Basic Light Vegetable Stock Recipes

QUICK AND EASY VEGETABLE STOCK RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a heavy-bottomed stock pot or soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
• Lower the heat, add the onion, leek, carrot, celery, parsnip, celery, and garlic, and gently sauté, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes or until the onions are softened and slightly translucent. Don't brown the vegetables, though.
• Add the wine and reduce until the liquid is about three-fourths evaporated.
• While the liquid is evaporating, create the sachet d'épices . Combine the bayleaf, thyme, parsley, and black peppercorns in a cheesecloth and tie with butchers twine.
• Add the water and sachet d'epices and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface, but don't stir or otherwise agitate the stock. Just let it simmer away.
• Remove from heat, pour through a strainer into another large pot or container. Cool, then refrigerate.

VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium stockpot over medium until hot but not smoking. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add celery, carrots, garlic, and peppercorns; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Pour in enough water to cover vegetables by 1 inch (8 to 10 cups) and add herbs and remaining half onion. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, 1 hour.
• Pour stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl or another pot, pressing on vegetables to extract as much flavorful liquid as possible. Discard solids. If not using immediately, cool in an ice-water bath before transferring to airtight containers.

BASIC VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl toss the oil with onions, carrots, garlic, leeks and arrange them in a roasting pan.
• Place pan in oven and roast, stirring once, for 45 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
• In a large saucepan or stock pot combine the roasted vegetables with carrot tops, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, peppercorns, clove and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 hour or until the broth is reduced to about 8 cups. Strain.
• Additions for Summer Stock: summer squash, tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, bell peppers, corn cobs, marjoram, oregano, basil.
• Instead of first roasting vegetables, saute them over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown. Complete recipe as above.
• Additions for Winter Stock: celery root, parsley root, dried sage, mushrooms (both dried or 1 pound fresh).

BASIC VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Chop scrubbed vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Remember, the greater the surface area, the more quickly vegetables will yield their flavor.
• Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add salt and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain. Discard vegetables.
• Other ingredients to consider: mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus (butt ends), corn cobs, fennel (stalks and trimmings), bell peppers, pea pods, chard (stems and leaves), celery root parings, marjoram (stems and leaves), basil, potato parings . . . Get the idea?

LIGHT VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil with remaining ingredients in a 10- to 12-quart pot and boil gently 1 hour, or until vegetables are completely soft.
• Pour stock through a colander into a large bowl. Strain stock again, through a fine sieve into another large bowl.

BASIC VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Place water in stock pot and add vegetables, garlic and sachet.
• Heat on high to simmering but do not allow to boil.
• Reduce heat to low.
• Skim whatever scum rises to surface.
• Simmer, covered, for 3 hours, but do not stir.
• Check occasionally to make sure stock isn't boiling and to skim surface if necessary.
• Season with salt.
• Cool; remove vegetables and strain stock.

LIGHT VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients with 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes. Strain and discard solids; let cool completely. Stock can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days, or frozen up to 3 months.

BASIC LIGHT VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Wash the vegetables well, removing any soil or sand.
• Combine all of the ingredients in a large soup pot and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
• On high heat, bring the stock to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
• When the vegetables are quite soft and have lost their bright colors, the stock is done.
• Strain the stock through a large colander or sieve, pressing out as much liquid as possible.
• Discard or compost the vegetable solids.
• Use the stock right away, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 6 months.