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

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