Roasted Vegetable Broth
Yield About 4 cups
Prep Time 20 minutes |
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Cook Time 180 minutes |
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Recipes are rated from 1 to 5 forks, with 1 fork being the easiest and 5 forks the most challenging.
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This vegetable broth has a deep and rich flavor and is perfect for hearty soups. There is also an option to make a flavorful vegetable broth without roasting the vegetables first. The choice depends on your taste and how you will use the broth.
Instructional images follow the recipe.
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Ingredients:
Main Ingredients:
- 2 Tbs Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbs low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 medium onion
- 2 large carrots - chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 large celery stalks - chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped mushroom - shitake, cremini, or white button
- 1 small red or yellow bell pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 medium tomatoes (I prefer to use Roma)
- 1 gallon water (you may need more)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (substitute 1 teaspoon dry thyme)
- 3 bay leaves
- 15 whole peppercorns
- 10 parsley stems
Optional Additions:
- 1 medium red beet
- 1 cup leek greens
- 5 large kale stems
- 1 small sweet potato - chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 chili peppers (hot or mild)
- 2 tsp other seasonings or spices (cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, etc.)
Special Equipment:
Large stock pot (8 quart pot)
Preparation Method:
Notes:
The base broth for any soup or gravy makes a difference in the finished product. When making a soup like pumpkin or butternut squash soup, you may want to add a diced sweet potato to the broth to enhance the flavor of the squash. When making a broth for Mexican style soup, you may want to add a Chile pepper and a teaspoon of cumin and coriander seeds.
For Italian soups, you may want to add a fennel seeds and red or yellow bell pepper (green bell peppers will result in a strong, somewhat bitter flavor). To simulate a beef broth, you may want to add a diced beet to give it a deeper earthy flavor and a darker color. When making Asian soups, you may want to use only shitake mushrooms, add a 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, or add a 4 inch strip of Kombu seaweed. There is no magic recipe for making a great broth; it comes down to the flavor profile you like.
Prep work:
Prepare the vegetables in the following manner.
Cut the onion into quarters. Chop the carrots and celery into 1 inch pieces. Cut the bell peppers into 8 equal size pieces. Lightly crush the garlic cloves. Slice the tomatoes in half. Cut any other vegetables you may be using into 1 or 2 inch chunks. The herbs and spices can be added as they are.
Method for regular broth (not roasted):
Add all ingredients to a large stock pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, remove from the heat and let cool about 30 minutes. Strain the broth into a separate pot using a large strainer and use immediately, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for later use.
Method for roasted vegetable broth:
Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Mix the tomato paste with soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of water in a large bowl. Place all of the vegetables in the bowl and toss or stir to coat the vegetables. Place the vegetables on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast the vegetables for 30 to 45 minutes, or until they become soft and begin to brown.
Add the vegetables to a large stock pot, along with the water and the herbs and spices. If necessary, add up to an additional 2 cups of water to fill the pot. Bring the broth to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the broth uncovered for 90 minutes, remove from the heat and let cool about 30 minutes. Strain the broth into a separate pot using a large strainer and use immediately, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for later use.
Tip: Do not put hot broth in the refrigerator. If you are refrigerating the broth, you should put the pot of strained broth in a cold water bath to reduce the temperature as quickly as possible before refrigerating.
Instructional Images:
Mix the soy sauce and tomato paste in a large bowl
Combine the soy sauce and tomato paste
Place the vegetables in the bowl and mix to coat the vegetables with the soy sauce and tomato paste mixture.
Spread the vegetables into a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 425° F for 30 minutes.
Place the vegatables into the pot along with all of the herbs and at least 1 gallon of water and simmer for 90 minutes.
Strain the broth
Chill the broth in a water bath before refrigerating if not using immediately
Enjoy!