Making your own homemade broth or stock is super easy, only takes minutes of your time, and you can control the ingredients!
Are you wondering what vegetables make good stock or broth and what ones should be left out? Check out this guide.
Acorn Squash
The peels are great for stock, but the flesh is too starchy and should be left out.
Asparagus
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/6 of the stock ingredients)
Basil
Good in very small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients)
Bay leaves
1 or 2 leaves per quart of liquid is a good amount.
Beet Greens
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients). You may want to add greens toward end of cooking as they break down quickly.
Beets
Beets can be added, but they will turn the stock a very dark color, which may not work well for some purposes, such as butternut squash soup. Beet skins should not be used.
Bell or sweet peppers
Okay in small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients), but I tend to avoid using peppers as I don’t like the taste they impart.
Bok Choy
Foods in the Brassica family, such as Bok Choy, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.
Broccoli
Foods in the Brassica family, such as broccoli, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.
Cabbage
Foods in the Brassica family, such as cabbage, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.
Carrots
Excellent for making stock/broth.
Carrot tops (leafy part)
Use only in very small quantities (no more than 1/16 of the stock ingredients). Too many can make the stock bitter.
Celery stalks
Excellent for making stock/broth.
Celery leaves
While the outer leaves can make the stock bitter, a small amount of the inner leaves can be used with good results.
Chard
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/6 of the stock ingredients)
Chives
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients)
Cilantro
Cilantro is too strong for broth/stock. If you really want to use it, be sure to only use a very small amount. A little goes a long way.
Collard Greens
Foods in the Brassica family, such as collards, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.
Corn
Corn doesn’t add a lot of flavor and can make the stock/broth cloudy.
Cucumber
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/6 of the stock ingredients)
Dill
Good in very small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients)
Eggplant
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/6 of the stock ingredients)
Garlic
Excellent for making stock/broth.
Green beans
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/5 of the stock ingredients)
Greens
Avoid bitter greens and members of the brassica family (kale, cabbage, Bok Choy). Other greens can be used in small quantities.
Jerusalem artichokes
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/5 of the stock ingredients).
Kohlrabi
Foods in the Brassica family, such as kohlrabi, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.
Leeks
Excellent for making stock/broth.
Lettuce
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients). Most lettuce varieties don’t add much flavor to the stock/broth.
Marjoram
Good in very small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients)
Mushrooms
Mushrooms add rich flavor to vegetable stock; however, be aware that mushrooms are not a vegetable, but rather a fungus (which is why I personally don’t eat mushrooms).
Napa Cabbage
Foods in the Brassica family, such as cabbage, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.
Okra
Okra can add body to broth. Use in small quantities to avoid overwhelming flavor.
Onions
Excellent for making stock/broth.
Onion skins
Onion skins add a lovely color. Just don’t add to many of them unless you want your stock to have a dark color.
Oregano
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients)
Parsley
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/6 of the stock ingredients)
Parsnips
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/6 of the stock ingredients)
Peas
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/6 of the stock ingredients)
Pea Pods
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/6 of the stock ingredients)
Peppers, Hot Peppers
Not recommended.
Peppers, Bell Peppers
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients)
Potato peels
Can be used in small quantities. Potato skins add an earthy, but slightly bitter taste. Too many can make the stock cloudy. Be sure the peels are very clean, otherwise you’ll end up with stock that tastes like dirt.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a little too starchy for good stock or broth.
Radish
Not recommended.
Romaine Lettuce
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients)
Rosemary
Some people like the taste rosemary imparts to stock/broth, but some find it lends a bitter flavor, so you may want to use it with caution.
Rutabagas
Foods in the Brassica family, such as Rutabagas, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.
Scallions
Excellent for making stock/broth.
Shallots
Excellent for making stock/broth.
Spinach
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/6 of the stock ingredients). Best added toward the end of cooking.
Squash
Squash is a little too starchy for good stock or broth.
Squash peel
Squash peels add good flavor to stock or broth. Use no more than 1/8 of the total stock ingredients.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes don’t add much flavor to stock or broth and some variety are too starchy for good stock or broth.
Thyme
Very good in small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients)
Tomatoes
Excellent for making stock/broth. Be sure to avoid including too many tomato seeds as this can give a bitter flavor.
Turnips
Turnips are too strong for stock or broth.
Turnip greens
Ok in small quantities (no more than 1/10 of the stock ingredients). You may want to add greens toward end of cooking as they break down quickly.
Winter squash
Squash is a little too starchy for good stock or broth.
Zucchini
Good in small quantities (no more than 1/6 of the stock ingredients).
