Ingredients
Staples of a stock
Olive oil
3 large onions
2 lemons, halved
2 leeks, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 sticks of celery (leaves and all), sliced
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
6 black pepper corns
Parsley stalks, however many you have lying around
Thyme, a generous sprig
1 bay leaf
4 litres of water
Extra if you got ’em
Scraps!!! Every time you make a meal, save your scraps* in an air tight container and keep them in the fridge/freezer. When it’s time to make stock, pull out the scrap bag!
Tomatoes, sear like you do the onions and lemons above
Few sage leaves or coriander leaves and stems
Mushrooms, any type, especially if you’ve forgotten them in the crisper and they’ve gone a bit woody
Zucchini
* Best to skip brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauli …) as well as potatoes and capsicums – generally things that won’t add flavour, or can overpower with too much of it.
Summary
The best soups, risottos, pies, stews are grounded in a good stock. Having the powdered kind in the pantry is absolutely acceptable (and convenient), but making the most of your vegetables by using up any that have passed their prime in a veggie stock is a superbly productive activity. There’s little effort for great reward in this recipe; it’s basically bung it in, stir it around and simmer. We suggest keeping a weekly scraps bag on the go and cooking up batch each week or two for a freezer stocked (hehe) with the golden liquid.
Basic Bountiful Veggie Stock
Dice 2 of the onions and halve the other crosswise. Preheat and lightly oil a heavy-based frying pan. Sear onion and lemon halves, cut-side down, until cut sides are very dark.
Heat ¼ cup oil in a stockpot and sweat remaining vegetables and garlic for 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients, including the seared vegetables, and bring slowly to simmering point, then skim. Simmer for about 2 hours.
Allow to cool, then strain, pressing hard on vegetables to extract maximum flavour. Refrigerate for 2-3 days, or freeze.
Some of our favourite stock-forward recipes
Coconut Pumpkin Soup with Chilli and Lime
Life Changing Udon Noodles
Spiced Tomato and Lentil Soup
Puy Lentils and Roast Veg
Roast Tomato Soup
Jollof Rice
Tomato Risotto
Adas Bil Hamoud
Lemon and Fennel Risotto
Citu’s Celeriac and Artichoke Soup
Parsnip and Cauliflower Soup
Baked Spuds with Spicy Beans
Spring Green Minestrone
Chestnut and Pumpkin Soup
Mushroom Polenta
Shiitake and Barley Soup with Root Veggies
Mushroom Stroganoff
Baked Zucchini Risotto
Fancy Rice – a Quinoa and Brown Rice Pilaf
Hints and Tips
This recipe is by Stephanie Alexander
