Vegetable Stock

Making your own vegetable stock may not feel particularly glamorous or exciting, but rest assured that nobody does it just once. With a little time and care, the depth of flavour you can achieve is quite remarkable, and this most humble of recipes can enhance your stews, soups, and casseroles immeasurably.

I often use this vegetable stock recipe as a base for my tomato soup.

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5 from 1 vote

Vegetable Stock

An essential ingredient for warming soups and tasty sauces, vegetable stock in the foundation of innumerable dishes.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Course: Soup

Cuisine: British

Servings: 3 litres

Calories: 216kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 1 large onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 stick of celery
• 1 leek
• 1 bulb garlic
• 25 g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 200 g mushrooms
• 150 ml white wine (optional)
• 3 litres cold water
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 bunch parsley (stalks are fine)

Instructions

• Roughly chop the onion, carrot, celery, and leek.

  Cut the garlic bulb in half through the equator.
• Heat up the butter and oil together in a large stock pot, then add the prepared vegetables.
• Allow the vegetables to soften while you roughly slice the mushrooms.
• Add the mushrooms and continue stirring occasionally until everything has softened and coloured.
• If you want to use wine, add this now, and allow it to reduce by half to boil off the alcohol.
• Add 3 litres of cold water to the pan, and then bring it up to a boil.
• If scum has appeared on the surface, skim it off with a spoon and discard.
• Turn the stock down to a simmer, and add the peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme and parsley.
• (I often cut all the leaves off the parsley, and throw in just the bundle of stalks – you will get the same flavour.)
• Place on the lid of the stockpot, and simmer for 1-2 hours, until the stock is a rich brown colour.
• Strain the stock through a fine sieve, or ideally a muslin cloth, and discard the vegetables.
• If you wanted to season your stock, you should do it now. I generally do not season it.
• Allow the stock to cool, and then store in the fridge for up to 5 days, or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

For an even more intense stock, and dried mushrooms, tomato pureé, or seaweed

For a lighter but clearer stock, do not fry the vegetables in fat, simply add to cold water and bring to a boil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1litreCalories: 216kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 41mgPotassium: 564mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 5764IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 3mg

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