Ever since I started making my own Vegetable Stock Paste a couple of years ago, I haven't stopped. So here it is for you to make at home too: my Homemade Vegetable Stock Paste (with Instant Pot and Thermomix instructions).
It's so good and useful!
Jump to:
- 📖 Recipe
- What other vegetables can I use?
- I don't have a Thermomix, will my blender cope?
- Packed full of vegetables
- Can I use courgette?
- A word about the Parmesan Cheese
- Advice for Thermomix users
- What jars to use
- How to use your Instant Pot / Thermomix Homemade Vegetable Stock Paste
- It's a concentrate
- Worried about the salt content?
- Can I make it without the salt?
- How to store
- Step-by-step photos
- Note
- Tip
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Homemade Vegetable Stock Paste
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
- 1 blender or food processor
- 3 kilner jars 500 ml work great
Ingredients
- 175 g parmigiano reggiano cheese (OPTIONAL) I bought a block to grate but you could of course buy it already grated if it's easier. Now, the cheese is optional, if you are vegan just skip it, I just love the depth of flavour it adds. Update, I've stopped adding the cheese altogether in the last couple of years (more cost-efficient this way and still gorgeous)
Don't forget you can add other vegetables: I highly recommend courgette, scraps, peelings... don't throw anything away, read the whole post for lots of useful information on this)
- 300 g celery stalks cut in chunks
- 3 tomatoes quartered
- 140 g mushrooms halved
- 200 g leeks sliced in chunks (green bit included)
- 2 big carrots cut in chunks
- 200 g onions
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 broccoli stalk
- 1 teaspoon turmeric you don't have to add this, I like to add turmeric to things because of its anti-inflammatory properties
- 2 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs you can also use fresh herbs of your choice, above all if you have homegrown ones
- 55 ml cider vinegar or white wine, whichever you have to hand
- 1.5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 200 g salt if using less vegetables, use 150 g salt, I use Maldon Sea Salt or salt from the Grape Tree
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- If using parmesan (which is optional), grate the parmesan cheese or blitz it in your food processor. In the Thermomix: Turbo 3 seconds, 3 times. RESERVE FOR STEP 4.175 g parmigiano reggiano cheese (OPTIONAL)
- Cut the vegetables into chunks to pressure cook OR (and this is my preferred method). Blitz the vegetables with the turmeric and the herbs (in the Thermomix: 7 seconds speed 10). You may need to do this in a couple of batches, I did.300 g celery stalks, 3 tomatoes, 140 g mushrooms, 200 g leeks, 2 big carrots, 200 g onions, 3 cloves garlic, 1 broccoli stalk, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 2 tablespoon oregano, 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
- Transfer to the pressure cooker. Add the vinegar, oil, salt and bay leaf. Stir to mix well. No need to add water as the vegetables will release a whole lot of liquid which will help your pressure cooker reach pressure.55 ml cider vinegar, 1.5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 200 g salt, 1 bay leaf
- Lock the lid in place making sure your sealing ring is properly in place and the steam release set to Sealing.
- Pressure cook 10 minutes, high pressure. Do a quick release at the end. Thermomix: If you want to cook it in your Thermomix (which you can only do if not too full): 20 minutes, Varoma temperature if a TM31 and 120º if a TM5, speed 2. Of course you could cook it on the hob at this stage for about 25 minutes on a low heat, making sure you keep an eye on it and stir every once in a while so that it doesn't stick.
- Place the cooked vegetable mix in the blender (discard the bay leaf), and blitz with the reserved parmesan if using (Thermomix 1 minute speed 10, if you have cooked it in Thermie let it cool down a little bit first before blending, to about 60 degrees at least).
- Pour into sterilised Kilner jars. Make pretty labels. Gift to friends. Ask friends to store in fridge and, very important, return Kilner jars when empty.
Magimix Cook Expert instructions
- Add everything to the bowl (bearing in mind it might not all fit in one batch) and press Cream Soup programme. Let it do its thing, come back to it ready for you
Notes
What other vegetables can I use?
You don't have to stick to the vegetables detailed here.
But the one I would NOT skip is the celery. It's intrinsic to this recipe.
Aside from the celery, you can use a ton of veg that may be going off, you can use scraps and peelings and, like I did here, even broccoli stalk (which you can also add to soups).
Get creative and use scraps: you don't have to use the exact same ingredients detailed here.
Make sure you use up what you've got.
Got more than one broccoli stalk? Perfect!
Just don't forget that the one that I would say is a must is the celery, I hate raw celery but love love love it in this stock paste for the flavour it provides once cooked
Nothing goes to waste here!
- Broccoli stalks
- Leeks (above all the green part as some of you don't use them in your cooking)
- Beetroot leaves (which will give it a red tinge)
- Cauliflower stalks and leaves
- Outer cabbage leaves instead of discarding them
- Carrots that have gone soft and limp
- Peelings (carrots, courgettes, etc)
- Any vegetables that are past their best
I've heard some people say they don't like to use brassicas in their vegetable stock paste but I think they work well.
You will find that I use vegetable stock paste in a lot of my recipes and will see it mentioned often.
I don't have a Thermomix, will my blender cope?
You're going to need a blender for this Homemade Vegetable Stock Paste (and an Instant Pot or pressure cooker!).
I'm lucky to have a Thermomix so I did it in two batches and I chop all the raw vegetables in there.
BUT you can also pressure cook in chunks and bypass blitzing them raw which is harder work then blitz them. I've tried this and it works too.
I also tell you how to make it all in the Thermomix, great if you're doing a small batch. Less washing up.
If you have a Vitamix or something of the like, it will do the job perfectly.
