Take Stock Of What You Have 

Vegetable stock is a flavorful liquid prepared by simmering vegetables in water until the flavor is extracted. Stocks are great to heighten the flavor of a dish as well as add wonderful nutrients. Stocks can be used for soups, instead of water, for making grains like rice or quinoa, or even to just drink it as is.

Traditionally, a vegetable stock will contain 50% onions, 25% carrots, and 25% celery. In addition, a stock would include parsley stems, black peppercorns and thyme. You are welcome to be creative and add other vegetables but below are some helpful hints on what vegetables do well in stocks and which ones don’t. You will also find below one variation of a vegetable stock that I have enjoyed making many times.

GREAT for vegetable stock

• • • All of the allium family, including leeks and garlic. I do prefer the yellow onions, and throw in the peel as well. It adds color and nutrition. The leek greens are a fantastic addition to any stock.
    •  Stems of herbs like parsley, cilantro and thyme
    •  Middle stems of dark greens, like kale and collards
    •  The base of shiitake mushrooms
    •  Thick stems of cauliflower and broccoli
    •  Kombu seaweed
    •  Corncobs are sweet and delicious.

Note: Please do not use your stock as a trash can for almost rotting vegetables. Use fresh vegetables. The quality of your stock depends on the quality of your vegetables.

NOT GREAT for vegetable stock

• • • Any soft leafy vegetable, like spinach, lettuce and the like.
    • Beets, as they bleed
    • Tomatoes, as the seeds are bitter.
    • Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and green peppers.

Vegetable Stock

Yield: Approx 2 litres / Prep time: 5 minutes / Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• • • 10 – 12 cups water, as necessary
    • 2 onions, diced
    • 5 carrots, sliced
    • 4 celery stems, sliced
    • Stems from a dozen shiitake mushrooms
    • Stems from 1 bunch kale
    • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 10 peppercorns
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 2-inch piece of Kombu seaweed

Procedure

1. 1. 1.  Place all ingredients in a large pot.
      2.  Fill pot with water until all vegetables are covered.
      3.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
      4.  Simmer for 1 hour. Do not cook for more than an hour as a bitter flavor might appear. An overdone stock is just as bad as an underdone stock.
      5. Turn off heat and strain vegetables with a large bowl underneath to collect your fresh and ready stock.

Enjoy your cooking journey and taste the bliss!