Simple and Customizable Vegetable Broth Recipe
This versatile vegetable broth serves as a base for various dishes, from soups to risottos. Feel free to experiment with different herbs and vegetables to tailor it to your liking.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 parsnip sliced (optional)
- 1 leek chopped (optional)
- 8 cups water
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1 tomato chopped (or 1 can of diced tomatoes)
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preparation: Rinse and chop all the vegetables. There's no need to peel them unless you prefer to.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large pot, sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. This step enhances the flavor of the broth.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the parsnip, leek (if using), water, mushrooms, tomato, parsley, bay leaves, and black peppercorns to the pot.
- Bring to a Boil: Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer: Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the broth simmer uncovered for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour. This allows the flavors to meld.
- Strain: After simmering, strain the broth using a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a large bowl or another pot. Discard the solid vegetable pieces.
- Season: Taste the broth and add salt as needed. Remember that you can always add more salt later, so start with a smaller amount.
- Cool and Store: Allow the broth to cool before transferring it to containers. Refrigerate or freeze for later use.