Mushroom Broth

Made with fresh and dried mushrooms, this easy mushroom broth is rich and savory. Use it in risottos, soups, sauces, and more for a kick of umami flavor!

Simmering mushroom broth in pot with wooden spoon

Break out your stock pot! This mushroom broth recipe is too good to miss. Made with a mix of fresh and dried mushrooms, it tastes unlike any other vegetable broth that you might make or buy at the store. It’s rich, earthy, and umami. Add it to risottos, soups, sauces, and more for delicious depth of flavor!

I like to think of this mushroom broth as my winter vegetable broth, because it lends itself so well to the rich, savory dishes that I crave at this time of year. It freezes perfectly, so I often keep a stash on hand to punch up the flavor in whatever I’m cooking.

Mushroom broth recipe ingredients

Mushroom Broth Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this mushroom broth recipe:

  • Fresh and dried shiitake mushrooms – To make a great mushroom stock, dried mushrooms are key. They create a really rich, concentrated flavor that you couldn’t achieve with fresh mushrooms alone. I also toss some fresh shiitake stems into my mushroom broth. Save the caps for another use!
  • Cremini mushrooms – Because fresh cremini (aka baby bella) mushrooms are more affordable than shiitakes, I use both the stems and caps in my stock. Before simmering the stock, I sauté them to concentrate their flavor. Can’t find creminis? Use white button mushrooms instead.
  • Yellow onions – I use the onions themselves AND the skins to pack this broth with umami.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil – For sautéing the onions and fresh mushrooms.
  • Garlic – A whole head! It adds savory flavor.
  • Ginger – It gives the stock a refreshing kick.
  • Tamari – Instead of seasoning this broth with salt, I use tamari (soy sauce would work too). It adds necessary saltiness as well as rich, savory flavor. If you need this stock to be gluten-free, be sure to use certified gluten-free tamari.
  • Black peppercorns – A stock essential!
  • Kombu – This dried seaweed is a common ingredient in dashi, or Japanese soup stock. It underscores the umami flavors in this recipe.

Plus water, because we’re making broth, after all!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Sauteed onions and mushrooms in stock pot with wooden spoon

How to Make Mushroom Stock

This mushroom stock recipe has three main steps:

  1. Sauté the onions, shiitake stems, and cremini mushrooms in a large pot until the onions are soft and browned, about 10 minutes.
  2. Simmer the stock. Add the water, onion skins, garlic, ginger, dried mushrooms, tamari, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and add the kombu. Cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour.
  3. Strain. Allow the mushroom broth to cool slightly. Then, pour it through a fine mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Discard the solids, and season the stock to taste!

That’s it!

Jar of mushroom stock next to shiitake mushrooms

How to Use Mushroom Broth

This mushroom broth is versatile! Use it in any recipe that calls for vegetable broth, knowing that it will lend a darker color and richer, more savory flavor. I especially love it in these dishes:

  • Vegan ramen. It’s the BEST way to showcase this flavorful broth!
  • Mushroom risotto. It infuses the rice with extra-mushroom-y flavor.
  • Cream of mushroom soup. Celery, leeks, and fresh thyme add amazing flavor to this creamy vegetable soup. Using this mushroom broth ups the flavor even more!
  • French onion soup. Traditional French onion soup is made with beef broth. The rich, umami taste of this mushroom broth makes it a fantastic sub!
  • Mushroom gravy. No one will guess that this delicious gravy is vegan!

This mushroom broth recipe makes a generous batch, about 2 quarts (8 cups). Leftovers will keep in an airtight jar for up to a week. They also freeze well for up to 3 months. Enjoy!

Mushroom broth

More Favorite Mushroom Recipes

If you love this mushroom broth, try one of these mushroom recipes next:

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Mushroom Broth

rate this recipe:
4.93 from 14 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves 4
Fresh and dried mushrooms fill this easy mushroom broth with rich, umami flavor. Use it in my vegan ramen recipe, or in risottos, soups, and sauces.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium yellow onions
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Stems from 1 pound shiitake mushrooms
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
  • 1- inch piece fresh ginger, halved
  • ½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 3 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 3- inch piece kombu

Instructions

  • Wash and dry the onions, then remove the onion skins and set them aside. Thinly slice the onions.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, shiitake stems, and cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and browned.
  • Add the water, onion skins, garlic bulb, ginger, dried mushrooms, tamari, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and add the kombu. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Strain and season to taste.

