This vegetable stock makes a richly flavored base for vegetarian soups, stews, and rice dishes. The total active time, including chopping, sauteing, and draining the vegetables at the end, is close to an hour.
Ingredients
1 # leeks (1 large or 2 medium to small)
1# yellow onions (2 medium)
6 oz. celery stalks with leaves on, or leaves and inner stalks from 2 bunches of celery
6 oz. carrots or 4 small carrots
2 T olive oil
12 cups water
16 sprigs of Italian parsley or a larger number of parsley stems
peelings from 2 large or 4 small potatoes
4 garlic cloves, mashed a bit with the side of a knife but unpeeled
4 bay leaves
2 tsp. black peppercorns
small bunch fresh thyme (10 stalks)
Instructions
Wash leeks (see separate post on this if you haven't done it before- dirt often hides between the outer layers of the stalk). Trim off the dark green leaves. Cut off the roots.
To chop the vegetables, use either a freshly sharpened chef's knife or the grating wheel of a food processor. Since the vegetables will ultimately be discarded and don't need to be cut attractively, this would be a good time to use a food processor.
Chop the white part of the leeks.
Peel and chop carrots.
Peel and chop onion.
Chop celery stalks and leaves.
Add 2 Tsp. olive oil to a large stockpot, heat on a medium-low flame, add the above vegetables. Let the vegetables 'sweat' (cooking but not browning) for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 12 cups water to the pot and the parsley, potato peels, garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, and thyme.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for one hour.
Place a strainer over another large pot.
Pour the stock through a strainer to separate the liquid from the cooked vegetables, collecting the stock in the pot below.
Put the stock in a cheesecloth or other fine cloth such as a nylon strainer bag. Hold over the pot and squeeze and twist until most of the liquid has been removed.
Recipe by Fit and Fed at http://fitandfed.net/2012/02/24/healthy-vegetarian-vegetable-stock/