Scott's Vegetable Broth With Very Low Sodium

KateL's Note:

This vegan broth by trained chef Scott Domery is the tasty base for many no-salt, or lowest-sodium recipes in Don Gazzaniga's "The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook". It can be used in place of water in many recipes to add more flavor while holding the line on calories and salt.

• Total Time: 9 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 9 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 8.0 cups

• 3 medium celery ribs , whole, with leaves, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 large carrots , sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 Spanish onions , cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 medium green bell peppers , skin on, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups cabbage , shredded
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 bay leaf , shredded
• 1 teaspoon sweet basil
• 8 black peppercorns
• 3 quarts water

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients into a stockpot and simmer, partially covered, for 8 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally.
2. Skim off any scum that appears. Cook it this way for 45 minutes. (If using a crockpot, cook on LOW for 8-12 hours and skim scum when done.).
3. Remove the ingredients from the pot and strain the stock through cheesecloth or a cheesecloth-lined vegetable strainer or sieve. Throw out the solids.
4. Simmer the strained stock until it reduces to about 8 cups.
5. If making ahead, let cool and store in 2-cup freezer containers to approximate the volume of one can of soup.

Reviews

[duonyte]

I just picked up the same cookbook, which has a lot of great ideas for those who need a very low sodium diet. I don't know how it happened, but ended up with just 3 cups of broth at the end of the day (used crockpot and perhaps I did not put in enough water or just reduced too much??) I would reduce the celery next time, a bit too strong for my taste. But generally this is good and I know it will work well in soups in particular.