Veggie Broth

[HollyBearsMom]

How do you all make a good hearty veggie broth??  I am making my "famous" 7 onion bisque but want to make it vegetarian so my niece can enjoy it it too.

For the last few months I have been saving my leftover bits and and pieces of veggies so I ended with least 6 cups of assorted veggies-broccoli, kale and other leafy greens, onions, zucchini, scallions, celery, carrots, peppers, winter squashes, etc. I also added a whole head of garlic, and assorted herbs-bayleaf, thyme and a few others.  Lots of S/P too. The results-blah, totally blah.

I was thinking I should have roasted the veggies first?  Sauteed the onions in olive oil?  Something.

But instead of wasting any more perfectly good veggies I figured I would come talk to the experts! 

Any and all recipes wanted!

[HollyBearsMom]

bump

anyone??

[NiteNicole]

I haven't any idea and I hope someone else can help you out...and if you felt moved to share the details of this bisque, I wouldn't mind hearing them.

[Italiamom]

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

How do you all make a good hearty veggie broth??

Salt.  Lots and lots of salt.

Edited by Italiamom - 4/5/11 at 8:03pm

[Mama2mc]

Would something like this help? http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/magazine/06eat-t.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=homepage I generally prepare very similar soups and broths, very tasty!

[mumkimum]

For a vegetarian onion soup - you might want to try using a mushroom broth.  It'll be earthier, heartier and is suited pretty well to onion soups.

THIS is a basic mushroom broth recipe,  The dried mushrooms make a big difference.  You could always do a more multipurpose veg stock with dried mushrooms too - they'll add a significant amount of flavor.  

Enough salt and highly flavored whole spices (like whole peppercorn, star anise maybe especially in a mushroom broth) will help too.

[HollyBearsMom]

Originally Posted by NiteNicole 

I haven't any idea and I hope someone else can help you out...and if you felt moved to share the details of this bisque, I wouldn't mind hearing them.

Here is the recipe. It is REALLY good!

Onion Bisque

I head garlic, peeled and separated

2 TBS olive oil, divided

2 Tsp butter

3 cups Vidalia onions, thinly sliced

1 ½ cup Maui or Walla Walla onions (if not available use yellow or more Vidalia)

1 cup leeks, chopped

1 ¼ cup scallions, chopped

¼ cup dry white wine

5 cup chicken or beef stock

1 cup chives, chopped

2/3 cup sour cream (low fat ok)

S/P to taste

Preheat oven to 300

Toss garlic cloves with 1 TBS olive oil, spread on baking sheet and roast until very tender, aprox 15 minutes, set aside

In a large heavy bottom stock pot add rest of olive and butter.  Over med heat, heat until butter melts.  Reduce heat to med low and add the onions.  Cook onions, stirring often until caramelized and deep brown in color. 

Add leek and scallion and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.

Add roasted garlic and deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan.

Add chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in chives.  Let cool slightly. Add sour cream and then puree with an immersion blender.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer to food processor and puree in batches and return to pan.

[HollyBearsMom]

Originally Posted by Mama2mc 

Would something like this help? http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/magazine/06eat-t.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=homepage I generally prepare very similar soups and broths, very tasty!

Originally Posted by mumkimum 

For a vegetarian onion soup - you might want to try using a mushroom broth.  It'll be earthier, heartier and is suited pretty well to onion soups.

THIS is a basic mushroom broth recipe,  The dried mushrooms make a big difference.  You could always do a more multipurpose veg stock with dried mushrooms too - they'll add a significant amount of flavor.  

Enough salt and highly flavored whole spices (like whole peppercorn, star anise maybe especially in a mushroom broth) will help too.

Both the veggie broth recipes call for dried mushrooms.   Why didn't I think of that?!?  That would add a whole layer of flavor and really intensify the broth.

thank you thank you thank you!