26 comments

4.93 from 14 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Michelle
    06.22.2024

    5 stars
    This recipe is perfect and works great as a ramen broth!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.26.2024

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  2. Kelly
    05.19.2024

    5 stars
    I made this tonight to go with the vegan ramen recipe and it was delicious! I didn’t use all the broth and I’m considering using the remainder in a mushroom and wild rice soup.

  3. Sara
    05.04.2024

    What is a three inch piece of kombu? I bought some, it is in sheets, is that 3 inches by 3 inches square?
    Thank you

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.10.2024

      Hi Sara, we typically buy dried kombu that comes in sticks, which is why we call for a 3-inch piece. A roughly 3×2-inch or 3×1-inch piece of the sheets will work here!

  4. Kelly
    02.21.2024

    5 stars
    Made this on a whim for Mushroom Jook because i had the ingredients and didn’t want to grocery shop (hate it)for store-bought.
    The only thing I changed was that I put the onion and garlic in an aromatics bag (tied up cheesecloth) because I realized I needed the mushrooms. Turned out awesome. I canned the extra and will use it for Udon and other recipes!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.21.2024

      Hi Kelly, I’m so glad you loved it!

  5. Paloma
    01.31.2024

    5 stars
    I strained the stuff used to make the broth, added water, thyme, sage and blended for a delicious gnocchi sauce

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.02.2024

      Great idea, Paloma! Thanks for sharing.

  6. Peter
    01.27.2024

    You don’t add the fresh shiitake caps to the stock?

  7. sara
    09.26.2023

    hi! do your online recipes say which hard copy cookbook they are in? if so, where? thanks so much!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.27.2023

      Hi Sara, the recipes in the cookbook aren’t on the blog and vice versa – they’re all totally different!

  8. Sissy
    09.17.2023

    Discarding the solids is so wasteful. Instead, maybe add them to a spaghetti sauce or something. Maybe blend them up and add to sauce or soup.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.20.2023

      Hi Sissy, you could totally do that.

    • John Rhoe
      02.27.2024

      4 stars
      The strained solid have onion skins in with them and you don’t want to eat that!

  9. Karen Lipsey
    03.14.2023

    If I am freezing some of this mushroom broth to use in the vegetable ramen recipe, could I add the mirin, rice vinegar and miso before I freeze it or should I wait until I defrost and am making the ramen?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.15.2023

      Hi Karen, it’ll freeze fine either way, I’d just do whichever is more convenient for you.

      • Paul
        04.23.2023

        5 stars
        I just made this and am waiting for the broth to cool before transferring to jars.
        I can’t describe the amazing mushroomy fragrance wafting through the house.
        Absolutely stunning!

        • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
          04.27.2023

          I love this! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.

  10. Karen Lipsey
    03.12.2023

    Can you use other dried mushrooms instead of shitake, if you are using the fresh shitake and cremini? I have a mix of dried wild lobster, porcini, morels, and black trumpet. Wld this work or will the flavors be too strong/off?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.12.2023

      Hi Karen, I think another mix of dried mushrooms, in the same quantity, will be wonderful.

  11. Christina
    02.27.2023

    That top picture of all those mushrooms is incredible! The taste of this much be so umami-licious. Thank you for the inspiration.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.27.2023

      thanks christine!

  12. Amanda
    02.23.2023

    This sounds so good! Do you repurpose the mushrooms after you’ve made the broth? If so, how?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.23.2023

      Hi Amanda, I don’t have a specific recipe suggestion for this, but you could add them to a soup, a frittata, an omelet, noodles, or a simple veggie pasta.

      • Amanda
        02.23.2023

        Great, thank you so much!

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.