Baby Vegetable Stock (Veggie Broth for Babies Recipe)

Can babies have vegetable broth? Yes, you can use baby vegetable stock as part of baby led weaning. I’ll teach you how to make vegetable stock for babies and kids. Learn about the best vegetable stock, and when it is safe to introduce it into your baby’s diet. You’ll love this easy and healthy vegetable stock recipe for the whole family.

When can babies have vegetable stock? You can try this vegetable broth for baby when you start introducing solids and finger foods. This will typically be at about age 6 months.

Veggie broth is not a replacement for breast milk or infant formula. It should also not displace solid foods in your baby’s diet. This vegetable stock for baby recipe is low calorie, and overconsumption in babies, toddlers, and kids could lead to slowed growth.

As I talked about in my baby bone broth recipe for chicken stock, making homemade baby food is easy. Plus, unlike with veggie broth from the store, you can keep the ingredients simple.

Though this recipe is a low salt vegetable stock for baby, everyone in the family can enjoy it. It’s naturally fat free, low carb, keto, Paleo, vegan, gluten free, and vegetarian. You can easily add more seasonings to flavor things up for the older members of the family.

Jump to:

• ❓ What is the difference between veggie stock and veggie broth?
• ⭐ Vegetable Stock Benefits for Babies
• 🥘 Best First Vegetables for Baby (Baby Vegetables List)
• 🔪 How to Make Vegetable Broth for Baby
• ⏲️ Vegetable Stock for Baby Cooking Time and Temperature
• 🌡️ How to Store Vegetable Broth
• 🥣 Vegetable Soup for Babies
• 📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
• 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
• FAQs
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Recipes Using Vegetable Stock
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

❓ What is the difference between veggie stock and veggie broth?

Many people use the terms “stock” and “broth” interchangeably, and that is also what I am going to do here. Technically, stock is made from mostly bones, while broth is typically made from vegetables and meat simmered in water. However, vegetable stock and broth are pretty much one and the same, since no bones tend to be involved at all.

⭐ Vegetable Stock Benefits for Babies

Why make baby vegetable stock? Here are the advantages of this recipe:

• Unsalted veggie broth: Most store-bought vegetable broth is loaded with salt, and not appropriate for babies. This homemade veggie stock has no salt and no additives that you may not want in there. This recipe also makes a great soup base if you’re on a low sodium diet.
• Save money: Making veggie broth is a great way to use veggie trimmings or vegetables that are a bit limp. If you’re looking to stretch your grocery budget, making your own baby food may help.
• Introduce baby to new flavors: The medley of veggies used in your stock can help introduce your baby to new flavors.
• Hydrating: Though veggie broth does provide small amounts of vitamins and minerals, its main advantage is that it’s hydrating. You can think of veggie broth as an alternative to water in babies’ diet.
• Hands off: Are you a busy parent? No worries, this recipe is almost completely hands off. Just chop the veggies, add water, and heat on the stove, crock pot, or Instant Pot. So easy!
• Tasty: Leftover vegetable stock is a wonderful flavor base for a variety of dishes. Use it to cook rice and other grains, braise veggies, or anywhere else you’d like to add another layer of flavor. It will make your dishes more delicious compared to cooking in plain water.

🥘 Best First Vegetables for Baby (Baby Vegetables List)

You want to keep the list of veggies in baby vegetable stock simple. If it’s baby’s first time trying these veggies, keeping the ingredients list simple can help you pinpoint any food intolerances faster. Here is your shopping list:

• 2 Onions
• 3 Carrots
• 3 Celery ribs
• ¼ cup Parsley
• 8 cups Water

Leeks and bell peppers are some other great options. You don’t have to use organic vegetables in baby broth. They’re nice if you can afford them, but not a must-have for a healthy diet.

It’s fine to use veggies with some wilting or bruising in this recipe. However, make sure you don’t use moldy veggies, as they could make baby sick.

As baby is introduced to more foods, you can add additional herbs, spices, and vegetables to this recipe. If you’ll be using this recipe for the whole family, add salt to the broth AFTER baby’s portion is removed.

I don’t recommend using starchy veggies, such as sweet potatoes, to make clear vegetable broth. I also don’t recommend using strong-tasting cruciferous veggies like cabbage and broccoli.

