Many of the savory recipes in my cookbook call for the addition of veggie stock. Vegetable stock or broth adds another level of depth and flavor to just about any dish. Not all purchased broths are the same…they vary widely in quality and flavor. I am really picky about how my dishes taste, and my favorite so far is Organic Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base.
So a few days ago, I was in the kitchen getting ready to make a seitan dish…when I realized I was all out of my vegetable base. I feel that anything you make from scratch is always going to be better than store bought. (But I break down and usually buy store bought, because it eliminates some steps during meal preparation.) On this particular evening, I really had no desire to go to the store for just one item…so I decided to make some homemade veggie stock with ingredients that I had on hand in my refrigerator. And it turned out super-souper delicious!
You can make stock with whatever veggie ingredients you have on hand…and according to your taste. If you don’t like something, just eliminate it and add something else. Even though this veggie stock recipe has butternut squash in it, it didn’t affect the flavor of the dish I was making…in fact, it greatly enhanced it. So just add or take away what sounds good to you.
Also, this stock is so versatile…here are some other ideas on how you can use it:
*Pour it over the top of your pup’s food (omit the onion from the recipe).
*Cook your rice or quinoa in it (in place of water).
*Make a little thicker stock, and pour it over pasta.
*Add some plant milk and Garlic Cashew Cheese for a delicious soup.
*Drink cold for breakfast (yup, it’s really delicious cold).
*Use it as a sauce for lettuce wraps.
SUPER-SOUPER EASY VEG STOCK
Ingredients:
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-½ onion, chopped
-1 cup butternut squash (raw), peeled and chopped
-1 carrot, peeled and chopped
-4 dry farmed tomatoes or 1 large heirloom tomato
-¾ cup of corn, fresh or frozen
-3 cups of water
-Sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Place all ingredients (except salt and pepper) in a pot. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat so it just simmers. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked through, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place stock in a sealed container in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
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