One of the more satisfying things about roasting a chicken is the aftermath, when Iโve picked every piece of meat off its bones, laid down the jus-slicked roasting dish for my lucky, licky dogs, and then plunked a big Dutch Oven on the stovetop, ready to receive the carcass for a rich and hearty stock.
Sometimes Iโll make that stock in the slow cooker overnight, sometimes I only have two or three hours to simmer the bones with onions, carrots, celery or whatever else is lying around. But no matter what the method, the reward is always the same: A flavorful, deep chicken stock to elevate soups, polenta, risottos, and braises. Knowing a batch is in the freezer is money in the bank.
Ever since our Weekday Vegetarian undertaking, though, obviously this does not happen as frequently, and I miss it. I miss the ritual and I really miss the stock and the depth it brings to otherwise boring dishes. Iโve experimented with many many store-bought and homemade vegetarian stocks, but everything has left me somewhat underwhelmed.
Until last weekend when I discovered the trick for a hearty homemade broth: roasting the vegetables before theyโre simmered. I had an embarrassing amount of unused vegetables left in my CSA bag โ zucchini, large scallions, bell peppers, even some end-of-the-season corn, so I put them to good use. tossing them with onions, mushrooms, peppers, and various odds-and-ends from the crisper drawer, olive oil, salt, and pepper right on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roasting at 400ยฐF for about a half hour. It was just enough to concentrate their flavors before I slid everything into a Dutch oven, covered with water, and simmered for another 2 hours with a Parm heel and a bay leaf.
Iโve used it to make a farro-risotto (recipe on the way) and a vegetarian version of my beloved tortilla soup. Iโm not sure whatโs on the menu this week, but itโs sure nice to know that stock is there.
This is great! Iโll have to try this, I love making my own stock but havenโt tried a vegetable stock. Just curious โ have you found a go-to store-bought veg stock for when youโre in a pinch? Iโve tried a few, but thereโs always something off about them.
I have always had the same problem. Maybe I should do a road-testโฆ
I think the Better than Bouillon brand concentrates are very good. They even have vegetarian chicken & beef stocks.
I like Imagine vegetarian broth. Their No Chicken broth is good, too, and my veg son accepts it.
is it vegetarian if thereโs a parm heel in there?
Vegetarian, yes. Vegan, no.
Technically no
Parm cheese is made with animal rennet
But, but I still love chicken [shame face]
Better Than Bouillon has several vegan stocks that I like โ No Chicken, No Beef, and Seasoned Vegetable. I havenโt tried the mushroom (itโs not vegan) or the Roasted Garlic yet.
I love the Serious Eats vegetable stock- Kenji gets pretty specific, but the keys seem to be the dried mushrooms and the addition of kombu, a dried kelp that add umami. I get both at a local Asian grocery store, and they keep long enough and add enough flavor to the stock to be worth the occasional extra trip.
Also, regarding the question about the parm heel- it may be vegetarian, but depending on the brand it may not be as some Parmesan is cultured using rennet from calves stomachs. So itโs brand dependent, though I think vegetarian rennet is becoming more common.
Youโre like the *good* Regina George to me. Iโm just over here like Jenny Rosenstrach became a weekend day vegetarian, so I became a weekday vegetarian. Every time I make something that someone wants the recipe to, Iโm like oh itโs DALS.
i love having stock in the freezer, but sadly have a tiny freezer so for a few years now i make a huge batch of 101 cookbooks homemade buolion and use that instead. a large jar in the fridge lasts for quite a few months. its not as good as homemade stock but it means i always have somthing on hand and no need to defrost.
What a cool idea, thanks for sending me over there to explore. For the rest of you, hereโs the link:
https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/homemade-bouillon-recipe.html
I was just thinking about making veggie broth! Never thought to roast the veggies though, will have to try this!
Think about making chicken stock, the layer of fat that rises to the top (and is often skimmed off, and can be used for cooking). That fat has a role in dissolving other flavors as the carcass simmers, Iโm pretty sure. Instead of roasting the vegetables, consider browning them on the stovetop in some oil before adding liquid. Also, I would typically go heavy on the alliums in the stock. To bring out meaty umami notes, of course, more mushrooms, including some dried mushrooms (although the mushroom flavor can dominate, so if you want a more delicate sauce, scratch that idea). Our coop used to sell sad vegetables at a deep discount and I made veggie stock all the timeโฆ Now I lean more toward poultry stockโIโm lucky that I can find stew birds at my farmersโ market, and often โsoup bonesโ (stripped of marketable breasts and thighs, but still with some other meat on them). Worth asking around to see if you can find some.
I usually try to be an industrious cook by saving bits and bobs of carrots, onions, celery, and other veg (zucchini, bell peppers, etc) that would be good for stock. I add to a bag in the freezer gradually and when itโs full, I make either chicken or veg stock. I wonder how defrosting the veg bits and then roasting them would doโฆ
This is my question, too! Would love to know if anyone has tried it.