1 Cup Vegetable Stock in Grams
1 cup of vegetable stock weighs 240 g (poured, USDA). Savoury liquid made by simmering vegetables and herbs. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the USDA value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
Vegetable stock is a savoury liquid made by simmering vegetables and herbs, and a cup of it weighs 240 g, poured, a little more than water because of the dissolved solids from the vegetables and the salt. It is the liquid of soups, risottos, sauces and braises, where it adds flavour that water cannot, and it is the default cooking liquid for vegetarian and vegan dishes. Homemade stock and carton stock weigh about the same per cup, though homemade stock is often richer and saltier, and the weight applies to either. Stock and broth are often used interchangeably in recipes, and for the purposes of a scale, they are close enough to be the same.
Why weighing vegetable stock beats measuring it in cups
Liquids are the most forgiving ingredients to measure in cups, because a cup of water weighs 237 g and most water-based liquids are within a few grams of that. But they are not all the same: a cup of orange juice weighs 248 g, a cup of coconut milk 240 g, and a cup of soy sauce 255 g, so the differences add up in large batches. Liquids also change with temperature, because warm liquids expand slightly, and with dissolved solids, because sugar, salt and pulp all add weight. In baking, liquid is half of the hydration ratio, and getting it right is what makes dough workable and batters pourable. Weighing liquids is the fastest way to measure them: put the bowl on the scale, tare it, and pour to the number, with no jug to wash and no meniscus to read.
Vegetable Stock cups to grams conversion table
| Cups | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 60 g | 4 |
| 1/3 cup | 80 g | 5.3 |
| 1/2 cup | 120 g | 8 |
| 2/3 cup | 160 g | 10.7 |
| 3/4 cup | 180 g | 12 |
| 1 cup | 240 g | 16 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 360 g | 24 |
| 2 cups | 480 g | 32 |
| 3 cups | 720 g | 48 |
| 4 cups | 960 g | 64 |
One tablespoon of vegetable stock weighs about 15 g, and a cup is 16 tablespoons, so the tablespoon column is simply the cup weight divided by 16. For small amounts, a scale that reads to the gram is far more reliable than a spoon, because a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one. All the values in this table are approximate, and they assume the ingredient is measured poured, exactly as the source measured it.
How the weight was measured
The figure on this page comes from USDA, measured poured unless the method line says otherwise. Spooning means filling the cup with a spoon rather than plunging the cup into the bag, and levelling means sweeping a knife across the rim. Scooping packs the ingredient down and can add a fifth or more to the weight, which is why two bakers following the same cup-based recipe can get visibly different results. Confidence in this value is medium. That reflects how consistent the ingredient is from brand to brand: a uniform, factory-packed ingredient is more predictable than a fresh, variable one. Even a high-confidence figure is still an approximation, because moisture, grind size and settling all shift the weight a little. Treat the grams on this page as a reliable starting point and check with a scale when the recipe is fussy, expensive, or being made for the first time.
Worked examples
A risotto that needs 3 cups
A risotto that calls for 3 cups of vegetable stock needs 720 g, kept warm in a separate pot and added a ladleful at a time. The stock is the liquid that cooks the rice, and its flavour becomes the flavour of the finished dish, so a good stock makes a good risotto and a poor stock makes a poor one. Keep the stock warm, because cold stock shocks the rice and slows the cooking, and add it gradually, stirring constantly, until the rice is creamy and tender.
A soup for a cold evening
A soup that uses 2 cups of vegetable stock needs 480 g, added to sauteed vegetables and simmered until everything is tender. The stock is the base of the soup, and it should be tasted before the soup is seasoned, because carton stocks vary in saltiness and a salty stock needs no extra salt. Weigh the stock if the recipe is precise, but for a soup a generous pour is close enough, and the vegetables matter more than the exact weight.
Braising vegetables
A braise that calls for 1 cup of vegetable stock needs 240 g, poured over vegetables in a heavy pot with a tight lid and cooked slowly in the oven. The stock steams the vegetables and then reduces into a sauce, so the amount matters: too much and the vegetables boil rather than braise, too little and they dry out. Weigh 240 g, pour it in, and check the pot halfway through, adding a splash more if the liquid has evaporated.
