Vegetable Stock

Darling husband’s soy allergy manifests itself in wonderfully weird ways. The latest: he can’t eat any proteins that were fed soy or processed at all—chicken, turkey, pork. (This includes eggs.) Which means all boxed broths are off limits, too. So I have developed a few recipes of my own. They are easy, healthy, and delicious, plus a base for pretty much every liquid, rice, soup, and pasta dish I make. Make sure you leave the skins on the onion and carrots! It adds extra nutrients and flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, quartered, not skinned

  • 4 celery stalks

  • 4 large carrots, unpeeled

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 small container white mushrooms, washed and sliced in half

  • 4 garlic cloves, whole

  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 1 small bunch parsley

  • 2 bay leaves

  • Handful of peppercorns

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

  • 8 cups filtered water

Directions

  1. Brown onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil.

  2. Add mushrooms, garlic, herbs, bay leaves, peppercorns, and sea salt.

  3. Add water.

  4. Bring to a rolling boil, then let simmer for at least 1 hour. Two to three hours gives it a deeper flavor.

  5. Strain and put into containers. I like to freeze it right away. It will last in the refrigerator for one week and in the freezer for up to a year.

Note: I keep the discarded carrots and mushrooms to eat later. No sense wasting them!

Vegetarian, Soups and ChilisJ.T. EllisonComment