from The Everything Healthy Pressure Cooker Cookbook is to pour the cooled stock into disposable plastic cups in 1 or 2 cup portions. Cover each cup with plastic wrap and freeze. When you need it, simply peel off the cup and toss the “stock-cicle” into your dish!

a vertical shot of two mason jars filled with fresh homemade vegetable broth made in an InstaPot pressure cooker, with a stick of celery and a carrot and wooden spoon in the foreground

Instant Pot Soup Recipes for Homemade Vegetable Broth

Now that you have a big batch of homemade vegetable broth, put it to use with these pressure cooker soup recipes:

collage of making vegetable broth in the Instant Pot, with the diced veggies in the instant pot and then in the strainer, then the clear broth

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a head-on shot of Instant Pot vegetable stock in a mason jar in front of an Instant Pot

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock

Yield: 5 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Flavor-packed Instant Pot Vegetable Stock is easier than making it on the stovetop and cheaper than store-bought cans. It’s healthy and fresh-tasting, thanks to onions, carrots, celery, and classic seasonings. 

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, bottom cut away and halved (skins can be left off or on)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
  • 3 stalks celery, cut in half
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 1/2 cups water

Instructions

  1. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pressure cooking pot. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf, and water to completely cover the vegetables. Close and lock the lid.
  2. Select High Pressure and 15 minutes cook time.
  3. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Allow the pressure to release naturally. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. 
  4. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Slightly adapted from The Everything Healthy Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Laura D.A. Pazzaglia.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 28Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 34mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.

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