Inspired by some celery and carrots laying about in the fridge that I knew weren't going to be eaten otherwise, I decided to have a go at making homemade vegetable stock. And then from stock, to soup. I first brushed with vegetable oil and then roasted the vegetables (onion, garlic, celery, carrot) in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It took just over half an hour for the skin on the carrots and celery to start bubbling; a bit of charring is fine too. I used a whole garlic bulb; slice the top of it off to facilitate the later creation of garlic paste. Roasting the vegetables really boosts their flavor in preparation for some long, slow simmering. Once the vegetables are finished roasting, put all of them into a large enough pot (or in this case, saucepan). Keep the skins on, as this will also enhance the broth's flavor. Cover the vegetables with water and add a bundle of fresh herbs tied together with cooking twine. I used thyme, basil, and sage, which grow in my little container garden. Add one bay leaf, bring to a boil, and simmer for a nice long time.
I decided to keep it all covered, instead of letting the water boil off, since I was planning on using it shortly thereafter and saw no sense in just having to add more water to the soup. Two or three hours later, I removed all solids from the broth with a slotted spoon into a colander positioned over a large bowl. The garlic I reserved on the side in a smaller bowl. All other vegetables were pressed with a wooden spoon to extract the last of their juices into the large bowl, to be reunified with the broth in the saucepan. These vegetables were then discarded. The garlic was squeezed out of its skin (the skin discarded) and mashed into a paste with a fork. This paste then went back into the broth. I stored the broth in a tupperware container until I was ready to make vegetable soup.
Soup Ingredients
1 lb carrots, tops discarded and sliced
8 oz baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen corn
1 lb canned diced tomatoes
8 oz kale greens
4 cups homemade vegetable broth*
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (optional: if omitted, this soup becomes vegan)
2 tbsp black ground pepper
1 tsp dried oregano flakes
1 squirt Sriracha sauce (optional)
water, to cover vegetables
*There are very good vegetable bouillon cubes available at the grocery store; I had some of my mother's excellent vegetable soup this past weekend and she had used bouillon. I cannot speak for its sodium content, however.
To make the soup, place all of the above ingredients except for the kale into your pot, stir, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour or until carrots are soft, stirring occasionally. Add kale and stir in, cooking for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.
I was extremely pleased with the results of this soup, and I think you will be too, if you try to use this recipe!
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