When this conversion matters most
This conversion matters most in baking and in large-batch cooking, where liquid is a large share of the recipe and small errors scale up. In bread, a 20 g error in water changes the hydration by several percentage points, which is the difference between a dough that holds its shape and one that spreads. It matters less in a single drink or a dressing, where taste is the guide and you can adjust. It matters again when a recipe is written in grams and you are converting it to cups: knowing that a cup of the liquid is not always 237 g stops you from adding too much of a denser liquid. And it matters for scaling: doubling a liquid by weight is exact, while doubling by volume doubles the reading error.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is reading the jug from above while holding it in the air, which distorts the level by a tablespoon or more. Always set the jug on a flat surface and crouch to eye level. The second is measuring a hot liquid in a plastic jug, which can flex and throw the level off, and measuring a cold liquid straight from the fridge in a recipe that expects room temperature. The third is forgetting to stir liquids that separate, such as coconut milk, stock with sediment, or juice with pulp, so the first pour is thin and the last pour is thick. And the fourth is measuring sticky or pulpy liquids in a dry cup, where a film clings to the sides and never makes it into the bowl.
What to do if you do not have a scale
If you do not have a scale, use a liquid measuring jug with clear markings, set it on a flat counter, and read the level at eye level using the bottom of the meniscus. Pour slowly as you approach the line, because it is easy to overshoot and hard to pour back cleanly. For small amounts, use measuring spoons rather than guessing a fraction of a cup. Liquids are the one category where cups work reasonably well, because density varies little, but weighing is still faster and cleaner, and it lets you measure straight into the mixing bowl.
Storing vegetable stock
Refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze up to 3 months. Keeping vegetable stock properly stored matters for the conversion as well as for the flavour: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture from the air weighs more per cup than a dry one, and one that has dried out weighs less. Store it in an airtight container, away from heat and light, and measure it in the state the recipe expects, not straight from a damp or stale bag.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between vegetable stock and vegetable broth?
In practice, very little. Stock is traditionally made by simmering vegetables and herbs for a long time, often with no salt, while broth is usually seasoned and made more quickly, but the terms are used interchangeably on cartons and in recipes. A cup of either weighs about 240 g, and they can be swapped freely in cooking. Taste the liquid before you season the dish, because carton broth is often saltier than carton stock.
Is homemade stock the same weight as carton stock?
Yes, for practical purposes. A cup of either weighs about 240 g, because both are mostly water with a small amount of dissolved solids. Homemade stock may be slightly richer and slightly heavier if it has been reduced for a long time, but the difference is only a few grams per cup, far too small to matter in a recipe. What differs is the flavour and the saltiness, so taste homemade stock and adjust the seasoning of the dish accordingly.
Can I use cups instead of a scale for vegetable stock?
Yes, but a scale is more accurate. If you measure vegetable stock poured, exactly as the figure on this page was measured, a cup will be close to 240 g, within a few grams. The problem is that most people scoop rather than spoon, which can add 15 to 25 percent to the weight, and that error is enough to change a bake. For everyday cooking, cups are fine. For baking, where the ratio of ingredients decides the result, weigh it and check the number on the scale.
How many tablespoons are in a cup of vegetable stock?
There are 16 tablespoons in a US cup, so a cup of vegetable stock is 16 tablespoons, and one tablespoon weighs about 15 g. A teaspoon weighs about 5 g. Tablespoons are useful when a recipe calls for a small amount, but they carry the same packing problem as cups: a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one, so level every spoon with the back of a knife, and use a scale for small amounts when accuracy matters.
Does the weight change if I pack or sift vegetable stock?
Packing does not apply to vegetable stock, because it is poured rather than spooned. The weight is consistent as long as the liquid is measured at eye level in a jug and the ingredient is stirred first if it separates. Temperature makes a small difference, because warm liquids expand slightly, but for ordinary kitchen use the poured weight is stable, and a cup of vegetable stock weighs about 240 g whether it is cool or at room temperature.