A Homemade Vegetable Stock recipe designed for baby! It’s salt-free, additive-free and gluten-free, which means that this stock can be used from the time baby starts solids, around 6 months. Making vegetable stock for babies provides a nutritious, flavour-rich base for their meals. Add it to purees, soups, sauces and casseroles, or just use a small amount to mash soft vegetables and proteins. It boosts the flavour and nutritional value of your baby’s food, without the additives found in store-bought stocks.
Vegetable stock vs vegetable broth
In Australia, vegetable stock is labelled as that – stock. You’ll sometimes see the terms stock and broth interchanged. In the culinary world though, stocks generally have no salt, giving them greater versatility than broths (which are seasoned). For baby, unseasoned (no salt) is the key!
Ingredients in Homemade Vegetable Stock
Here’s what you need to make this salt free vegetable stock recipe:
Onion, carrot and celery – The flavour base of all good vegetable stocks!
Root vegetables – I like to use sweet potato or parsnip, whatever bits and pieces are in the fridge.
Garlic – One clove, halved to help the flavour release.
Thyme and parsley – Fresh herbs add lovely flavour to stocks. Substitute the thyme with 2 teaspoons of dry thyme, only if you have to ☺️.
Bay leaf – A dried bay leaf works well, but if you have fresh then use that instead!
Black peppercorns – Whole black peppercorns, for extra flavour.
Water
How to make Vegetable Stock for Baby
Simply put all the ingredients into a large pot on the stovetop. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 1.5 hours, allowing the flavours to infuse. Once cooked, strain the liquid to remove the vegetable pieces, and your stock is ready. If you’d like a more intense flavour, simmer it a little longer, but remember that the longer it cooks, the more it reduces.
Thermomixer? Making this Thermomix vegetable stock is easy. But, here’s the thing – I don’t think it produces quite the same flavour as regular cooking does. In a Thermomix/thermo cooker, liquid doesn’t reduce as much as on the stovetop, so you’ll see that the Thermomix instructions call for less liquid. It still makes a good stock though!
So to make stock in a Thermomix, just put the vegetables into the mixing bowl. Give them a quick chop. Add the herbs, peppercorns and water. Cook for 1.5 hours, and then strain the liquid to remove the vegetable pieces. You can also blend it if you like for a smooth, more intensely flavoured stock.
You’ll find the recipe card below, with ingredient amounts and detailed steps for both regular and thermo cooker methods.
Using Homemade Stock
You can use Homemade Vegetable Stock in baby purees, soups, sauces and casseroles. Use it to cook grains like rice, quinoa or couscous too. It adds flavour and nutrients to the meal without the need for added salt or seasonings. For older babies, you can also use it to soften mashed vegetables or proteins like lentils.
Storing Homemade Stock
To store Homemade Vegetable Stock, let it cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers. You can refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
When freezing, portion it out into ice cube trays or small containers for easy use in baby meals. I like to fill my silicone muffin trays with 1/4 cup portions, freeze and then transfer to labelled freezer bags. Be sure to label the containers with the date, and follow safe practices when freezing, thawing, and reheating baby food.
Looking for more basics to use in cooking for baby? Try this French onion seasoning. It’s great for adding flavour to baby or family meals and is salt-free, gluten-free, and additive-free.
If you make this Homemade Vegetable Stock for Baby please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below. I love hearing how my recipes work for you and your family! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more baby food recipes.
Happy cooking,
Chloe x
Homemade Vegetable Stock for Baby
Category: Family MainsTap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 1 onion peeled and quartered
- 2 carrots peeled and each cut into 4 pieces
- 1 celery stick cut into 4 pieces
- 200 g root vegetables (e.g. sweet potato, parsnip) peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley roughly chopped (20g)
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 8 black peppercorns
- 2 L water (Thermomixers: 1.25L/ 0.3gal ONLY – do not fill above MAX line)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large pot. Bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer uncovered for 1.5 hours.
- Remove stock from the heat, and carefully strain through a fine mesh sieve into another large pot or heat-proof container. Squeeze any remaining liquid from the vegetables.
- If not using immediately, allow the stock to cool. Transfer into sterilised jars for refrigerating or portion out into containers/ice cube trays for freezing.
Thermomix Instructions
- Put the vegetables into the mixing bowl. Chop for 2 seconds, speed 5, MC on.
- Add the thyme, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns and 1.25L water. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes, 90°C, slowest speed, reverse, MC off. Put the simmering basket on the lid to prevent splatter.
- Carefully strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into a large heat-proof container. Squeeze any remaining liquid from the vegetables.
- If not using immediately, allow the stock to cool. Transfer into sterilised jars for refrigerating or portion out into containers/ice cube trays for freezing.
