How to Make Soup Stock: Chicken & Vegetable Recipes

If you’ve ever thrown out onion peels or carrot ends without a second thought, you’ve been tossing away the building blocks of deeply flavored soup stock. Making stock from scratch is simpler than most people realize — and once you taste the real thing, there’s no going back to the cardboard box.

Chicken stock simmer time: 3 hours ·
Beef stock simmer time: 6-8 hours ·
Vegetable stock simmer time: 1-2 hours ·
Water coverage for stock: 2 litres per batch ·
Common bones used: chicken or beef

Key specifications and storage parameters for homemade soup stock.

How to make basic soup stock?

Basic soup stock relies on four pillars: bones for body, aromatics for flavor, herbs for depth, and water to carry everything. The process is straightforward — but the timing and temperature are what separate a rich, clarifying stock from a cloudy, greasy mess.

Ingredients needed

For chicken stock, you’ll need 1-2 lbs of chicken bones or a carcass, 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, a few garlic cloves, parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns (Heinens). The classic French trio of onions, carrots, and celery — called mirepoix — forms the aromatic base for nearly every stock recipe.

Rough chopping the vegetables is fine; there’s no need for precision cuts. Even vegetable scraps work well if you’re building a zero-waste stock.

Step-by-step simmering process

Start with cold water to extract flavors gradually, then bring to a boil and reduce immediately to a gentle simmer. Boiling causes fat and proteins to emulsify, giving you dark, greasy stock (The Mediterranean Dish). The stock will be better if you do not keep it at a rolling boil (Fountain Avenue Kitchen).

Cover ingredients with water by 2 inches — roughly 10-12 cups total — then simmer uncovered for 3 hours on stovetop (The Mediterranean Dish). Alternatively, a pressure cooker finishes chicken stock in 90 minutes (Heinens).

Straining and storage tips

Strain through a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh strainer to remove solids completely. The yield is typically 5-6 cups from 10-12 cups of water (The Mediterranean Dish). Skim any fat that rises after cooling for a clearer result.

Add salt only after straining while the stock is still hot. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for 3-6 months (The Mediterranean Dish).

How do I make homemade stock?

Think of stock as flavored water — the ingredients simmer for hours, releasing their essence into the liquid. The beauty of homemade stock is that you control what goes in, and you can build flavor with scraps you’ve been saving in the freezer.

Gathering scraps and bones

Save chicken bones, carcasses, and vegetable trimmings — onion ends, carrot peels, celery leaves, leek tops — in a freezer bag. When the bag fills, it’s stock-making time. You’ll need at least 1-2 full chicken carcasses or 5-6 bone pieces for a proper batch (Sungrown Kitchen).

Use filtered drinking water for the best quality stock — this should be the water that you drink (Sungrown Kitchen).

Boil then simmer method

Place frozen bones and vegetable scraps directly in the pot, add water, and bring to a boil for 15 minutes on medium heat before reducing to a low simmer (Sungrown Kitchen). Let it simmer uncovered for 4 hours on low heat (Sungrown Kitchen).

Cooling and freezing

Let the stock cool completely before transferring to storage containers. Portion into mason jars, leaving headspace for expansion if freezing. Label with the date — homemade stock keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for 3 months (Carol the Cook).

How to make vegetable stock?

Vegetable stock skips the bones entirely, relying on vegetables, herbs, and sometimes mushrooms or tomatoes for body. It simmers faster than meat-based stocks — and it’s the foundation of countless soups, risottos, and sauces.

Best vegetables to use

Standard vegetable stock uses 2 onions, 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots, 3 garlic cloves, mushrooms, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns (Heinens). Leeks, fennel fronds, and corn cobs add sweetness. For depth, some cooks roast the vegetables first at 350°F for 20-30 minutes before simmering (Ultimate Broths YouTube).

Quick cooking time

Vegetable stock simmers for just 45 minutes on the stovetop — less than half the time for chicken stock (Heinens). Vegetables release their flavor faster than bones, so extended simmering isn’t necessary.

