How to Make Roasted Vegetable Stock
Hello Monday! It has been rather quiet here on Bunkycooks for the last few days due to much activity at our home for my stepson’s wedding this weekend. We had a great time celebrating with family and friends and we wish William and Laura the best on their new life together.
Now that things have settled done a bit (well, sort of…), I wanted to share this great fall recipe with you that is vegetarian friendly (yay!) and truly delicious. Roasted Vegetable Stock.
We love soups, stews, braises and one pot dishes in the fall and winter. They fill the house with wonderful aromas and are delightful on a chilly evening. Light a fire, add a salad, a loaf of crusty bread and a bottle of great wine and you have a perfect dinner! It’s sounds pretty romantic, too. 😉
Buy organic vegetables when possible
One ingredient that truly makes these dishes outstanding is the addition of a great stock or broth. It adds a layer of flavor that really accentuates all the other ingredients in your dish, so you want to be sure to use the best stock that you can.
I realize that sometimes canned or boxed stocks are all we have time for and yes, there are some good ones. However, if you have the time to make your own, it is soo worth it! I make my chicken stock ahead and freeze it. It will hold in the freezer for 6 months. I will be doing the same with this vegetable stock now. I have never tasted a vegetable stock that has the depth of flavor that this homemade version has. It is fabulous and the difference is in the roasting step.
Roasting the veggies before cooking the stock gives you incredible flavor
Roasting the vegetables until they are caramelized brings out all the awesomeness of the veggies. Deglazing the pan with white wine ensures that you don’t miss any of that goodness when you transfer everything to the stockpot. I cooked mine a longer than suggested to soften the veggies a bit more since you want to smash them in the colander when straining the stock to be sure not to miss any of the rich vegetable taste. Be sure to use organic vegetables if you can since the skins and peels remain on the veggies during the entire cooking process.
Be sure to squeeze out all of the roasted veggie flavor that you can
The end result is a rich, dark and incredibly flavorful stock that will add unbelievable flavors to your soups, stews and braises during these chilly months! It is also perfect for cooking various grains or rices to add another layer of flavor to dishes that you prepare with them. This is my new go to vegetable stock recipe and I bet that it may become yours after you give it a try. 🙂
You cannot buy vegetable stock that looks or tastes like this!
Enjoy and have a great week!
Roasted Vegetable Stock
The original recipe was titled Vegetable Stock, however, since the roasting made such a difference in the final flavor of the stock, I decided to add "Roasted" to the title. Be sure to use organic produce, if possible. The skins and peels remain on the vegetables throughout the cooking process, so organic produce would be preferable.
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 (I scrub them, but do not peel them)
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:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. 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.
3. 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.
Cook's note: I let my stock cook a little longer until the vegetables were a bit softer. It was easier to smash and strain them that way. The stock will last 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Gourmet
November 2001
That stock does look nice and rich tasting! What do you have against California bay leaves, missy?
LOL! Not my recipe. I only changed the name. 😉 I did have fresh, organic California Bay Leaves and did not use them. I used the dried Turkish ones. I do wonder why they specified NOT California bay leaves. I thought it was strange, but the flavor must be different enough to make a difference in the stock.
What a cool idea! I love the idea of roasting the vegetables beforehand, and will definitely have to try something similar the next time I make vegetable stock.
I just read that CA bay leaves are stronger, and have a certain menthol quality to them that is not pleasant…but they make good wreaths!
LOL! Great. That’s what I can get here fresh and what I use much of the time. In fact, I freeze them so I have them on hand when I can’t get fresh. Maybe I’ll go back to the dried version, as long as I can buy Turkish leaves.
I have an upcoming recipe that requires vegetable stock and I think I’m going to give this a try. I love roasted vegetables, so it makes sense to use them for a stock. Thanks for sharing this with us.
now I like the portabellas in there, brings about a real difference I’m sure… and you are right Gwen, a good rich stock in the freezer is sooo worth it, especially when it’s all ready done, but hey, I actually enjoy the process of making it… my favorite is a beef stock from roasted oxtails and veggies… soooo good with winter soups… I will certainly add this one to my stockpile… thanks
This looks delicious – I’m going to try it. I just made broth yesterday from the “Love Soup” cookbook. I made it last fall and the soups using the broth were much better than my usual soups. It is well worth the effort.
