Best Easy Prep Vegetable Stock Recipes

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?

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:

• Roughly chop all vegetables and place in a large pot. Pour in water to cover and bring to a boil Reduce heat to a simmer, skim and discard impurities from the top. Add the spices. Simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours. Strain and store in the refrigerator up to a week or keep frozen.

EASY PREP VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Buy the whole head of celery but use the top half for this stock. Rinse any dirt off the leaves and put in a large stock pot. Any outer stalks that you wouldn't use in cooking can be added as well.
• Add a whole bunch of parsley and a bay leaf.
• Trim the roots off the onion and cut in half. Only remove the skins if they are split and dusty, otherwise just leave them on.
• Cut the tops off the carrots, wash and cut in half lengthways.
• Add the water and put on to simmer for an hour and a half to two hours.
• Strain the vegetables. I do this in a colander (not a sieve) and squash the celery to get every last bit of flavour out of it. The stock is still lovely and clear and full of flavour.
• Note: I don't season this stock since I'm going to use it in another recipe anyway.

HOMEMADE VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• In a medium stockpot over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil. Add onion, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 8 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips, and celery; cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Wash and drain chard thoroughly. Chop into 1-inch pieces. Add to the vegetable mixture. Then add 3 quarts plus 2 cups cold water, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer about 1 hour; liquid should be highly flavored.
• Remove from heat, and strain stock through a fine sieve, pressing on vegetables to extract juices. Discard vegetables. Stock can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.