Vegetable Stock

Whole Food Plant-Based Home Made Vegetable Stock. Vegan Soy-free.

Vegetable stock is one of the secret ingredients of flavorful recipes. It is a staple for developing a good flavor profile in the plant based kitchen. You can use it in place of water to prepare dried beans, and grains. You can add it to make to soups, sauces, marinades, and dressings more robust. Try it instead of water in regional dishes like tomato sauces, or curries. Store bought, commercially produced stock can certainly serve the purpose. However, I much prefer making it from the raw ingredients. That way, I really know what’s in in it.

This vegetable stock recipe is from Forks Over Knives (FOK). The FOK website https://www.forksoverknives.com is one excellent resource for healthy, innovative, plant-based eating. Flavor preferences will vary from one person to another, and the recipes from FOK provide a great starting place. With a little knowledge of how to boost flavor profiles in food, you can make their recipes into some of your favorites. BTW, If you want to take a deeper dive into whole food, plant based cuisine, I strongly recommend the Forks Over Knives Online Cooking School.

Utensils: a large stock pot* french oven*, or dutch oven*, sharp knife, mesh strainer or colander
Active time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients:
4 carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch thick rounds
1/2 head celery, washed, stalks cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large onions, remove outer layer of skin and root end and discard. Cut the onion into eighths, or smaller sized pieces
1 leek, white and green parts, cut in half lengthwise, then into 1 inch pieces
3-6 cloves garlic, peeled or unpeeled, sliced, smashed, pressed or crushed
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 medium sized bay leaves
2 quarts cold water
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (no oil added)
1 small handful fresh parsley
a few sprigs of time

Method:
Add all the ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Allow to simmer uncovered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When finished cooking, the broth will resemble a reddish tea, in color. Allow to cool. Pour through a strainer or colander to separate the vegetables from the stock. Quickly chill and store in containers in useful portion sizes. Refrigerate if planning to use within 7 days or freeze to store longer.**

Notes
*This recipe takes up a lot of room so make sure the pot is large enough for all the vegetables and the water. No lid needed.
**I usually store it in quart sized canning jars. Canning jars work well for the fridge or freezer. Just remember that if you are freezing it in glass jars, do not fill the jar completely. Leave maybe an inch or 2 of head room and leave the lid loose. That will allow for any expansion as the stock freezes. Once it is frozen, you can screw the lids on tight.
I recommend that you double or triple this recipe, i\f you like it and have room in your freezer to store it. Preparing larger batches for future use will save you time and energy in the long run.