Light vegetable stock

Fresh Vegetable stock

This light stock is suitable for vegetarian dishes and for fish, poultry or meat recipes when a delicate flavour is required.

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time  1 hour

Makes about 1.75 litres

Ingredients

1 tbsp canola oil

250 g leeks, white part only, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 large bay leaf

Several springs of fresh thyme

Several springs of fresh parsley, stalks bruised

250 g carrots, chopped

3 large celery stalks with any leaves, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

2 litres water

5 black peppercorns

Preparation :

1 Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan or stockpot. Add the leeks and onion, stir well and reduce the heat to low. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave the vegetables to sweat for about 20 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally but without lifting the lid.

2 Add the bay leaf, thyme, parsley, carrots, celery and salt. Pour in the water and increase the heat to high. Bring slowly to the boil, skimming the surface of the liquid to remove any scum.

3 As soon as the water boils and all the scum has been removed, add the peppercorns and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes.

4 Strain the stock into the large heatproof bowl and set it aside to cool. Use at once or cool and then chill until required. The stock will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Some more ideas.....

Because this stock is mild and has a light flavour, it works well when used as a cooking liquid for rice and pasta and adds useful nutrients to the meal. Freeze it in 1 cup ( 250 ml ) portions ready to thaw when needed. Bring to the boil before use.

You can adjust the herbs to change the flavour of the stock. If you cook a lot of Asian-style meals, use herbs such as coriander, lemon grass and Kaffir lime leaves instead of the parsley, thyme and bay leaf.

Health points

✔ Parsley was used in Greek times for medicinal purposes. It is rich in nutrients, particularly vitamin C. Just a small of parsley can make a significant contribution to the daily requirement for vitamin C.