Homemade Italian-Style Vegetable Stock

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 2 medium carrots
• 1-2 stalks of celery
• 1 small leek, white and light green part only
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• Parmigiano Reggiano rind, only
• 1 tbsp. flaky sea salt such as Maldon
• 10 cups water

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean, trim and peel all vegetables (pay close attention to the leeks, they can be very sandy).

2. 2

   Roughly chop the vegetables into large pieces; add them to a large pot. I use a wide, 5 quart braise pot.

3. 3

   Add the thyme springs, bay leaf and Parmigiano Reggiano rind.

4. 4

   Pour the water over the vegetables to cover.

5. 5

   Bring the soup to a boil. Add the salt.

6. 6

   Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, I like to remove the pot from the heat and let the stock sit on the stove for another hour. This gently infuses more flavor into the stock while it gradually cools down. Note: if you are using a different pot, not a wide, 5 quart braised like me, allow for more cooking time to reduce the stock if necessary.

7. 7

   Strain the soup, pressing down on the soft vegetables to release more liquid.

8. 8

   Store your homemade vegetable stock in a glass jar or plastic quart container.