What is mirepoix and what ingredients can you use to make stock? Chef Doreece shows us how to make vegetable stock with three main ingredients: onion, carrots, and celery. You can also use vegetable peelings, stalks, and leaves that tend to be thrown away but are great for adding flavor and nutritional value. By saving and using your veggies and meat scraps to make stock is a great way to reduce food waste and stretch your grocery money.
Vegetable Stock
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes 3-4 quarts
Ingredients:
4 medium onions, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
3-6 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Optional
8 ounces crimini (baby bella) or button mushrooms, halved if large
1 small fennel bulb, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
**Use whatever vegetable scraps you have: tops from carrots, celery leaves, onion skin, mushroom stems, tomato cores, etc. You want apprx. 10-12 cups of vegetables. Try to avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes.
**Common ratio to mirepoix (onions/carrots/celery) 50%/25%/25%.
For example, 1 cup onion+½ cup carrots+½ cup celery= Mirepoix
Preparation:
- Add all ingredients to a large pot. Cover with enough water to stir the vegetables.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until stock is reduced by half, 1-1 1/2 hours.
- Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. DO AHEAD: Stock can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool completely, then cover and chill, or freeze for up to 3 months.
**Stock can be used to make soups, sauces, gravies, or drank by its lonesome.
Click here for more pantry staple recipes page.
