Recently, I found myself in the soup grocery aisle, staring at boxes of chicken stock priced at $4 buck or more wondering why on earth it was that expensive. Making your own beef broth/chicken stock/bone broth at home is super easy. It’s one of the most economical cooking habits you can develop. And the quality between homemade and store-bought is incredible.
Here’s the truth about store bought broth and stocks. They’re expensive often loaded with sodium. They also don’t have the same rich flavor as their homemade counterpart. A single box might cost you $3 to $5 however, when you make a batch at home it cost you almost nothing. Suddenly that bowl of soup is not only delicious but extends your budget.
When you make something at home, you also know exactly what goes into it. There’s no mystery ingredients no preservatives just vegetables, water bones, and the time it takes for it to simmer to perfection. Once you have homemade stock in your freezer, making soup is easy-peazy.
You can also use beef broth for days when maybe you have an upset stomach, and just want something soothing to sip on. (I love using chicken stock for a minestrone or tortellini soup.) Talk about stretching your grocery budget! Making your own stock at home is one of the easiest things you can do to save a few bucks. Before you toss those bones or scraps consider this you can freeze it for later and make stock when you have time.
Bone Broth/ Chicken stock/ Beef Broth
Difficulty: Easy4
quarts15
minutes7
hours40
minutesStock, broth, and bone broth are all the same thing, but in a different way. Typically, bone broth is made with beef bones. Chicken stock is made with chicken bones. Regardless, whether you're using chicken bones or beef bones, you're doing the same process. Add onion, carrots, and celery (and really, I eyeball it - I'm not precise). Add your bones and then fill your pot with filtered water. Yes, it will taste way better if the water is filtered. I like to use my Instant Pot because I don't have to have my stove on all day. There's no babysitting, I just start it and check back when I'm ready to strain the mixture.
Ingredients
1 onion
2-3 carrots
2 pieces of celery
Bones (either beef bones or chicken bones)
Directions
- Add all of the ingredients to the Instant Pot and set to pressure cook for 40 minutes.
- After it's done pressure cooking, let it cook on low all afternoon. (I usually let it go 12 to 15 hours.)
- Once it's done, use a strainer and a canning funnel to put it in jars or use souper cubes to freeze it.
Not a meat eater? No problem. Vegetable broth is just as easy to make. I think it’s probably a bit easier to make because there are fewer ingredients. Simply take any veggie scraps from your cooking during the week and pile them into a large stock pot. I also use my Instant Pot to make stock, but it’s not required.
Once you have all your veggie scraps, add filtered water. Bring up to a boil and then to a simmer for several hours. Feel free to taste test the stock as it’s cooking but the general rule is that the longer it cooks the more flavorful it will be.
Vegetable Broth
Difficulty: Easy4
quarts15
minutes7
hours40
minutesVeggie stock is even EASIER than bone broth or chicken stock. I like to take any veggie scraps that I accumulate and put them in my freezer. That way I have veggies all ready to go when I'm ready to make my broth.
Ingredients
1 onion
2-3 carrots
2 pieces of celery
Directions
- Add all of the ingredients to the Instant Pot and set to pressure cook for 40 minutes.
- After it's done pressure cooking, let it cook on low all afternoon. (I usually let it go 12 to 15 hours.)
- Once it's done, use a strainer and a canning funnel to put it in jars or use souper cubes to freeze it.
A good stock is the heart of any soup. Weather you choose the veg stock or a meat stock, it’s easy to make and can save you a few bucks. Happy Souping!
