Instant Pot Vegetable Stock

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock is an easy, budget friendly way to turn leftover vegetable scraps into a flavorful homemade broth. It's perfect for soups, stews, casseroles, and other recipes while helping reduce food waste.

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This post was last updated 10/2026. 

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Shopping list:

• frozen vegetable trimmings (peels, rinds, scraps, etc)
• water

I absolutely LOVE finding ways to save money in the kitchen, and this Instant Pot Vegetable Stock might be one of my favorite ideas yet! I remember seeing something similar while scrolling through Facebook or Pinterest a while back, and I immediately knew I had to try it. Instead of throwing away vegetable scraps or veggies that were starting to get past their prime, I started tossing them into a gallon sized Ziploc freezer bag. Onion ends, carrot peels, celery pieces, and other vegetable scraps went straight into the freezer, and before I knew it, my bag was full and I was ready to make homemade vegetable stock!

I still think it's pretty amazing that something we'd normally throw in the garbage can turn into such a flavorful and useful kitchen staple! Making homemade vegetable stock in the Instant Pot is incredibly easy, budget friendly, and a great way to reduce food waste while getting the most out of your groceries. Plus, I love knowing exactly what's going into my stock instead of relying on store bought broth or bouillon. I use it in everything from homemade soups and stews to casseroles, rice, and pasta dishes. Just 30 minutes of pressure cooking transforms those saved vegetable scraps into a delicious stock that's perfect to keep on hand for all kinds of recipes!

This homemade vegetable stock is perfect for homemade soup! Give it a try in this Mushroom and Barley Soup or this Minestrone Soup!

Need some homemade recipes for other kitchen staples? Check out my Homemade Basil Pesto or Homemade Tartar Sauce!

Keep scrolling for the full printable recipe 💙

Recipe tips:

• Onions, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, and fresh herbs make an especially flavorful vegetable stock. Use stronger flavored vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and turnips sparingly, since too much can make the broth bitter or overpowering. Avoid moldy, slimy, or spoiled vegetables, and wash all scraps thoroughly before freezing.

• Allow your homemade vegetable stock to cool quickly before transferring it to airtight containers or wide mouth glass jars. To speed up cooling, place the pot in an ice bath and stir occasionally. Refrigerate the stock within two hours of cooking and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, homemade vegetable stock freezes beautifully! Pour the cooled stock into freezer safe containers, silicone freezer cubes, or freezer safe Ziploc bags and freeze for up to 3 months for the best quality. 

• I love freezing stock in smaller portions, especially 1 cup or 2 cup amounts, so I can easily grab exactly what I need for soups, casseroles, sauces, and other recipes. You can also freeze stock in ice cube trays for recipes that only need a few tablespoons! Be sure to leave some room at the top of containers for expansion, especially when using wide mouth glass jars, and label everything with the date and amount. When you're ready to use it, thaw the stock overnight in the refrigerator or reheat it directly from frozen in a saucepan.

One of my favorite things about making Instant Pot Vegetable Stock is that you can use so many different vegetable scraps! Save clean peels, ends, stems, and vegetables that are starting to lose their freshness in a gallon sized freezer bag until you have enough to make a batch.

• Onions – Ends, skins, and leftover pieces add wonderful flavor and color.
• Garlic – Cloves, skins, and trimmed ends add savory flavor.
• Cabbage – Small amounts of leaves or leftover pieces work well.
• Celery – Stalks, leaves, ends, and even celery that's starting to get droopy!
• Carrots – Peels, tops of the roots, ends, and leftover pieces add natural sweetness.
• Tomatoes – Leftover pieces, cores, and slightly overripe tomatoes add richness.
• Cauliflower – Stems and small amounts of florets can be used.
• Fresh Parsley – Stems and leftover leaves add fresh flavor.
• Fresh Basil – Extra leaves and stems add a subtle herbal flavor.
• Green Onions – White ends, green tops, and leftover pieces.
• Leeks – Green tops and trimmed ends add a delicious mild onion flavor.
• Shallots – Skins, ends, and leftover pieces.
• Bell Peppers – Tops, bottoms, and leftover pieces add sweetness.
• Mushrooms – Stems and leftover pieces add a rich, savory flavor.
• Zucchini – Ends, peels, and leftover pieces.
• Yellow Squash – Ends and extra pieces work well.
• Parsnips – Peels and ends add a slightly sweet, earthy flavor.
• Turnips – Small amounts of peels and leftover pieces.
• Fennel – Stalks, fronds, and trimmed pieces add a mild licorice flavor.
• Corn Cobs – Leftover cobs add a naturally sweet flavor.
• Green Beans – Trimmed ends and leftover pieces.
• Fresh Thyme – Leftover sprigs and stems add an earthy flavor.
• Fresh Rosemary – A small sprig adds a wonderful herbal aroma.
• Fresh Sage – A few leaves add a cozy, savory flavor.
• Bay Leaves – Add one or two for extra depth of flavor.

Our favorite kitchen equipment and supplies used with this recipe:

• Instant Pot Duo 6 Qt 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
• Mesh Strainer Set
• Amazon Basics Large Size Glass Measuring Cup 

Yield 9 cups

Author Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Inactive time

1 Hour

Total time

1 H & 35 M

Instant Pot Vegetable Stock

Make delicious homemade Vegetable Stock in your Instant Pot using vegetable peels, ends, fresh herbs, and veggies you might otherwise throw away. This simple, money saving recipe is a great alternative to store bought broth or bouillon.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon bag frozen vegetable trimmings (peels, rinds, scraps, etc)
• 9 cups water

Instructions

1. Place the vegetable scraps into the Instant Pot and add 9 cups of water, making sure not to exceed the maximum fill line.
2. Secure the lid and set the pressure valve to the sealing position.
3. Select Pressure Cook (High Pressure) and set the cooking time to 30 minutes.
4. Once the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally before carefully removing the lid.
5. Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or container, discarding the cooked vegetable scraps.
6. Allow the broth to cool before transferring it to airtight containers to refrigerate or freeze.

Hot Eats and Cool Reads is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you try from this blog/website. You may not always have the same results I do due to variations in ingredients, humidity, altitude, cooking temperatures, typos, errors, omissions, or individual cooking abilities. 

You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful. I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual's dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual.

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