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How about avocado skins or pits
Hi Kim,
Good question! Avocado skins and pits are generally not a good option to include in broth or stock since they don’t offer much flavor and what little flavor they do give isn’t very good.
They’ll do the most good in the compost pile … or for growing a baby avocado tree 🙂
Avocado peels and seeds can also be used to make a beautiful pink dye for fabrics!
How much of the leek leaf is usable?
All the the leek leaf is usable – just be sure to wash the dirt and sand out of them.
I cut mine into pieces, separate the leaves, dunk them in a bowl of water, then rinse in a colander to clean them.
Thank you so much for such a comprehensive list! I tried making vegetable broth à la Middle Age (aka stuff every vegetable scrap into a pot and boil) and it SUCKED. It literally tasted like garbage, you know that water that leaks from the bag and smells? The taste was identical. There are plenty of websites and blogs out there that just say “whatever vegetable scrap you put in there makes a good broth”. Well, I don’t know how limited their menu is for vegetables, or how much they like the taste of garbage, but that is definitely not true! Thank you so much for providing me with the RIGHT stuff to put in a vegetable broth!
Awesome Post! I’m laughing out loud!
Me too, Glad to know the results. That was my first thought to put anything in it, that is why I am here looking Thanks for the heads up.
What is the difference between chives and scallions? I always thought they were the same.
Hi Rachel,
Good question. They do look very similar.
Scallions have a slightly larger stalk than chives and are generally used in pasta salads, potato salads, sandwich fillings, and soups.
(Green onions, scallions, and bunching onions are all the same ingredient.)
Chives have a thinner stalk than scallions; the stalk looks sort of like a hollow blade of grass. Chives are often used as a garnish and are a common topping for potatoes.
You can find a picture of chives on this page.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the list! What about broccoli? I don’t see it listed.
Hi Alicia. Thank you for pointing that out. I thought I had broccoli listed above. I have edited the post to include broccoli.
Foods from the brassica family, such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, rutabagas, and turnips give a strong – somewhat bitter – flavor and can overpower vegetable stock or broth. So I recommend you leave them out.
But these things are great for the soup you make from the stock! Just a clarification.
I am making homemade vegetable stock because my friend is allergic to celery .. And celery seed so what can I add besides carrots and onions etc..j
Hi Jane,
I would use a very small amount of parsley stems and/or a very small amount of fennel. Don’t use too much of either (maybe 1/6 of the amount of celery) as they are both strong in flavor.
Hope this helps.
Jennifer
i never use celery in my stock because i can always taste it. I use garlic and a couple slices of ginger in all my stocks. It just seems to brighten the flavor but you dont taste it. Then the onion and carrot.
Thanks for the full list, Jennifer. What about the scraps form a bell pepper, does that count the same as the meat of the bell pepper listed above (sparingly) or should I avoid using the part that I wold normally compost (the inside with the seeds)?
Thanks!
Hi Liz,
I’ve never personally tried using the insides of a bell pepper for in my broth. I’m thinking it would still be too strongly flavored, but I can’t say for sure. Let me know if you try.
Jennifer
I keep your web page open all the time so I can check the list every time I shop, chop, or prep! Love it!
That’s makes me so happy 🙂 Thank you for your comment, Ruby.
what about fennel?
Hi Simona,
You can use a small amount of the fennel bulb (I would avoid the leaves) in broth/stock. However, since the flavor is quite strong, the taste of the fennel is usually noticeable in the final product. This works great for some soups, like a chicken-noodle-type soup, but not so great in other dishes that you wouldn’t want a fennel flavor in.
Cauliflower? Specially the base leafy part.
Hi Adina,
Foods from the brassica family, such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, rutabagas, and turnips give a strong – somewhat bitter – flavor and can overpower vegetable stock or broth, so I generally leave them out. However, you may be able to put small amounts of the leafy base in. .
Jennifer
Thanks! I did put it in and it turned out fantastic! Thanks for the post.
Thank you so much for this list! So helpful!! Also thank you for not crowding your list with Ads! Lol makes it sooo much easier to read.
Hi Amesha,
You are very welcome. I’m so glad you found it helpful! Yes, I’m with you on the ad thing. I’m hoping to be able to keep my site pretty much ad-free.
Enjoy,
Jennifer
Thank you so much for this list! I use it whenever I am debating what vegetable scraps to save for my broths.
I have yet to use carrot peels as I read that they can make broths bitter. Should I continue throwing away the peelings from the outer parts of the carrots, or could those be used in broth?
Hi Megan,
Yes, that is true; most carrot peels can make the broth bitter, but it depends on the variety of carrots. I usually leave them out.