[Adaline'sMama]

I use Better than Bullion organic veggie concentrate from the health food store. Veggie stock is hard to make and it requires so much salt.

[happyhippie]

Hmmm, I think the combo was probably off. 

I make ours with the mirepoix. Onions, celery, carrots, sea salt. I just store them up. Boil when ready. Drain with cheese cloth. Did you save the celery leaves? They have a lot of flavor in them.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by Adaline'sMama 

I use Better than Bullion organic veggie concentrate from the health food store. Veggie stock is hard to make and it requires so much salt.

I love this stuff except we've put our daughter on a gluten free diet and the veggie flavor is made with soy sauce (which has wheat in it.) PLUS I learned that autolyzed yeast extract is basically MSG. (So is most nutritional yeast.) I am searching out a powder or paste boullion that doesn't have MSG in it and it is pretty impossible to find.

[Snowflower]

For a yummy hearty veggie broth you shouldn't use overpowering veggies like broccoli kale and such. I like to do a roasted veg broth with garlic onions tomato turnip parsnip small amount of beet and celery. don't roast the celery though. after roasting the veggies pour in enough water to cover the veggies and add the celery. add bay bay leaves and maybe a couple whole peppercorns and cloves. Bring to a boil then let simmer for an hour. Do Not cook for more than an hour though. Drain promptly with a strainer and freeze. ice cube trays work well. it takes awhile but good and worth it. add a cube to sauces, soups, etc. There are a lot of different kinds of veggie broth recipes out there, depending on the flavor you are going for. Personally, I don't like to add much salt if any to stock because I will just add it to the soup along with the other spices. Online will always have a ton of good ideas too. hth!

[SundayCrepes]

So glad to have found this thread. I am searching for a good broth recipe. This thread inspired me to look around. I thought I'd share some of what I found tonight.

Broth with caramelized vegetables. http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/worlds-greatest-vegetable-broth/Detail.aspx

http://veganyumyum.com/2008/10/homemade-vegetable-broth/

crockpot recipe http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/20/Vegetable_Broth57444.shtml

Pressure cooker recipe. Read the reviews after this one. Lots of good ideas. http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/flavorful-vegetable-stock/

[HollyBearsMom]

thank you! I bookmarked them for future use!

BTW- my remake came out so much better! My niece loved it!

I basically used a combination of the recipes noted above and then added this bouillon that I completely forgot I had. I brought it home from our last trip to Italy. 

http://www.salumeriaitaliana.com/catalog/pantry/salt-seasonings/star-porcini-dadi-mushroom-bouillon-cubes
 

Originally Posted by SundayCrepes 

So glad to have found this thread. I am searching for a good broth recipe. This thread inspired me to look around. I thought I'd share some of what I found tonight.

Broth with caramelized vegetables. http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/worlds-greatest-vegetable-broth/Detail.aspx

http://veganyumyum.com/2008/10/homemade-vegetable-broth/

crockpot recipe http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/20/Vegetable_Broth57444.shtml

Pressure cooker recipe. Read the reviews after this one. Lots of good ideas. http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/flavorful-vegetable-stock/

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

I basically used a combination of the recipes noted above and then added this bouillon that I completely forgot I had. I brought it home from our last trip to Italy. 

http://www.salumeriaitaliana.com/catalog/pantry/salt-seasonings/star-porcini-dadi-mushroom-bouillon-cubes
 

I looked at the website but couldn't find the ingredients listed. I fear it has gluten and/or MSG. Do you know if that's true?

[HollyBearsMom]

Originally Posted by SundayCrepes 

I looked at the website but couldn't find the ingredients listed. I fear it has gluten and/or MSG. Do you know if that's true?

Unfortunately I am sure that it does.  It was the last of it so threw away the box so can't check but I remember thinking that I am sure if its full of crap! But also remembered how great the tortellini in brodo tasted at our friends house which is what inspired me to buy some in the first place. None of seemed to have suffered any great effect but 2 cubes in a double recipe of soup would have been greatly diluted,  However I had an sensitivity I would avoid it.
 

