Basic Vegetable Broth
Feel free to make additions, subtractions, and substitutions in your vegetable broth. Leeks, spinach, turnips, mushrooms, and tomatoes are all good choices.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 5–6 cups
- 4 large onions, peeled and quartered
- 6 large carrots, peeled and quartered
- 3 large stalks celery, peeled and quartered
- 1 medium potato, peeled
- 1 cup cabbage, cut into eighths
- 5–6 peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 3 sprigs of parsley
- cups cold water
- Salt
Place all the ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour.
Allow the pot to cool, uncovered, off the heat for an hour or so. Strain the soup through a sieve or colander; then squeeze the solid ingredients so that the extra broth is collected (squeezing inside a cheesecloth works really well).
Strain again through cheesecloth for clearer broth. Salt to taste. Freezes well.
