Preparing vegetable stock at home is so easy, simmer the vegetables in water and filter it ~ your Vegetable stock is ready. Moreover, we are going to prepare with no oil and salt. I admit the store-bought is so handy, but you have control over the amount of sodium and the fat used.
Importantly, you can prepare this stock on weekends and use it for the whole week. Let’s welcome the Fall with Warm and flavorful soups. You can use the stock to cook lentils, soups, and to cook grains.
Important ingredients to prepare the stock
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Ginger & Garlic
- Any herb of your choice
- Bay leaf and peppercorns
You can use other vegetables like zucchini, fennel, cucumber, mushrooms, beans, or any herbs. The base is onion and celery. Do not avoid it.
Vegetables to avoid, For instance, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, okra which makes the stock so cloudy because of the starch in it. Beet changes the color of the stock too. Your vegetable stock should be a transparent, clear liquid.
Benefits of the ingredients (source)
More than referring to the benefits of each ingredient, I am going to mention the benefit of vegetable stock here. It has phytochemicals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and vital minerals found in the vegetables. Aids in weight loss and great for detox your body.
Preparing stock
Firstly, we are going to use an Instant pot for preparing vegetable stock. Heat water to steep vegetables for a longer time and strain it. If using less water the stock will be more concentrated, more water there will be no flavor.
Storing vegetable stock
It can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days. However, split them into smaller portions to freeze.
Recipes for soups using stock
Butternut squash soup
Barley tomato-based soup with beans and veggies
Vegetable stock
Materials
- 1 onion yellow or red cubed
- 3 celerey chopped roughly
- 2 carrots chopped roughly
- 1/2 zuchini chopped roughly
- 1/2 cucumber chopped roughly
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 inch ginger crushed
- 1 inch turmeric or powder, optional
- few cilantro crushed
- lemon peel few
- 1 tsp black peppercorn
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in the Instant pot and cover the lid and make sure the valve is in sealing postion.
- Click on soup mode under high pressure for 30 minutes. When the cooking ends, let the steam release naturally to steep more. You can release the pressure too.
- Open the lid, strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and discard the vegetables.
- Let it cool completely, store in fridge or freezer.
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