[SundayCrepes]

I made a broth today. I read through all the links I posted earlier and the comments on them. My recipe (all veggies are chopped):

1 T olive oil

2 large onions

1 large red pepper

1 pound celery

1 pound carrots

1 package mushrooms

1 bunch spinach

a bunch of  parsley (from my garden)

3 cloves garlic

I sauteed the onions and pepper. I then chopped the celery and added it. Then the carrots, mushrooms, spinach, and parsley. I forgot to add the garlic earlier so added it at the end. (I don't add garlic while the onions are sauteeing as I think the garlic ends up burned.)

I added 16 cups of water. (This was too big for my crockpot, so I cooked on the stove.) I cooked it for about 8 hours then let it cool. It's in the fridge until I can portion it out tomorrow. I'll use a combination of ice cube trays for small amounts and ziplock bags for 1 cup measurements (I have another thread going that Ziplock brand bags are BPA, phthalate, and dioxin free.)

I don't know if I'd call the "hearty." It certainly tastes better than the cardboard boxes of veggie broth I've bought at Sunflower and Trader Joe's. It was better still when I put a bit in a cup and added salt. I'm not adding salt to the broth since I can add it to whatever I make with this. 

I made Curried Bean Soup with some of it tonight. It's not as good as when I was using better than boullion, but since it doesn't have msg, I'd expect that.

[SundayCrepes]

In case anyone is interested, I froze my broth (recipe above) today. I got almost 12 cups of broth. I figure it cost me about $7.50 for the veggies. That's about the same price (or less if not on sale) for boxed broth and it tastes better.

I had a pile of veggies left and considered what to do with them. Top choice was just to give them to the chickens. Then I decided to puree it and freeze it in ice cube trays. I can add it to recipes when I need flavor but not liquid. We'll see how it works.

[frugalmum]

Broccoli, leafy greens, and peppers will not give you a good veggie broth (maybe the peppers if the are roasted first).  Much too bitter!  Avoid cilantro too or even any large amount of fresh herb or it will be overpowering. I find I have to lean carrot - tomato based to get a savory broth.  The most important step-- I cannot stress this enough-- is to put the solids through a juicer at the end and add the resulting liquids back to the broth.  If you don't have a juicer then wring the solids with all your might through an old moistened towel or t-shirt.  This is my basic recipe for veggie broth:

1/4 cup olive oil

4 carrots, chopped

4 large stalks celery, chopped

1 very large onion (or 2 medium, or three small)

6 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole, crushed

1 28 oz can tomatoes

4 teaspoons (1tbs + 1 tsp dried thyme)

1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns

1/2 - 1 tsp salt (to taste)

12 cups water

I caramelize the carrots, celery. onion and garlic for about 40 minutes beforehand in the olive oil (don't burn, just brown), then simmer everything for about 2 hours, turn off the heat, allow it to steep at least an hour, then proceed to the straining/ juicing stage.  You HAVE to juice those solids to get an incredible broth, don't just throw them away.  At the end you should less than a cup of pulp left to throw away/ mulch.

You can add a few bay leaves too but remove them before the juicing step.

Ps-- you said you had been saving veggie scarps for months in the freezer-- this is another problem.  You should use fresh veggies for broth (other than canned tomato and dried herb) because frozen scraps might end up tasting like.... well, frozen scraps!  You can freeze the finished veggie broth successfully in the freezer for a few months without losing taste, though.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by frugalmum 

I find I have to lean carrot - tomato based to get a savory broth.  The most important step-- I cannot stress this enough-- is to put the solids through a juicer at the end and add the resulting liquids back to the broth.  If you don't have a juicer then wring the solids with all your might through an old moistened towel or t-shirt. 

I don' t have a juicer, but I have a blender. What if I blended the veggies and squeezed them out?