Instant Pot Vegetable Stock (Low Sodium, No Salt Added)
Description
Rich, deeply savory vegetable stock made from kitchen scraps in the Instant Pot — completely salt-free, ready in about an hour, and freezes for six months.
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions, unpeeled, quartered
- 4 medium carrots, unpeeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces (leaves included)
- 1 cup mushrooms, halved (or mushroom stems and trimmings)
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed, skins on
- ½ cup parsley stems, loosely packed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 10 cups cold water
Instructions
- Add the onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, parsley stems, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the Instant Pot inner pot. Frozen scraps can go in without thawing.
- Pour in the cold water. Make sure the vegetables are submerged and the contents stay below the ⅔ max fill line.
- Lock the lid and turn the valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual on high pressure and set the time to 30 minutes. The pot will take 15 to 20 minutes to come to pressure before the countdown starts.
- When the cycle ends, allow a full natural release, about 15 minutes. Move the valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure, then open the lid.
- Pour the stock through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl, lining it with cheesecloth for a clearer result. Press only lightly on the solids. Discard the spent vegetables.
- Cool to room temperature within two hours, then refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
- Fine mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth (optional, for a clearer stock)
- Ladle
Notes
Substitution: 5 to 6 cups of mixed frozen vegetable scraps can replace the fresh onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms.
- For a deeper, darker stock: Before step 1, run Sauté on high with a teaspoon of oil and brown the onions and mushrooms for 5 to 6 minutes, then cancel Sauté and continue.
- Do not add salt. Season the dish this stock goes into, not the stock itself.
- Avoid broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts — they turn the stock bitter under pressure.
- Freeze in ice cube trays for small portions, roughly 2 tablespoons per cube.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 29kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 34mgPotassium: 186mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 4341IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 0.5mg