Darn Good Vegetable Stock
I merged recipes from Toni Tipton-Lee and Nik Sharma. Save the ends and scraps of veggies in the freezer. When you have enough, it's time to make stock. I didn't have everything - used turnip greens instead of spinach, didn't have enough asparagus ends or broccoli ends. Oh well. Still ended up delicious.
MAKES ABOUT 2½ QUARTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large carrots, cut into large dice
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 cup diced (½ inch) celery stalks and leaves
1 large green bell pepper, cut into large squares
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 leek, quartered (avoid the green ends as it can make it bitter)
1 cup broccoli stems, cut into large dice (½ inch)
1½ cups asparagus ends
Stems from ½ bunch parsley
1½ cups spinach stems (from about 1 bunch)
1 cabbage core, quartered
MAKES ABOUT 2½ QUARTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large carrots, cut into large dice
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 cup diced (½ inch) celery stalks and leaves
1 large green bell pepper, cut into large squares
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 leek, quartered (avoid the green ends as it can make it bitter)
1 cup broccoli stems, cut into large dice (½ inch)
1½ cups asparagus ends
Stems from ½ bunch parsley
1½ cups spinach stems (from about 1 bunch)
1 cabbage core, quartered
3 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms, chopped
3 cups tap water, plus 2 cups ice water
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns (about ¼ teaspoon)
3 cups tap water, plus 2 cups ice water
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns (about ¼ teaspoon)
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the carrots, onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic.
- Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the mushroom "tea": In a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven over low heat, bring 3 cups water to 158 degrees, using an instant-read or candy thermometer. Add the shiitakes and maintain the temperature between 140 and 158 degrees for 30 minutes. Use the ice water to lower the temperature of the mushroom infusion if it gets too hot. (Don't stress too much, I started at 155, got busy, saw it was 200 and dumped cold water back in. The umami may not have been fully expressed, but it was still good). After 30 minutes, add the mushroom tea, along with the mushrooms and any remaining ice water, to the browned vegetables in the stockpot.
- Add 7 cups water (or whatever you need to make 12 cups total), the leek, broccoli stems, asparagus ends, mushroom stems, parsley stems, spinach stems, cabbage core, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 2 hours. The broth develops stronger flavor the longer you let it simmer.
- Strain the stock (through several layers of cheesecloth if you want it very clear) and discard the vegetables. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze.
