Vegetable Stock Paste
Adapted from Vegetable Stock Paste in the Thermomix Basic Cookbook and Homemade Vegetable Stock Paste by Elien Lewis at Home Grown Happiness.
Produce:
- any vegetables/scraps suitable for stock
- celery
- onion, garlic, parsley, any other herbs
Pantry/Fridge:
- olive oil or water
- dried bay leaf
- coarse sea salt
Makes 4 cups (1000 ml) of paste
How to use:
Dissolve 1 Tbs paste in 1 cup (250 ml) of water to make veg stock for adding flavour to cooked food.
Dissolve 1 Tbs paste in 2 cups (500 ml) of water to make veg broth to use as liquid in soups or for cooking grains.
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic*
- 1 brown onion*
- 2 stalks celery
- 700 g mix of other veg**
- 1 Tbs olive oil or 2 Tbs water
- 1/2 cup (150 g) natural coarse sea salt
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped other herbs***
Instructions
1. Peel and mince garlic. Finely chop onion, celery and 700 g mix of other vegetables suitable for stock (use a food processor if you have one).
2. In a large wide pot on med-high heat, drizzle 1 Tbs oil or 2 Tbs water****. Add all the chopped vegetables, 1/2 cup (150 g) coarse salt and 1 bay leaf. Cook until vegetables start to release their juices. Then turn up heat to high and cook uncovered until liquid is reduced by half (takes about 25 min), stirring frequently to prevent sticking to the bottom.
3. When vegetables are soft, add 1/2 cup chopped parsley and 1/4 cup chopped other herbs. Cook for further 2-3 min then remove from heat and leave to cool slightly.
4. Transfer contents of pot into a blender or food processor. Puree for about 1 min until it becomes a smooth paste, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Pour into airtight glass containers that hold about 200 ml each. Keep one container at a time in the refrigerator to use within 4 months. Store remaining containers in the freezer and use within 12 months.
5. The paste is a concentrated form of vegetable stock/broth. Use 1 Tbs of paste as you would use 1 store-bought stock cube. To make vegetable stock for adding flavour to cooked food, dissolve 1 Tbs of paste in 1 cup (250 ml) of water. To make vegetable broth for using as liquid in soups or for cooking grains, dissolve 1 Tbs of paste in 2 cups (500 ml) of water.
Notes:
* Do not use the outer skins of onions and garlic because they’ll need to be removed before blending into a paste and don’t impart much flavour.
** Suitable vegetables for stock include carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, parsnips, fennel and leeks. Limit the use of brassicas (e.g. broccoli, kale) because they can impart a bitter taste.
*** Use your choice of herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, dill or chives. You can use 2 tsp dried mixed herbs as a substitute for fresh herbs.
**** For water, use 2 Tbs in the pot initially. Add 1 Tbs more if it dries up, as often as needed.
You might also like these recipes:
Click on an ingredient below to find recipes by produce: