Quick Vegetable Stock
Makes: More than 2 quarts
Time: 20 to 40 minutes
Homemade stock is not only infinitely better than the packaged stuff but also easy to make. You can produce large quantities and freeze enough to have it on hand for soup, rice, beans—or anytime when you want more flavor than water.
Making stock is more art than science, so don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients here; use what you have, and substitute at will. Off-limits are strong-flavored greens (cabbage included—unless you want your stock to taste like cabbage), bell peppers, and eggplant. Don’t even bother to peel the vegetables, just wash the skins well.
For a more robust, earthy flavor, toss in a handful of dried porcini (or sautéed fresh mushrooms). Dried or canned tomatoes add color and flavor. Or, try a couple of bay leaves and a few sprigs of fresh thyme for a more fragrant variation. For darker, richer stock, brown the vegetables in olive oil before adding the water. And there’s no rule against adding a ham bone, turkey carcass, chicken bones, or bit of leftover beef to the pot.
4 carrots, cut into chunks
2 medium onions or 1 large onion, quartered
2 potatoes, cut into chunks
2 or 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
20 or so stems of parsley, with or without leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Combine everything in a stockpot with 12 cups water, a pinch of salt, and some pepper. Bring to a boil and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily but gently. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Going longer will only improve the flavor, and a few minutes less won’t hurt much, either.
2 Strain, then taste and adjust the seasoning before using, taking care not to oversalt if you’re reducing the stock further. Cool before refrigerating or freezing.
Quick Shrimp or Fish Stock: The vegetables in the main recipe become optional; they add complexity but aren’t essential. In Step 1, use the shells from about 1 pound of shrimp or the bones and scraps from a pound or so of raw fish (your fishmonger often has these for sale or will give them away free). You won’t need to simmer the stock as long to extract good flavor; 10 minutes or so ought to do the trick. Strain, season, and use or store as above.