Vegetable Stock

This is one of those recipes that I consider therapeutic and almost meditative to make - lots of chopping, lots of different ingredients, but no rushed pace so very relaxing. It takes a little while, but if you have a just-still-too-chilly early spring afternoon like this one, it is an absolutely perfect recipe to make.

On a more practical note, I'm preparing this stock ahead of time to use in a recipe tomorrow night (check back for more details!) but with the leftovers, the possibilities are endless. Make any variation of delicious vegan soups by adding grains such as rice or lentils or beans, other cooked vegetables like potatoes or squash, or anything else that strikes your fancy. You could even add slices of French bread and soy cheese for a makeshift French onion soup!

To make the stock, combine in a large stockpot: 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage, 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped fennel, 1 cup coarsely chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped carrot, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, one onion (peeled and halved), 4-oz sliced button mushrooms, 6 whole black peppercorns, 5 sprigs of flat leaf parsley, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 3 peeled garlic gloves and 1 bay leaf.

Pour 8 cups of water over the vegetables. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Pour the broth through a sieve into a large bowl, discarding the solids. The yield is just over 6 cups. It should be a beautiful, almost amber color. Cool it completely and store it up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Cost:
cabbage $1.25
fennel $1.97
celery $2.99
carrots $0.93
tomato paste $0.79
onion $1.39
mushrooms $4.00
parsley $1.49
thyme $1.49