How to make your own vegetable stock.
I have a few posts for you today for pantry items that come together in a great Pumpkin Polenta with an Apple Feta Compote I'll post tomorrow. First up: making your own vegetable stock.
Making vegetable stock is such an easy thing to do, and it's much quicker than making either veal or chicken stock. In fact, I was working on a Pumpkin Polenta recipe yesterday and saw that I didn't have any veggie stock left in the refrigerator or freezer. I was in a hurry (when am I not??) and thought I'd just make a quick run to the store. And then I realized that I could actually MAKE my own vegetable stock faster than driving to the store, finding a parking spot, finding some veggie stock I liked, waiting in line, paying for it, and driving back home with it. Oh, and I was still in my jammies, so I'd have to get dressed too....
Turns out, making my own stock was even MORE efficient, because while the vegetables were simmering away, infusing water with their wonderful flavor, I was able to write out my ideas of how I wanted to make the polenta, and get my mis-en-place all put together to make it. How cool is that?
Cook's Notes:
- If I make a large amount, I keep the flavors well-balanced and neutral. If I'm making stock for a specific recipe, I use vegetables that will complement or emphasize the dish I'm making. For example, I'll add a bunch of stripped corn cobs if the stock will be used for corn soup or corn risotto.
- This is a great way to use up some orphan veggies in the refrigerator - but avoid distinctively flavored vegetables that could overpower the dish that the broth will be added to. Fennel comes to mind.
- For a more muted stock, do not brown the veggies first. Just bring the water to a boil and add chopped veggies. Simmer for 1 hour.
- Freeze in ziplock bags for easy storage. They stack great and they're in pre-measured amounts.
Homemade Vegetable Stock
Ingredients
- 1 - 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 3 mushrooms sliced
- 1 carrot chopped
- 1 garlic clove mashed
- 1 large twig fresh thyme
- 1 small twig fresh sage
- 10 black peppercorns
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add all the vegetables and herbs at once and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables begin to brown and are very aromatic.
- Add the water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes and strain.
- Allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.
lizthechef
I hate to borrow the phrase, but, truly, how easy is that?!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I know 🙂
Bevi
I was about to post the very same thing, Liz, before I scrolled down to your comment!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
:-)!!!
Hannah
I really do need to stock my freezer with this...thank you for the inspiration!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
And obviously so did I! I hate it when I get all set to start a recipe and then find I'm out of stock!! So I'm all stocked up now, so to speak 🙂
DavetteB
It certainly is simple, but depending on where you live, not necessarily cheaper.
If I don't think about the mushrooms too much I can get it down 😉
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm actually not a fan of mushrooms either - but just a touch of them in this stock gives it a more robust flavor. But you can always eliminate. I completely agree it's not necessary cheaper, depending on where you live! Especially with produce costs going up around here, at least partially due to the drought California is engulfed in. But so often I have odds and ends of celery, carrots, onions, and garlic, so it can also be a way of efficiently using everything up. Thanks so much for your comment and subscribing!!