Seasoning essentials

Bay leaves, parsley stems, thyme, and peppercorns are the core seasoning trio. Optional additions include a parsnip for sweetness, a splash of white wine, or a tablespoon of tomato paste for deeper color. Salt should be added only after straining, just as with meat stocks.

What are common mistakes making stock?

Even experienced cooks stumble on stock. The good news: these pitfalls are easy to avoid once you know what to watch for.

Over-boiling issues

The number one mistake is keeping the stock at a rolling boil. Boiling emulsifies fat and proteins, resulting in cloudy, greasy stock that tastes rough rather than clean (The Mediterranean Dish). The fix is simple: once you see bubbles rolling across the surface, reduce the heat immediately to a gentle simmer.

Wrong ingredient ratios

Too many aromatics overwhelm the stock, making it bitter. Too few bones and vegetables produce a watery result. The ideal balance is 1-2 lbs bones with 2 onions, 2 carrots, and 2 celery stalks per batch (Heinens). If using scraps only, ensure you have enough material — a sparse batch won’t gel when cooled.

Skipping skimming

Skimming the foam that rises in the first 10-15 minutes removes impurities that cause cloudiness. Some cooks skip this step when using a pressure cooker, since the sealed environment reduces foam buildup, but stovetop stocks benefit significantly from even a quick skim.

What are the four main ingredients for stock?

Every stock recipe, regardless of type, comes down to four ingredient categories: bones or base, aromatics, herbs, and water. These four pillars cover everything from simple vegetable broth to complex beef stock.

Bones or base

Bones provide the body and gelatin that make stock rich and viscous. Chicken bones are most common, but beef bones, pork bones, or fish bones work depending on the desired flavor profile. For vegetable stock, mushrooms or tomatoes serve as the flavor base.

Aromatics mirepoix

The classic French mirepoix — onions, carrots, and celery — forms the aromatic foundation for nearly every stock. Roughly chop these vegetables; there’s no need for precision (DIY Homemade Chicken Stock YouTube). These three vegetables balance sweet, savory, and earthy notes.

Herbs and spices

Parsley stems, bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns are the standard herbs for stock (The Mediterranean Dish). Some recipes add a bouquet garni — a bundle of herbs tied together for easy removal. Sage, rosemary, or marjoram can substitute depending on regional preferences.

Step-by-step process

1. Collect ingredients. Gather 1-2 lbs chicken bones or carcass, 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Save vegetable scraps in a freezer bag until needed.
2. Optional roast step. For deeper flavor, roast chicken parts and vegetables at 350°F for 20-30 minutes before simmering (DIY Homemade Chicken Stock YouTube).
3. Start with cold water. Place all ingredients in a large pot and cover with 10-12 cups cold water (FoodieCrush). Cold water extracts flavors gradually.
4. Bring to boil then simmer. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. Never let it boil vigorously.
5. Skim and simmer. Skim any foam that rises for the first 10-15 minutes. Simmer partially covered for 3 hours (stovetop) or 90 minutes (pressure cooker).
6. Strain and cool. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh strainer. Let cool completely, then skim fat from the surface.
7. Season and store. Add salt only after straining while hot. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze 3-6 months (The Mediterranean Dish).

What experts say

Boiling can cause the fat and proteins to emulsify and give you dark, greasy stock.

— The Mediterranean Dish (Recipe Publication)

The stock will be better if you do not keep it at a rolling boil.

— Fountain Avenue Kitchen (Kitchen Tips Resource)

This should be the water that you drink.

— Sungrown Kitchen (Zero-Waste Recipe Publication)

Summary

Soup stock is one of those kitchen skills that pays dividends every time you open a pot. The method is forgiving — bones, aromatics, herbs, water — and the execution is mostly about time and temperature. Keep the heat gentle, simmer long enough, and season after straining. Home cooks who want to stop relying on bland boxed stock should start saving scraps today — the freezer bag approach turns kitchen waste into a pantry staple that tastes like nothing from a carton.

Related reading: How to Make Chicken and Vegetable Stock at Home · How to Make Chicken Stock

Chicken stock, simmered for three hours with bones and aromatics, forms the rich base that elevates soups, as explored in this easy homemade chicken stock perfect for beginners.

Frequently asked questions