Hi Jennifer,
My friend and I are starting a brand new blog, and one of my posts I’m going to write is about how I use my kitchen scraps to make stock. Could I link to this article in my post as an extensive resource for what works well in stock? Thanks for such a great post!
Hi Rachel,
Yes you certainly may link back to this article. Thank you for asking.
Jennifer
Thanks so much! 🙂
I have a dumb question – can the veggie scraps be already cooked, as in leftovers or do they need to be in a raw, uncooked format? I’m always throwing away cooked green beans, carrots, etc. Can I toss them in my freezer bag or just throw away and not use for broth? Thank you so much for this resource, it’s wonderful!
Hi Stacy,
That’s a very good question! Yes, you can use cooked vegetables to make broth; it’s perfectly fine.
Jennifer
Thank you so much!
What about including fruit peels,i.e. apple, pear, mango? I am thinking Not citrus, banana, melon rinds.
That’s a really good question, Carole. I’ve never tried putting fruit peels in my broth/stock, so I don’t know how that would turn out. Please let us know if you try it!
Jennifer
Is it better to just stick with a few ingredients or put in whatever? I fear I have a hodgepodge of too many things….
Hi Jennifer,
I haven’t done very much experimenting with different amounts of vegetables. I use my recipe and usually stick with around 8 to 10 different veggies.
I think less than 6 or so different veggie flavors would not make a good broth/stock, but again, I haven’t experimented too much with that.
Jennifer
Why do you not recommend radishes? Are there any combinations where radishes might be beneficial?
That’s a good question, Maria.
You can use radishes in your broth if you like the peppery flavor they will impart. It isn’t the flavor most people expect from a broth, and they can easily be overpowering so that’s why I don’t recommend them. But you certainly can use them if you like! 🙂
Jennifer
I have twice tried a vegetable stock recipe found in a canning book, and the stock ends up with a metallic smell and taste. Do you have any idea what might cause this? I use a stainless steel stock pot.. The recipe I’ve tried does not call for browning the vegetables and does include turnips. I am planning to try yours, but am curious to know if you have any ideas about what might have gone wrong in case I decide to modify the recipe at all. Thank you!
Hi Laurel,
There are a number of reasons why stock/broth can have a metallic taste.
Using bones in stock can cause this, but if yours was indeed a vegetable stock, then, of course, that wouldn’t be the case.
Did you add any vinegar to the broth/stock? This can also cause a metallic taste. Also, cooking raw onions in the water can cause this; sauteing them first helps eliminate the problem.
My only other guess would be the pot you are cooking the broth in. Stainless steel can vary in quality, and the lower quality ones can leach.
I hope this helps and that you figure out what the cause is.
Jennifer
No vinegar or bones, but yes to raw onions! This may explain why I’ve had the same issue with a few Crock-Pot recipes that included raw onions. Thank you!
Would one half lemon peel leave a bitter taste??? Was even thinking of throwing it in towards the end
I’m not sure, Daniel. I’ve never tried lemon peel before. My guess is that if you only use the yellow part and not the white part, it would be fine.
Let us know how it turns out.
I’m about to try my first stock. I do have some broccoli and cauliflower, so we’ll see. What about ginger perls?
Hi Sally,
I’ve never tried ginger peels. My thoughts are that it would be too strong, but you never know until you try. 🙂
Jennifer
Can you provide some insight as to why hot pepper (habanero) would not be recommended? I’m considering making a West African style bone broth with onion, ginger and hot pepper. Thanks!
Hi Taisa,
I don’t recommend hot pepper because the strong, spicy taste isn’t *usually* what is desired from a vegetable broth since it can easily overpower other flavors when the broth is added to the soup. However, if that is the flavor you’re aiming for, then I think it may be fine.
Cheers,
Jennifer
This is amazing. Had a bad experience with carrot tops making broth bitter.
Do you have a printable version of this? I would love to put it up on my fridge as a quick reference tool.
I don’t have a printable version, Jessyca; but that’s a great idea. I’ll put it on my to-do list.
Thanks!
Jennifer
Hello, can dried herbs be used?
Hi Ayla,
Yes, you can use dried herbs in small amounts. You can find more details on how to make stock/broth at my post here:
https://jenniferskitchen.com/2014/02/how-to-make-homemade-vegetable-stock-or-broth.html
Best,
Jennifer
Your reason for not eating mushrooms is INSANELY FUNNY.
Agreed… mushrooms are actually the “fruit” of mycelium, which are fungal organisms. These ate incredible, long used for good & medicine. Also, invaluable to the functioning of ecosystems. Hope you can research them more & grow to feel comfortable eating them… there is nothing “gross” associated with fungus 🙂