(One time I made the mistake of making a cabbage broth and it made the house smell horrible. You have been warned. Haha)

🍽 Equipment

Here is the kitchen equipment you need to make baby veggie stock:

• Knife
• Vegetable Peeler
• Crock pot, Instant Pot, OR Large Pot (for stovetop cooking)
• Cheesecloth
• Colander

I have an oval slow cooker with a 7-quart capacity and a 6-quart Crock-Pot Express programmable multi-cooker. If your crockpot has a smaller capacity, you may need to make a smaller batch of vegetable stock.

Cheesecloth is helpful to strain all the small bits out of the stock. I use Olicity Cheesecloth, which can be washed and reused without falling apart. I haven’t needed to replace my cheesecloth in years!

🔪 How to Make Vegetable Broth for Baby

Peel the onions and chop them into eighths. Peel the carrots, quarter them, and chop into thirds. Halve the celery stalks lengthwise and chop them into thirds.

Put the onions, carrots, celery, parsley, and water in a pot, crock pot, or Instant Pot. Time to cook!

⏲️ Vegetable Stock for Baby Cooking Time and Temperature

How long do you cook vegetable stock for babies? Simmer baby vegetable broth for 60-90 minutes on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Keep the pot partially covered, adjusting the temp as needed to keep it simmering.

To slow cook veggie broth, cook on high for 4 hours, or use the low setting for 8 hours. You can use a regular crock pot or the slow cooker function on an Instant Pot.

The great thing about making your own veg stock is that you can tailor it exactly as you want it.

Control the strength of flavor with the cooking time and amount of water used. If you feel the veggie broth is a bit bitter, shift the veggies you use and shorten the cooking time. For stronger broth, add less water and cook longer.

To strain the broth, put a colander over a large bowl. Line the colander with a double layer of cheesecloth. Strain the baby veg broth so it collects in the bowl. The veggies can be discarded (or eat them!) and the broth can be stored in the fridge.

🌡️ How to Store Vegetable Broth

Leftover veggie broth can be kept in glass mason jars or lidded food storage containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze veggie broth in ice cube trays or cocktail cube trays. Store the cubes of broth in freezer bags for longer-term freezer storage.

🥣 Vegetable Soup for Babies

To make this a baby vegetable soup recipe, all you have to do is puree it after cooking. Use a food processor to blend the broth and cooked veggies into a smooth puree. Add seasoning for older members of the family.

📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein

One cup of veggie stock has 25 calories, 5 grams net carbs, and 0.5 grams protein. Nutrition information is for one adult serving of unsalted vegetable stock per Cronometer. Nutrition information listed is an estimate that can vary depending on a variety of factors.

💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian

This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Vegetable stock should not be baby’s first food. It is very low in iron and calories, not an energy-dense food that supports healthy growth.

That said, veggie broth has merits in its hydrating abilities. Homemade veggie stock can also be a good way to introduce baby to the flavors of some new veggies. Just remember that it is never to be used as a nutritional replacement for baby formula or breastmilk.

For older members of the family, veggie broth can help boost the fluid volume of meals for very few calories. It's great in soups, stews, casseroles, and sauces. Make vegetable broth your secret ingredient when you want to add some extra flavor to dishes.

FAQs

At what age can I give my baby vegetable stock?

Babies can have a taste of homemade no salt vegetable stock when they start solid baby food. This is typically at age 6 months. Baby vegetable stock is not a replacement for breastmilk, baby formula, or solid food in the diet.

Does vegetable broth expire?

According to FoodSafety.gov, homemade broth will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, or 2-3 months in the freezer. Store bought broth in shelf-stable packaging can be kept unopened in the pantry until the use-by date. Opened packages of broth can be kept for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Are there any healthy vegetable stock cubes for babies?

There are no baby stock cubes or baby Oxo cubes currently available. Even low sodium vegetable stock cubes are quite high in salt. For example, the first ingredient in these low sodium veggie bouillon cubes is salt. Knorr sells zero salt veggie stock cubes in the UK, but these are highly processed, and I don’t recommend them for babies.

Best vegetable stock to buy?

The best vegetable broth for babies is simple, with no added salt and no added sugar. Ideally, the ingredients are just vegetables and water. Here’s a no salt added vegetable broth that may be appropriate for older babies and toddlers.

Can you cook baby food with stock?

Yes, you can make purees and other foods for babies and toddlers with stock. Make sure the stock you use is a no salt homemade version, not a super salty stock from the store.

👩🏻‍🍳 Recipes Using Vegetable Stock

Have extra baby veg stock? Here are some ways for older members of the family to enjoy it:

• Soup in Air Fryer
• Wildflower Bread Chopped Salad
• Baked Protein Oatmeal

📖 Recipe

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