If you don't, cut the vegetables in chunks to start with and they'll be so soft at the end that even an immersion blender will do the trick.
Do not worry about the blender, you've got this!
Packed full of vegetables
In total I tend to use about one kilo and a half of vegetables.
I wouldn't skip the celery, carrots are also good, as those are great for the taste but, other than that, you can absolutely use any vegetables you have at home that you think might go well.
In fact, you can keep peelings, scraps etc in the freezer to make this when you have plenty.
Manky vegetables are brought back to life with this paste.
Feel free to play with it so that nothing goes to waste.
Can I use courgette?
Yes, absolutely! I wrote this recipe in 2017 when there was a courgette shortage so the recipe doesn't include them but you can totally use courgette!
I love courgettes.
As I say, go for your life with the vegetables you've got.
A word about the Parmesan Cheese
You can skip the parmesan if you want it to be vegan or more economical.
At the start of making this vegetable stock paste I loved the flavour that the parmesan added and tried to get it on offer for homemade vegetable stock paste.
But now I don't even add it and it's still so good! It's also thriftier without.
Advice for Thermomix users
You can cook the whole thing in your Thermomix but you can't fit in the whole 1.5 kg of vegetables from this recipe in there (above all if it's a TM31) so the Instant Pot comes in really handy.
What jars to use
You're going to need jars.
I used glass jars of different sizes:
- 2 x 500 ml screw top Kilner jars
- 1 x 500 ml (clip top Kilner jar, not totally full)
- 2 x 250 ml Kilner jars.
I now have a shelf full of jars in the kitchen for these eventualities…
How to use your Instant Pot / Thermomix Homemade Vegetable Stock Paste
Add a heaped teaspoon to any stew or soup to add instant flavour:
Use it to make Pasta Soup or Instant Pot Beef Stew with Mexican Spices.
Never buy stock cubes or bouillon again because this is going to save you a fortune!
In fact, I tend to use this stock for pretty much everything now, it's that good!
Instead of a stock cube
I tend to think of it as a heaped tablespoon equates to a stock cube but it's all very rough measures.
I grab a spoon, any spoon, from the drawer and add stock.
As you get used to use it in this format, you'll get used to measuring it.
Just go by taste.
It's a concentrate
Have you ever bitten into an undissolved bit of stock cube?
It tastes terribly salty and weird, nothing like the diluted flavour, this Vegetable Stock Paste is a concentrate so it is the same.
So don't taste it without diluting, you're in for a shock!
And, if you do, make sure you bite into a stock cube too while at it to compare fairly.
Worried about the salt content?
The stock cubes and bouillon powder we buy in the supermarket are very very salty.
Why?
The salt helps preserve them.
It's the same with this vegetable stock paste.
That way it can last up to six months in the fridge (if it lasts that long).
Can I make it without the salt?
That said, you could make it without the salt BUT you'll need to keep it in the freezer.
So freeze it in ice cube trays and once frozen pop the cubes out and place them in a bag or container ready to use.
You'll soon learn to use it.
1 cube to add flavour. 2 or three cubes to make stock.
How to store
In the fridge
Only if you make it with the recommended salt.
Keep: 6 months. Use sterilised jars. Always use a clean spoon.
In the freezer
With salt: 6 months. It won't freeze fully and it will be scoopable.
Without salt: cool down or chill then freeze in ice cubes, transfer to a bag once frozen and use as and when.
Don't forget it's a concentrate that both acts as a stock but also adds a burst of flavour to your dishes like stews, soups, pastas, etc.
Step-by-step photos
1. Optional (I don't add parmesan nowadays). Blitz the parmesan and reserve.
2. Blitz the vegetables (or cut into chunks if you don't have a powerful enough food processor or blender)
3. Pressure cook
4. Blitz, cool down and chill or freeze (see storage instructions).
Note
It will last about 6 months in the fridge. But really it won't last that long as you will get through it, use it in everything and anything to add flavour. Enjoy!
Tip
If you have room in the freezer, freeze in ice cube trays, each will be a portion. It won't quite freeze (due to the amount of salt) and you can use it straight from frozen.
Find all my Instant Pot recipes right here and keep up to date in my Pressure Cooking UK with Feisty Tapas Facebook group.
Chris Dean says
Love this! Always have a pot ready to hand in my fridge!
Lucy Mars says
Love this recipe.
I save all my carrot tops, courgette ends, etc in a tub in the freezer, then when there’s plenty, I rustle up a batch of this paste & can use it in everything else I cook. I love knowing exactly what’s in my stock 😋
Mel says
I am very new to an instant pot but have previously made this concentrate on the stovetop. Just checking there is no need to add extra water to instant pot to come to pressure - the veges have enough moisture? Thankyou m
Susan says
No extra water is needed. I’ve made these several times and it’s a great recipe
Liesa says
This is amazing I have saved up loads of scraps and extra courgettes from the garden and just made this paste, only had a little cheese but I’m ok with that. I’ve already had to promise two jars elsewhere!
Johanna says
Thank you. I tried once making homemade stock, a long time ago, using a recipe from a book that came with my Thermomix. It was awful and I never tried again until stumbling upon your recipe two months ago. I used all of what I made and I am about to make a new batch. Thanks again for sharing it.
Suzanne Masters says
So soooo easy to make in the magimix Cook Expert!! This veggi paste really packs a flavour punch; thank you for sharing.
Polly says
I’m looking forward to making this with scraps I’ve been keeping in the freezer. Will cabbage stalks and leaves work do you think or could they make it taste odd?
Maria says
Yes they will, I use them all the time (cauliflower stalks, broccoli stalks, beetroot leaves... everything goes). Hope that helps, Maria
Polly says
Brilliant, thanks Maria!