Vegetable Stock

So, I’m going on a bit of a detox this week…I had been treating my body pretty badly so I thought cutting back on my sugar and caffeine intake and upping my fruits and vegetables might be a little bit better for me.

As such, I decided to make some vegetable stock – to use for some hearty soups and stews, as it’s becoming clear that winter still isn’t going anywhere.

Vegetable stock is even easier to make than chicken stock, and it’s super delicious. Way better than the stuff you buy in those cartons – I promise!

Vegetable Stock
As usual, this recipe is just a bit of a guideline…you can always throw in more or less of any of the ingredients, depending on what you have. It’s a great way to use up vegetables and herbs.

Ingredients:

3 carrots, unpeeled and coarsely chopped
3 onions, unpeeled and coarsely chopped
3 ribs of celery + leaves, coarsely chopped
1 roma tomato, halved
1 head of garlic, unpeeled and separated into cloves
5-10 sprigs of fresh parsley
1-2 tsp thyme
about 10 whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
12 cups cold water
*I also threw in some fresh dill…just cus I had it

salt (optional)

Directions:

In a large stockpot, combine carrots, onions, celery, tomato, garlic, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves and dill. Pour in water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1½ - 2 hours.


Drain stock through a colander. You can also do this through a fine sieve, but I like that some of the thyme and spices end up in the stock. Add enough salt to suit your tastes, if you’re using it.


The stock will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or it freezes really well for up to 4 months.

I used some of the stock to cook some brown rice, and it flavored it beautifully. I then added some fresh vegetables and made a pilaf of sorts. So yummy!