Ultimate Browned Vegetable Stock

NcMysteryShopper's Note:

This is my all-time favorite vegetable stock; the richness of this stock belies its simplicity. It loans its full-bodied flavor to almost any soup. It is the only veggie stock I will use to make my Recipe #150699 (Aka Hangover Soup), it would be a shame to make that soup any other way… a real shame. I originally found the recipe in a cookbook titled Soup and Bread: A Country Inn Cookbook, and have since adjusted it a bit. I also usually double the batch as it seems that 4 cups is never enough for us, and it freezes well. You can also add as many shiitake mushroom stems as you want (say 1 -3 cups) to the browned vegetables with the water for even more flavor. The variation which follows is sheer heaven: the ambrosia of soup stocks. Note: This recipe yields a little over 4 cups, if you are making my Hangover Soup recipe you will needs to double this recipe.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 4 Cups

• 3 onions, unpeeled, quartered
• 3 large carrots, unpeeled, halved, stem ends removed
• 8 celery ribs, with leaves, each broken in half
• 3 beets, quartered
• 2 heads garlic, whole heads, papery skin left on, cut in half across the middle to expose each garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, use a mild flavored one
• 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce (low sodium) or 1/4 cup shoyu soy sauce (low sodium)
• 7 cups room temperature water, preferably spring, divided
• 1 -3 cup shiitake mushroom stems (see description above) (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon peppercorn

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F Spray and 11 X 13-inch backing pan with cooking spray.
2. Place the onions, carrots, celery, beets and garlic in the pan. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat the vegetables. Pour over the soy sauce and bake until the vegetables are deeply browned, almost burnt-looking, about 1 hour.
3. Transfer the vegetables to a large heavy soup pot. Add 5 cups of the water and the remaining ingredients.
4. Pour the remaining 2 cups of water into the baking pan, and using the blade since of a spatula, scrape up all those wonderful browned, caramelized bits on the bottom. Add this to the soup pot.
5. Bring the water to a boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes. Cool slightly and strain.

Reviews

[jane49423]

This was a great way to use up this week's CSA basket. Especially the beets. I froze it in two cup packets and will use this winter

[Jan in Lanark]

This is so flavourful for a veggie stock! I just finished making it as a base for what will probably be minestrone. I have a friend coming for lunch who has eliminated a lot of things from her diet, so I'm hoping I can come up with something healthy including fresh veggies from the garden. I didn't have shitake mushrooms, but I had some dried morels which I added. Thanks for sharing!

[AshK]

This is such an easy and flavorful recipe! I made it as a part of Mystery Shopper's hangover soup for New Year's Day. My entire family loved it, it is going into our soup rotation!