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!

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

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.

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!

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. Recipe coming soon! 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!

More Favorite Mushroom Recipes

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

Mushroom Broth

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Serves 4

Fresh and dried mushrooms fill this easy mushroom broth with rich, umami flavor. Use it in my vegan ramen recipe (coming soon!), or in risottos, soups, and sauces.

• 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

• 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.