How To Cook Vegetable Stock

Vegetable stock is being used more and more in restaurants and at home to meet the dietary needs of health conscious individuals, vegetarians and vegans. Vegetable stock is basically vegetables simmered in water, sometimes with the addition of wine. If this sounds simple and straightforward, it’s because it is. However, there are some guidelines to take into consideration before making your vegetable stock.

Vegetable Stock Guidelines

• If you want to have a vegetable stock with a predominant flavor, a popular example being mushroom stock, add mostly mushrooms to your stock with smaller amounts complimentary vegetables (such as celery, carrots and onions), to help round out the flavors.

• Adding a sachet containing fresh herbs and spices will help add depth of flavor to your vegetable stock.

• Avoid using starchy vegetables such as potatoes or squash because they will make your stock cloudy. If a clear vegetable stock is not important for the application which you will be using it for, then starchy vegetables can be used at your discretion.

• Try avoiding strong flavored vegetables such as brussel sprouts, broccoli, and beets. They will overpower the flavor of your stock and can give it off odors. Also, vegetables that readily release their colors such as the aforementioned beets can dye your stock an unappetizing color.

• Avoid leafy green vegetables. When cooked for an extended period of time, their flavor and color structure break down making your vegetable stock a mucky army green and fairly unappetizing.

• Some chefs prefer to sweat their vegetables in butter or oil first to help release some of their flavors. This step can be omitted if so desired. Obviously if this stock were to be used to make a vegan dish, butter should not be used, (along with any other animal product).

• Cut you vegetables into a fine julienne or a medium dice. This will give your vegetables more surface area and allow their flavors to be more readily extracted.

• Simmer for 30-45 minutes. This will allow the stock to cook long enough to extract the flavors without them starting to break down.

Great Vegetables for Vegetable Stock

• Carrots
• Celery
• Onions (any color will do, or use a mix for more rounded flavors)
• Shallots
• Leeks: Use mostly the white part. Split lengthwise
• Mushrooms
• Parsnips

Note on Garlic: Garlic can add great flavor to your vegetable stock especially if you’re a raving garlic fan. In it’s raw state however, in can also add an unpleasant bitter bite to your stock. Roasting your garlic before adding it to your vegetable stock is one way to counteract this effect. Another is to first blanch your garlic.

Herbs Used For Vegetable Stocks

Note: When using herbs in vegetable stocks, they should always be fresh. Also consider that the amount and type of herbs you add will either add a background flavor, or if to much is used, can overpower the stock completely.

• Basil
• Thyme (classical favorite)
• Tarragon
• Parsley (classical favorite)
• Cilantro (Careful, could very easily overpower your stock)
• Rosemary (Can also overpower your stock if to much is used)
• Chervil
• Chives

Spices Used For Vegetable Stocks

• Whole Peppercorns (black or white)
• Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Cayenne (Use in very small amounts to help round out flavors)
• Ginger (Preferable fresh ginger root)
• Star Anise
• For Experimentation: No one says that your vegetable stock has to be boring, bland or classical. Some non-traditional spices that you can experiment with (at your own risk) are fresh vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Be creative and have some fun.

For more information, listen to the Free Culinary School Podcast Episode 2 which talks all about culinary stocks.

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