Basic Vegetable Stock
This is a good basic stock, no preservatives or extra salt or sweeteners found in canned or boxed stock, and is easy.
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 2 stalks celery, plus leaves
- 2 carrots
- 1 bunch spring onions
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed
- 8 sprigs fresh parsley
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash all vegetables, skin on is ok for root vegetables, chop everything into 1 inch pieces.
- Heat oil in a large pot, add all the ingredients except the water, cook on high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add water and salt and stir to mix, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes. Strain liquid into a pot and discard vegetables. When stock cools, put in containers and refrigerate until needed, should keep for several days refrigerated, can also be frozen.
- Use vegetable stock as a soup base, boiling chicken, cooking beans, etc. If a recipe calls for water, use the stock to add a bit of flavor, and nutrition.
Notes
This is a great way to use up old veggys sitting in the fridge, if you want to maximize the use of your veggys, save all trimmings and put in the freezer, when you have a good amount, make some stock. Trimmings can include: mushroom pieces, butt ends of asparagus, corn cobs, bell pepper pieces, pea pods, celery root ends, potato, and carrot peelings.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
I do that a lot. Once it has cooled, I freeze them in ice trays and then once frozen, remove them from the ice trays and store in a large container in the deep-freeze. That way I always have veg stock on hand š
Yep, best way. Our next major purchase is going to be a chest freezer.