Makes between 8-12 cups
Simple Vegetable Stock
- Several medium-large carrots, washed and trimmed; peeled if necessary
- 1-2 medium to large onion, peeled and quartered (I used one red onion, plust about 5 green onions I had laying around)
- 5-7 stalks of celery, washed
- 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 bunch parsley, trimmed of bad ends and rinsed
- 2-4 bay leaves
- Peppercorns, any variety
- Salt to taste
- Several sprigs of thyme and/or rosemary and/or sage, or use a few pinches of dried
- Other fresh or dried herbs; I hear a pice of kombu is nice for a mineral flavor note
- Filtered water, or whatever you drink on a daily basis, to cover (about 12 cups)
– Peel and trim any dirty or otherwise gnarly looking spots on the vegetables. Cut into sizes that will fit in a large pot. A stock pot is best, as the narrow and deep shape slows evaporation as the stock simmers gently.
– Add enough filtered water to cover the vegetables by ~1″.
– Simmer over low heat, you don’t want a rolling boil or vigorous simmer. Think a few bubbles and steam rising as the stock cooks. Add water as necessary to keep everything covered. Simmer for 4-7 hours, or longer if you have time.
– Strain through a medium-sized strainer (I used my pasta strainer for this), and then through a finer strainer, cheesecloth or a nutmilk bag if desired. Cool as fast as possible by using shallow containers or an ice bath. Store in desired containers in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 2 months.