Simple Mushroom Stock

Name: Simple Mushroom Stock
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4 lt
Ingredients: 10 cups cremini mushrooms, cleaned; 4 to 6 cloves fresh garlic; 1 to 2 onions; 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped (optional); 2 tsp black peppercorns; 2 bay leaves; 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme; sea salt, to taste

4.0 out of 5 · 1 rating

Active time: 15 min

Total time: 90 min

Serves: 4 lt

Mushrooms, onions, and garlic are the main ingredients in this simple, yet highly flavourful and earthy mushroom stock. We make this regularly to either use a flavourful liquid and/or we drink it instead of coffee.

Steps

Making the Stock

Ingredients

10 cups cremini mushrooms, cleaned
4 to 6 cloves fresh garlic
1 to 2 onions
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped (optional)
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
sea salt, to taste

NOTE: This recipe doesn't actually need a recipe. You are essentially making a flavourful mushroom tea. The amount of mushrooms you use really doesn't matter. If you only had 2 cups of mushrooms, you could make this recipe, it just depends on how much you want to make. As for the garlic and onions, these play a supporting role to the mushrooms, so they should be scaled down or up, depending on how many mushrooms you use. The tomatoes simply add a bit more depth and flavor; however, the stock is perfectly delicious without them as well. This is a great recipe to experiment with to see what you like. If you really like the earthiness of wild mushrooms, add some of those to the stock as well. If you are wanting to add a bit of an Asian flavor profile, add a bit of fresh ginger as well. For the seasoning, this stock is meant to be quite neutral, but feel free to season it as you wish. Add salt and/or black peppercorns as desired. To make the stock, add all of the ingredients to a stockpot and cover with 1 1/2 times the amount of water to mushrooms. Basically, you want to fully cover the mushrooms, plus a bit more. The amount of water is not really exact — the less water that is added, the stronger the stock will be in the end. Bring the stock to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat and let simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Taste the stock from time to time, once you have reached the desired flavor and the mushrooms have released all of their flavor, the stock is ready. Lastly, strain the stock and taste for seasoning.

Serving & Using the Stock

This stock will keep for several days in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen. Use this stock to cook things like soups or grains or simple pour it into a mug and drink it throughout the day. It makes for a healthy and satisfying alternative to coffee. Note: What to do with the leftover vegetables? We do a second boil. By this I mean, we strain the stock and then do the whole process over again. The second stock won't be as strong, but it's great for cooking with. It can even be reduced, to concentrate the flavor — sometimes the second boil, once reduced, is so flavourful that we drink that too :-)

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11 Comments

Violet S • January 23, 2019 at 05:58AM

Added zucchini, bok choy, carrots, celery and fresh ginger to the recipe- fully intending on a 2nd boil for my soup -Both of which turned out Amazing! Going to freeze in one cup cubes for ease of use. If I don't drink it all as yummy hot beverage on this streak of rainy days we're having, first.... Violet

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Deann H • Rouxbe Staff • January 24, 2019 at 12:38AM

Sounds delicious, Violet! Thanks for sharing.

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Michael F • April 24, 2019 at 03:37AM

One of my Rouxbe faves, great way to use up leftover veg and if I don’t use up the stock in recipes, I just drink it down - something I’d never do with the stuff in cartons.

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Amanda D • February 13, 2020 at 11:28PM

@Michael F.: In the South, we call the liquid that's left from cooking vegetables—especially greens—"pot liquor," and we drink it separately as an elixir. We have a tendency to cook vegetables as far down as we can manage, so the remaining liquid is too strong to sip as a tea, but strong enough to do shooters from the refrigerator. Basically, it was our Airborne before Airborne was a thing. ;)

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Vanessa R • September 4, 2020 at 05:51PM

What other mushroom are good for this stock? I can not get Cremini.

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Char N • Rouxbe Staff • September 8, 2020 at 09:14PM

Hello Vanessa: Cremini mushrooms are also called "Baby Bellas," for a juvenile portobello mushrooms. If you cannot find the "Baby Bellas," I will often use portobellos, and just slice them to use in the process. The Cremini will add a rich color to your stock, and have a nice intense flavor to them. Hope this helps. I have also found that different produce departments will label them differently. Thanks for writing. -Char

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Tria W • September 18, 2020 at 08:12AM

This stock is absolutely fantastic! I made it in preparation for the Mushroom Braised Tempeh recipe (https://rouxbe.com/recipes/5516-mushroom-tarragon-braised-tempeh). I can't wait to use it to make a mushroom flavored soup :)

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Char N • Rouxbe Staff • September 19, 2020 at 02:46AM

Ryan-thanks for writing. This stock is a real winner. The cremini (aka "Baby Bellas") pack a flavorful punch. You are really going to enjoy the tempeh recipe. Circle back and give us an update. Best, Char

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Vanessa R • February 23, 2021 at 03:41AM

We actually ended up using Brown Beech mushrooms from the Asian store. However, the resulting stock was fantastic. Recently made it with both Brown Beech and Shitake. Changed up the flavor but deep and wonderful. Made it into a sauce for potatoes.

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Rilla T • January 24, 2023 at 03:54AM

Does it make a difference if the pot boils covered or uncovered?

Reply
Chris R • Rouxbe Staff • January 30, 2023 at 04:47PM

Hi Rilla, Not necessarily. If you keep the pot covered it is more likely to boil over and make a mess. I encourage you to leave it uncovered when the stock is ready so that it can begin to cool prior to storing.

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