When you are cooking for vegetarians, you’ll want to use a good vegetable broth rather than chicken broth for your soups. Most canned vegetable broths are dominated by one flavor ometimes mushrooms, sometimes carrots, sometimes tomatoes. This broth is balanced in flavor and should serve as a good all-purpose foundation for soups, stews, and sauces.
Ingredients
- 2 carrots, quartered
- 2 leeks, trimmed and quartered
- 1 large onion, quartered
- ¼ small head cabbage, trimmed and quartered
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch parsley
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
- 4 quarts water
- 1 cup dry white wine
- tablespoon black peppercorns
- Salt (optional)
How to Make It
- Combine the carrots, leeks, onion, cabbage, fennel, garlic, parsley, thyme, and mushrooms in a large soup pot. Add the water. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the wine and peppercorns and continue to simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Strain and discard all the solids.
- Season to taste with salt, if desired. Use immediately or cool, then refrigerate. The broth will keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator or for up to 6 months in the freezer.