Put together this full-bodied mushroom stock or mushroom broth with simple pantry ingredients in under five minutes of hands-on time and be rewarded with some of the tastiest soups, stews and sauces ever. The base recipe for this broth is very simple but very, very flavorful, and you can add in more optional ingredients to make it even richer.
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Why make a mushroom stock?
There are many mushroom haters out there, especially kids, but mushrooms have so much to offer nutritionally. They are also packed with umami. A good, homemade mushroom stock or mushroom broth can give any vegan recipe a huge flavor boost, and add that elusive "meatiness" to a recipe that will satisfy just about any eater's tastebuds, vegan or not. Plus, your kids won't be turning up their noses at the dinner table.
Making a basic mushroom stock can be as easy as steeping a few dried mushrooms in boiling water and letting them stand for half an hour before draining and using the liquid portion. The mushroom stock recipe I have for you today requires just a little more work - no more than five minutes - and a few more pantry ingredients, nothing exotic. But this simple broth is packed with all the umami your tastebuds will desire. It's a wonderful ingredient to have on hand to amp up the appeal of soups, stews and sauces.
You can simmer this mushroom broth for as little as 30 minutes if you are rushed for time, or let it go longer, up to two hours, to fully extract the flavors of the ingredients. The recipe makes four cups but you can scale it up (use the servings slider in the recipe card below) and make a larger quantity to refrigerate or freeze for later.
 It was absolutely delicious and our house smelled wonderful. Thank you. We will definitely use this again. - Felicity
Recipe FAQs
You absolutely can. It'll taste good but a broth made with dried mushrooms will have more umami and a richer, deeper flavor. Use a cup of fresh, chopped cremini or chopped portobello mushrooms instead of the dried mushrooms.
Use all of these or just one or two or more for even more flavor in the broth:
½ red onion, ½ carrot, 2 tablespoons parsley (or stems of parsley), 1 stalk celery and two cloves garlic. Smash the garlic before adding to the pot.
Most vegetable scraps and trimmings can be added, including the tough stems of veggies like asparagus and kale, cauliflower leaves and stems, parsley and cilantro stems, apple peels and any tough green leaves of leeks.
Use this broth in any recipe instead of water or vegetable stock. These are my favorites to add it to:
Pasta e fagioli. This Italian bean and pasta soup is delicious and it gets an added boost of deep flavor from the mushroom broth.
Vegan Swedish meatballs. Mushroom stock makes the silky sauce that envelopes the meatballs even more alluring.
Italian wild rice soup. The broth gives this soup a strong flavor base. You won't be able to stop slurping!
Vegan cream of mushroom soup. There's nothing more delicious than this creamy vegan cream of mushroom soup and the mushroom broth adds even more umami.
Mushroom stew. This tastes like a dish you'd order at a French restaurant, but it's so easy, and the broth helps build all those complex layers.
Yes! Don't discard the mushrooms, use them in recipes like mushroom ragout and Tuscan white bean soup (ribollita).
The stock will keep in the fridge for up to four days. For longer storage freeze the stock in an airtight container. Or pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Pop the cubes into your favorite recipes.
Recipe card
Mushroom stock recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried mushrooms (I used shiitake but any type of mushrooms work for this, including porcini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms or a mix. Don't discard the mushrooms after making the stock. You can use them in other recipes.)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary (use 2 tablespoons if using fresh rosemary)
- 2 teaspoons dried sage (use 2 tablespoons if using fresh sage)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (use 1 tablespoon if using fresh thyme)
- 4 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients for the stock in a saucepan or saute pan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pan with a tight lid, lower heat to a simmer, and let the stock cook undisturbed for at least 30 minutes. You can even let it go longer if you have time, up to two hours.
- Turn off the heat, strain and use.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
petwisp says
I made this recipe with dry oyster mushrooms it is amazing how much flavor it has.
GA says
Doubled this recipe but used 1.5 times herbs and seasonings. It is rich and delicious! I also let it simmer for 2 hours which really concentrates the flavors. Next time I will add the garlic cloves. This will make a great addition to some of my soups.
Thank you for a great recipe!
Nina says
Hi. I tried your stock because I needed a vegan stock that could pass without using onions and garlic for someone's allergies. I made the stock exactly as listed, with the dried mushrooms and herbs, without any of the additions listed as optional. Since I had time, I went with the 2 hour optimal simmer time. It has a very heavy sage, thyme bitterness. How can I fix this? I have strained out everything. Should I now reboil it with a ton of carrots? What else can I use to quiet the bitterness.
Vaishali says
Hi, sage and thyme should not cause bitterness. If you think that was the reason though just use less the next time. And you can always dilute this batch with water.
Theresa Preston says
I used two cups of mushroom stems and just 3 mushrooms sliced up. I added 4 garlic cloves, and 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce for the umami flavor.
Vaishali says
Sounds delicious!
Barb Dreger says
Easy recipe for rich broth!
Vaishali says
Yay!!
M says
Can fresh mushrooms be used instead of dried?
Vaishali says
Yes, absolutely! Use two cups of fresh mushrooms and slice or quarter them before adding. Meatier mushrooms like portobello will give more flavor than white button mushrooms.
Felicity Steele says
We needed mushroom broth in a hurry for a new recipe. Did a search. This was first one I found. Didn’t even wonder how it was rated. It sounded delicious and I had all the ingredients. It was ready in less than 45 minutes from when I clicked on the link. It was absolutely delicious and our house smelled wonderful. Thank you. We will definitely use this again.
Vaishali says
Awesome, so happy you loved the stock!