Vegetable stock and vegetable broth are similar products used in similar ways. They are both made from cooked vegetables, and can be used as a base to soups and other dishes.
However, vegetable stock makes use of untrimmed, unseasoned vegetables, whereas vegetable broth is made by simmering trimmed, seasoned vegetables for a long time in order for the seasonings to set in. Vegetable broth is delicious eaten plain, but vegetable stock is best added to foods and flavored later.
Comparison Chart: Is Vegetable Stock the Same as Broth?
| Vegetable Stock | Vegetable Broth | |
| Needs to simmer? | No | Yes |
| Vegetables need trimming? | No | Yes |
| Seasoned? | No | Yes |
| Uses | Base for soup and other dishes | Can be consumed as is |
Vegetable Stock Explained
Vegetable stock is a cooking liquid made by boiling a mix of vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, and celery. Vegetable stock is usually used as a base and flavor enhancer for cooked foods such as soups, sauces, and vegetarian dishes that need a uniting flavor that would otherwise come from meat.
When was vegetable stock first discovered?
The use of vegetable stock may have originated in the fifth century, when its use was mentioned in a recipe for onion soup in one Roman cookbook. Households in ancient Greece included vegetable soup as a daily staple, and it was historically believed to be made by boiling vegetables in water for long periods over an open fire. Today it is made differently.
How is vegetable stock prepared?
Vegetable stock is prepared by boiling everyday vegetables, such as onions and carrots, in a soup pot or Dutch oven. The ratio and proportion of vegetables used in making vegetable stock depends on the flavor profile that you prefer. Adding carrots and onions to your stock will give it a sweeter profile, while mushrooms will give it a more smokey flavor.
Unlike in preparing vegetable broth, vegetables to make stock need only to be cleaned and not trimmed or seasoned. Vegetables are then sautéed in a pan before water is added. The vegetables are left to simmer for a few minutes before the heat is turned off.
Vegetable stock doesn’t have to be seasoned since, as a base for a cooked meal, flavors and seasoning are added to the dish itself as it cooks.
What vegetables can be used to make vegetable stock?
Some of the most common vegetables used in vegetable stock are carrots, mushrooms, celery, and onion. Starchy vegetables though, like potatoes, need to be avoided especially if one is looking for stock that has a clear, liquid consistency. Vegetables such as zucchini and green beans should be used sparingly since these vegetables tend to add a bitter profile to the stock.
Where can vegetable stock be bought?
Though vegetable stock can easily be prepared at home, there are also many brands of commercially prepared vegetable stock readily available anywhere. Commercially prepared vegetable stock tends to contain a higher amount of sodium and preservatives than homemade, so it is better to come up with your own recipe.
How is vegetable stock used?
Vegetable stock is used as a soup or sauce base, where it is flavored and seasoned according to the recipe being prepared.
When consumed alone, vegetable stock may need to be watered down because the use of untrimmed vegetables and deglazing through sautéing the vegetables both give this product an overpowering bitter flavor. The lack of seasoning may also render vegetable stock tasteless when it is consumed by itself.
Broth Explained
Vegetable broth is a liquid that is made by boiling vegetables. Unlike stock, vegetable broth makes use of vegetables that have been trimmed. Flavors and seasoning are also added to broth, unlike vegetable stock.
When was vegetable broth first discovered?
The history of vegetable broth is interchangeable with vegetable stock – it is assumed that vegetable broth’s origin is similar.
Ancient descriptions of soup preparation in ancient Greece tend to reflect the definition of vegetable broth, though this isn’t defined. We assume both foods were invented around the fifth century.
How is vegetable broth prepared?
Vegetable broth is made similarly to vegetable stock. However, the vegetables used for making vegetable broth are more thoroughly cleaned – they are trimmed and peeled, unlike those used in making vegetable stock.
Vegetables are then placed in a Dutch oven or stock pan and made to simmer for at least an hour, along with seasonings or spices like oregano, thyme, garlic, and black pepper.
What vegetables can be used to make vegetable broth?
The same rules apply when making vegetable broth as are applied to vegetable stock when it comes to the choice of vegetables:
- Avoid using starchy vegetables in order to avoid a gummy, thick consistency
- Avoid using vegetables like zucchini, which may add a bitter flavor to the broth
Where can vegetable broth be bought?
Just like vegetable stock, commercially prepared vegetable broth is readily available anywhere. It can be purchased in many online stores, grocery stores, or supermarkets.
Commercially prepared broths are usually high in sodium and preservatives, making homemade versions healthier.
How is vegetable broth used?
Since vegetable broth is already seasoned, it makes an easy and quick soup base, and is delicious drunk as a soup on its own.
Choosing Broth vs Vegetable Stock
Choosing between vegetable stock or vegetable broth highly depends on the purpose which you may have in mind.
If you are planning to create a cooked meal, such as a soup or sauce, vegetable stock would be the better choice as a base. Since vegetable stock is unseasoned, it allows the best flexibility in seasoning your dish as you like.
If you are in immediate need of a soup all on its own, then vegetable broth would be a better option since it is already seasoned and doesn’t need any further adjustments.
If you are in a hurry and have no time to prepare either of the two, one replacement you can use is to add vegetable bouillon cubes or powder in recipes which call for the use of stock or broth.
