Vegetable Stock

As the days cool off, I look forward to easy dinners of homemade soup.

The key to a good easy soup is an excellent stock. This provides a base flavor that combines with additional vegetables, grains and beans to make a delicious meal.

My favorite vegetable stock contains parsnips, which fortunately Finley Farm has been supplying me with this fall. The other day I cooked up a batch in my slow cooker. I could make it on the stove too, but the aroma of it cooking throughout the day is heavenly, and I can leave it to simmer without worrying about it boiling over or burning on the bottom.

I don't know how a single parsnip makes such a difference to 8 cups of stock, but it surely does. Although this stock is good without the parsnip, when I can get one I use it.

Vegetables ready to go in the oven

Traditional meat stocks are made with the animal carcass - the waste that would not be eaten. Vegetable stocks are made with vegetables you could eat instead of cooking into stock. By the time the stock is cooked, all the flavor and goodness is out of the vegetables and they are only good for the compost pile. This might seem a waste of good vegetables, but the stock is worth it. And potatoes, carrots and onions are inexpensive.

The only expense in the stock is the dried mushrooms – another necessary addition to get the excellent umami of a good stock. When I buy fresh shiitakes at the market, I dry the stems on a rack in the kitchen and then store them in a jar until I'm ready to make stock.

This recipe makes a strong flavorful vegetable stock. When I'm making soup, I use half stock and half water. There's no point using too much of a good thing. However, if you're making a soup that is mainly broth, use the stock at full strength and then taste it to see if it needs diluting.

This is not a fat-free stock. The olive oil is essential for the roasting that caramelizes and flavors the vegetables, and also to give it a yummy stick-to-the ribs deliciousness.

When you've made the stock, strain it and freeze it in 2-cup containers. Then you'll be ready to make delicious soups at a moment's notice.

After roasting

Vegetable Stock
1 large onion
2 large carrots
1 large potato
1 large parsnip (optional)
1 stalk celery
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
4 dried shiitake or porcini
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp tamari
7 cups water

Preheat oven to 450°F. 

Remove the papery peel from the onion and slice it thickly. Scrub the carrots and potatoes and cut in 1" chunks. Peel the parsnip and cut in 1" chunks. Chop the celery in 1" lengths. Place the garlic cloves, unpeeled, on your cutting board and crush with the side of your big knife. 

Place the vegetables in a lightly oiled baking pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until lightly browned, turning once, about 30 minutes total.

Meanwhile, soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup water until softened. Remove them from the water and check for dirt or grit. Pour the soaking water through a coffee filter, straining out any grit. Reserve mushrooms and soaking water.

Put the roasted vegetables in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add mushrooms and soaking water, bay leaves, peppercorns, tamari, 1 tsp salt, and water. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Let cool slightly, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Press the vegetables against the side of the sieve with a wooden spoon to get the most liquid possible. Discard the vegetables. The stock will be a rich golden color. Either use it right away, refrigerate it for a few days, or freeze for longer storage.

Makes about 8 cups.

Liquid gold