Use-it-up vegetable stock
This simple recipe is a clever way to stop any of those vegetable odds and ends going to waste. Use the stock to make a ramen, soup or stew.
Ingredients
- 600–700g/1lb 5oz–1lb 9oz vegetable odds and ends (such as carrots, onion, garlic, fennel, squash, parsnips, green beans, turnip, celery, spring onions or ginger)
- 15g/½oz dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
Method
Place the vegetables, dried mushrooms, peppercorns and bay leaves (if using) in a large saucepan and cover with 2.5 litres/4½ pints water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 3 hours until infused.
Pour the stock through a sieve into a large container, discarding the vegetables (or see tips). Leave to cool and keep in the fridge until ready to use, or decant into smaller containers and freeze in separate portions.
Recipe Tips
You can also store the odds and ends of vegetables in a bag in the freezer and cook the stock with frozen vegetables. Fennel stalks, celery ends and leaves, carrot ends, mushroom stalks, parsley stalks, onion skin that's partially brown (not the papery parts) – all these trimmings work a treat.
Blend the boiled vegetables with 750ml/26fl oz of the stock and turn it into a thick vegetable soup.
You can make this stock into a ramen by adding extra ginger or star anise to the boiling process. Stir through some miso paste when ready, and add your choice of noodles, herbs, boiled eggs, tofu, vegetables or meat.
You can also use it as the base for phos, curries, sauces, stews or broths. Or, heat it up for a warming, savoury drink.