VEGETABLE BROTH (MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS)

Homemade broth is more economical than buying ready-made vegetable broth and requires very little effort. This is a low-sodium broth that is suitable for any of the recipes in this book. Mushroom and parsley stems add depth of flavor. Keep them on hand for making broth by saving the stems from mushrooms and parsley as you use them and keep them stored in airtight containers (I use zip-top freezer bags) in the freezer. That way, you’ll always have some on hand to make broth.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 onions coarsely chopped
8 garlic cloves crushed
10 cups water
6 carrots coarsely chopped
6 celery ribs coarsely chopped
1 cup mushroom stems or 2 dried mushrooms
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley stems
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, cover, and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the water, carrots, celery, mushroom stems, parsley stems, thyme, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and decrease the heat to medium. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the broth is well flavored, about 30 minutes. Strain the broth into a large bowl using a colander. Press on the vegetables in the colander to release as much liquid as possible. Discard or compost the vegetables. Strain the broth using a fine-mesh strainer.
Store the broth in airtight 2-cup containers so they are easy to use in recipes. The broth will keep well for up to a week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.