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Fastest Vegetable Stock

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Makes About 2 quarts 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 large carrots
  • 2 large onions
  • 1 large russet potato
  • 4 celery stalks
  • 5 or 6 cloves garlic
  • 8 ounces button or cremini mushrooms
  • 3 or 4 ripe or canned whole roma (plum) tomatoes
  • 1 small bunch fresh parsley or at least 5 parsley stems
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. Put 10 cups water in your largest pot and bring to a boil.
  2. After rinsing or scrubbing and trimming the vegetables as necessary, cut them like this and drop them into the pot as you work:
    Peel 4 carrots if you like; cut them into thick coins.
    Leave the skin on the 2 onions, but quarter them.
    Cut 1 potato (with the skin) into big chunks.
    Halve or quarter 4 celery stalks.
    Toss in 5 or 6 trimmed (but not peeled) cloves garlic.
    Halve 8 ounces mushrooms if they’re big.
    Halve 3 or 4 fresh tomatoes; leave the canned tomatoes whole but reserve their juice for another use.
    Toss 1 bunch parsley right in.
  3. Bring the water back to a boil, then adjust the heat so the water bubbles steadily without splattering everywhere. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how much time you have and your taste. The longer it goes, the deeper the flavor.
  4. Set a colander or large strainer over a heatproof bowl or another pot big enough to hold at least 2 quarts.
  5. When you’ve decided the stock is ready, carefully pour or ladle it into the colander or strainer, including the vegetables. Lift the colander out of the liquid if necessary and press on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Taste and add salt to taste. Use right away or put in airtight containers (different sizes are handy, as is filling an ice cube tray with stock). Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 6 months.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast