Vegetable stock is one of the things I reach for often in my kitchen, especially when I’m making soup. When I make a butternut squash soup, I want that first spoonful to taste like squash. A light vegetable stock brings out its sweetness and lets the flavour of the vegetables come through. I use it for sauces too, like when I need to loosen browned bits in a pan of mushrooms when I’m making a plant-based gravy.
Late summer and early fall are my favourite times to make a batch. Local carrots, celery and leeks are at their peak, and even the parts I might otherwise trim away have a place in the pot. The green tops of a leek, the leaves from a bunch of celery and a handful of parsley stems all go in.
I freeze most of the stock in four-cup (quart) portions for winter and set aside a few smaller portions (pint-sized) for sauces. On a cold evening, I can pull one from the freezer, chop whatever vegetables I have on hand and make a fresh pot of soup.
Homemade Garden Vegetable Stock
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions quartered
- 4 medium carrots scrubbed and cut into large pieces
- 2 celery ribs with their leaves cut into large pieces
- Green tops from 1 leek rinsed well between the layers and roughly chopped
- 1 head of garlic halved crosswise
- 1 handful fresh parsley stems included
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 20 cups cold water
- Sea salt to taste, optional
Instructions
- Fill the pot. Place the vegetables, garlic, herbs and peppercorns in a large stockpot. Pour in the cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer gently. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 1-2 hours. Keep the heat low enough that only a few bubbles break the surface. Taste a spoonful toward the end. The stock should be lightly savoury, with a little sweetness from the carrots and onions.
- Strain. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large heatproof bowl and ladle the stock through it. Let the vegetables drain. If I’m freezing the stock, I leave it lightly salted so I can season the soup or sauce as it cooks.
- Portion and freeze. Divide the stock among shallow containers and refrigerate promptly to cool. Once chilled, transfer to freezer-safe containers, leaving room for expansion. Label each one with the date and amount. Four cups is handy for soup, while a cup is often just enough for a pan sauce.
