Vegetable Stock
From heatherbudapest 16 years ago
- 90 minutes to make
- Serves 1
When I learned to make stock from a recipe in the Fields of Greens cookbook by Annie Somerville, it absolutely changed my soups and my kitchen ethos forever. I now make infinite variations, but almost always start soups with my own homemade stocks. Read more There is nothing like homemade soup made completely from scratch with nothing but the freshest ingredients. And it's a great way to reduce kitchen waste by tossing vegetable (and meat) scraps into a pot with water. This is my own version, based loosely off the Fields of Greens recipe. I personally make it almost always with chicken as well as the vegetables. See less
Ingredients
- Keep in mind that you can really vary the ingredients. The only thing to be cautious about is avoiding certain types of vegetables that tend to produce bitter-tasting stock. shopping list
- The basics: shopping list
- 1 or more onions, quartered. (Don't bother taking off the skin.) I think yellow onions are nicest for stock, and it's best to have at least one yellow, but you can also use a combination including white and red. I use up to about 5 onions. shopping list
- 2-10 carrots, including their tops (but not the carrot greens), chopped into a few pieces. shopping list
- 1 or more leeks (nice but not required), chopped and washed shopping list
- 2-5 garlic cloves, in their skin, crushed with the side of a knife blade shopping list
- 2-6 celery ribs, coarsely chopped shopping list
- 6 parsley sprigs shopping list
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme (or dry, if you don't have fresh) shopping list
- 3 fresh sage leaves (or some dry, if you haven't got fresh) shopping list
- 2 fresh marjoram or oregano sprigs shopping list
- 2 bay leaves shopping list
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns shopping list
- sea salt to taste shopping list
- cold, filtered water shopping list
- Other optional additions: shopping list
- 1 large potato, sliced shopping list
- 1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced shopping list
- 2 or more beets (give excellent flavor and color to a vegetarian stock in recipes like French onion soup that often call for beef broth) shopping list
- optional meat-eaters' variation: chicken carcass and other parts (I buy rotisserie chicken, use the meat, and then make stocks from the bones and carcass) shopping list
- Avoid adding the following vegetables to stocks, as they tend to make them bitter: shopping list
- broccoli, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables shopping list
- zucchini and other squash shopping list
How to make it
- Put all herbs and vegetables (and chicken, if used) into a very large stock pot. Cover with water.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour. Taste occasionally as it's cooking; you can add salt or additional herbs if you wish.
- Let cool a bit, then strain the stock into a very large bowl.
- OPTIONAL: If you have a reason to wish for extra-strong stock for a sauce or other recipe, you can pour some or all of the resulting stock into a saucepan, heat over medium-high heat, and evaporate water out of the solution until it reaches your desired strength.
- STORAGE: Siphon into jars or other storage containers (large quart-size yogurt containers work well, once the stock has cooled) if you won't be using the stock immediately for a soup or other recipe. Stock keeps very well in the freezer, making delicious homemade soups easy and very fast to make.
- Tip #1: Stock can be frozen in an ice-cube tray to keep small amounts available for sauces or other recipes requiring a small amount of stock. You may wish to reduce the stock first before doing so. (You can then use this instead of boullion cubes.)
- Tip #2: It is possible to make a thin bisque soup by pureeing vegetables you strain out of the stock. It is not very flavorful, but can be nice if you're on a special cleansing diet or fast. I generally put the leftover vegetables in my compost heap rather than cooking with them.
- Tip #3: Once you begin making stocks, you can vary the ingredients according to what you'll be using them for. For instance, in some recipes, a very oniony stock is excellent. As mentioned above, a beet-heavy stock is delicious in vegetarian versions of French onion soup. Be creative and explore the possibilities.
People Who Like This Dish 4
- bertieb Makati, PH
- pats1013 NJ
- njspanteach Green Brook, NJ
- heatherbudapest By The Lakeside, MI
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The Rating
Reviewed by 1 people-
An excellent & sensible vegetable stock recipe.
bertieb
in Makati loved it
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