Making Vegetable Stock
There is no reason to buy cartons when your vegetable drawer provides the best ingredients for a deep, clear base. A solid stock is less about a rigid recipe and more about managing your leftovers throughout the week.
Collect your scraps with purpose
Keep a freezer bag for trimmings like onion skins, carrot peels, and mushroom stems. Once the bag is full, you are ready to make stock.
- large stockpot
- mesh strainer
- large bowl
What goes in.
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 2 largeyellow onions, roughly chopped
- 4carrots, scrubbed and broken into chunks
- 4 stalkscelery, including leaves
- 8 ozcremini or white button mushrooms
- 1 bunchfresh parsley stems
- 3garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tspwhole black peppercorns
- 3 qtcold water
Keep it below a rolling boil
Aggressive boiling emulsifies the vegetable starches and clouds the broth. You want a lazy bubble that breaks the surface occasionally.
The method.
Sauté the base
Heat oil in the stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 8 minutes until they begin to soften and take on a golden color.
Add aromatics
Stir in the mushrooms, garlic, and parsley stems. Cook for another 2 minutes until the mushrooms release their scent.
Simmer
Pour in the cold water and add the peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover partially and let it simmer for 60 minutes.
Strain
Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the contents of the pot through it. Press gently on the solids with a wooden spoon to extract the remaining liquid, then discard the spent vegetables.
Other turns to take.
Roasted Stock
Toss the carrots and onions in oil and roast at 400°F for 20 minutes before adding to the pot for a darker, deeper color.
Umami Bomb
Add a single sheet of dried kombu or a piece of Parmesan rind during the simmer to add savory depth.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never add potatoes or squash; they break down into a starch that makes the final stock cloudy and thick.
Cool the finished stock rapidly by placing the pot in an ice bath before moving it to the refrigerator.
Salt the dish you are cooking with the stock, not the stock itself, to maintain better control over seasoning.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use onion skins?
Yes, clean onion skins add a deep golden hue to your stock.
How long will this last?
It keeps in the refrigerator for four days or in the freezer for up to three months.
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