This time, I don’t think I cooked the veggies long enough and hated throwing them out after straining. I haven’t an official “sieve” and just used a colander and pressed the stock through it. Probably should have cooked it much longer than indicated in the recipe – maybe then I would have been able to save more of the vegetables.
Hi Rhon,
I cooked the veggies longer in the water than the recipe suggested and probably could have cooked them more, but was afraid the broth might get bitter. There was definitely no flavor left in the vegetables by the time I was done. It was all in the stock, where you want it. I definitely pushed as much of the juice from the veggies through the sieve that I could.
If you can pick up a sieve, it is great for so many things and will allow you to get a finer strain on stocks, soups, custards, etc. than a colander does.
Gwen
I like the recipe and the idea of roasting the veggies. Odd request of non-CA bay leaves. I’m anxious to try the recipe. Since I’ve been doing more canning lately I was wondering how long will the stock last if I can it?
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for the comment. As far as the CA bay leaves, I thought it was odd, too. Denise left looking it up and said that they are more bitter and have a bit of a menthol taste, which can’t be good in most dishes. I was disappointed to hear that since they are the only bay leaves available fresh at Whole Foods. I guess I’ll go back to dried ones.
As far as canning the stock, it should last for at least a year. That is the general rule when canning, if everything is done properly. Just be sure to mark the date you made it and processed it on the jar.
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Gwen
Yummy!!!
What a perfect post for the first “cold” day in Austin. This stock looks so good, my friend! Thank you for sharing such a delectable base to soups and stews. I’ve missed visiting here, and I’m glad that I’m able to type again! Take care and many blessings.
Hi Monet,
I am so glad that you are able to type again. I hope your healing process goes well.
Gwen
This looks fantastic!
I am looking forward to making a batch this weekend.
I can smell everything roasting already!
Thanks
Every time I come here I can’t help but imagine the amazing pantry and stock room you must have. So many hand maxes essential from canning to flavorful stocks. I would loved to be let loose in your pantry. GREG
Hi Greg,
You know that you are welcome to come and visit whenever you can! We would have lots of fun in the pantry, freezer and wine cellar! 😉
Gwen
I love your recipe for chicken stock (made it twice already), so I have to try this one. I bet anything that your vegetable stock recipe came from Gourmet magazine-every recipe they print using bay leaves specifies “not California”. I would be happy to send you some “not California” bay leaves from my trees!
Hi Sue,
So glad you enjoyed the chicken stock recipe. That is my favorite one and it has such great flavor.
I will not turn you down on the bay leaves from your trees! That would be great. 🙂
Yes, the recipe is from Gourmet. The credit is at the bottom of the recipe. It was in their November 2001 issue. Still gotta love Gourmet.
Gwen
This looks so fantastic and it can almost be mistaken for a soup!!! in itself 🙂
chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
I’m going to purchase a “chinois and pestle” type strainer. I had forgotten about them – my mother and grandmother both used them ages ago.
Wow! I wish it wasn’t 10pm! I’m tempted to get out of my jammies and to the store. The only thing I’m missing is the mushrooms. I’ll have to contain myself and save it for tomorrow though. I’m a huge proponent of stock in the freezer, but it’s usually chicken. I have a couple of bags of shrimp stock now, but this roasted veg stock looks absolutely incredible.
Thanks for posting this. I’m very excited!
I’ve got to do this. Just beautiful. I can’t wait.
For a nice pot of beef stew, would you suggest using this veggie stock or a beef one?
Hi Matt,
I think you can use either one for a beef stew, depending on the stock you use. I would suggest using a homemade vegetable stock (such as this one) to hold up against the beef flavors. Most canned or boxed versions are too light and will not give a proper depth of flavor to the beef stew. If you do not use homemade vegetable stock , I would definitely use beef stock. I always prefer organic and low sodium versions so that I can control the salt.
Gwen
Looks delicious. Would love for you to share your pictures with us over at foodepix.com.
oh! thanks for inspiration !! im going to make a huge pot of roasted beef stock and can it. jars, canner, ready just getting the veg and bones roasted… already smells awesome!
There is nothing better than homemade stock to elevate flavors in dishes. I can almost smell it, too. 😉