While many soup recipes incorporate vegetarian-friendly ingredients like vegetables, cream, or cheese, the majority call for chicken broth, making them inedible to someone who doesn't consume meat. This problem is easily remedied with one simple component: vegetable stock. Made from vegetables that are roasted and then simmered in water, veggie stock is flavorful and rich.
While you could purchase a boxed variation from the grocery store, it's far more rewarding to make your own batch. Along with mushrooms, carrots, shallots, garlic, and red peppers, this recipe uses a cup of canned tomatoes, which provide depth, a mild sweetness, and an earthy color. If you have some time to experiment with homemade vegetable stock, get the recipe and read more.
From Gourmet
This recipe would also be an excellent base to gravy.
Ingredients
1/2 lb portabella mushrooms, caps and stems cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb shallots, left unpeeled, quartered
1 lb carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs (including stems)
5 fresh thyme sprigs
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves (not California)
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 qt water
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Toss together mushrooms, shallots, carrots, bell peppers, parsley and thyme sprigs, garlic, and oil in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast in middle of oven, turning occasionally, until vegetables are golden, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Transfer vegetables with slotted spoon to a tall narrow 6-quart stockpot.
- Set roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling over moderate heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Transfer to stockpot and add bay leaves, tomatoes, and water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Pour through a large fine sieve into a large bowl, pressing on and discarding solids, then season with salt and pepper. Skim off fat.
Makes about 2 quarts.
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GHD
At work I make gallons of chicken stock and vegetable stock each week, and the roasting of the vegetables is what takes the stock to the next level. I fry half/half in butter and oil, and never skimp on the shallots, as while onions may be cheaper and easier to work with (chop one and you have the volumetric equivalent of two or three shallots), the difference in taste is yards apart.
1For the frugal home cook, there is always the free option
2Thanks for posting this! SO many people think chicken/beef stock is Ok because "it's just a little bit, and it's not even the meat!". Not OK. Thanks again!
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