Umami Vegetable Stock Recipe

Vegetable stock might be one of those things you put in your grocery cart every week if you make lots of soups, stews, and sauces. It's handy to have on hand, but making your own vegetable broth is easy and tastes so much better. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for umami vegetable stock and says, "I like making my own vegetable broth for several reasons. First off, it's a great way to use up vegetables you have that may be past their prime, plus you can use [leftover] vegetable scraps. Pre-made broths are typically high in sodium and when you make your own, you can leave the salt out completely and let the vegetables be the main flavor of the broth. I'm using dried mushrooms in this recipe to give the broth an umami flavor, which is savory and meaty tasting, and to add depth and richness to the broth." Read on to learn how to make this easy broth.

To make this recipe, we're going to need some fresh produce. Hit up the produce aisle for carrots, celery, onion, fennel, garlic, flat-leaf parsley, and fresh rosemary. Then, grab some dried porcini mushrooms, dried thyme, bay leaves, and water. "I love using fennel in this recipe because you can use the whole thing. The fronds are totally edible, and add a nice flavor to the broth," Hahn shares. "The dried mushrooms are giving us the savory, umami flavor which adds a robust flavor to the broth. If you can't find dried porcini mushrooms, a package of mixed dried mushrooms will work fine," Hahn goes on to say.

After the vegetable are washed, chop them into large chunks. "No need to cut the vegetables small because we're just going to remove them from the broth, and it will be easier discarding larger pieces. I usually just make a couple of cuts in the fennel bulb, and keep the fronds long if they will fit it the pot I'm using," Hahn remarks.

Add the carrots, celery, onion, fennel, garlic, dried mushrooms, parsley, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and water into a large pot, and stir to combine. "If you don't happen to have a pot big enough to hold 12 cups of water, just add in the amount of water that will fit," Hahn tells us. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 2 hours.

Once the broth is done simmering, remove it from the heat and let it cool for at least 30 minutes. Then, remove the vegetable pieces and discard, compost, or save them for something else. "I love snacking on the warm carrots after I remove them from the pot. They are cooked to perfection," Hahn remarks. Strain the broth using a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. "If you have a batter bowl with a pouring spout, this works well so you can easily pour the broth into your jars," Hahn explains. 

Once strained, pour the broth into jars for storage or use some right away. This broth is perfect to use in minestrone soup or this vegetarian tortilla soup. The broth will last for 2 weeks in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer. If you want to freeze the broth, just make sure to leave a couple of inches of room at the top of the jar to account for expansion.