 I hate buying vegetable broth or stock. I find most store-bought versions contain bell peppers which, to me, overpowers the taste of my recipes. I end up with bell pepper-flavored soups, etc. and I can't stand it! Not to mention they're often loaded with unnecessary ingredients or preservatives. And cost more than they should. Making my own vegetable broth is super easy and I use onion, carrot, and celery straight from my garden as the trinity of flavors. This trinity is referred to as "Mirepoix" in French cooking; the aromatic blend created when combining these three vegetables.
I prefer to make bulk batches of beans and vegetable stock all at once. With the equipment and ingredients already at hand, I figure it's wise to just make it all in the same session rather than bit by bit. This is a bulk recipe for large stock pots. You can use multiple pots to accommodate the recipe or cut in half if needed. The skin of the onion and garlic are left on as they contain many minerals and nutrients beneficial to human health. They also serve as a coloring agent. INGREDIENTS 10 gallon stock pot filled 3/4 of the way full with water (roughly 7.5 gallons) 2 onions, quartered, skin on (may also use 2 cups chopped shallots or leeks) 1 bunch celery leaves, coarsely chopped 4-5 carrots, washed and halved 6 cloves of garlic, pressed, paper on salt and pepper DIRECTIONS Combine the water and remaining ingredients into the stock pot. Season with salt and pepper generously. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. While cooking, and once the vegetables are softened, occasionally mash the contents of the pot with a potato masher. This releases more flavor from the vegetables into the stock. While broth is simmering, sterilize and warm pint-sized canning jars. This recipe yields roughly 25 pints of stock. This may be a good time to prep your pressure canner according to canner directions. Once the stock has finished simmering, remove from heat and ladle spoonfuls of stock through a mesh sieve or strainer into the canning jars. Leave 1/2" of headspace in each jar. Wipe the rim of every jar before adding new lids and bands. The bands should be finger tight. Place the jars of stock into the pressure canner. The processing time is 20 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. Adjust to accommodate your altitude according to canner instructions. Because my canner only fits 16 pints at a time, I pressure canned my 25 jars in separate batches. Once the pressure canning process is completed, jars should be allowed to cool and set on a towel-lined countertop for 24 hours. Ensure all jars are well sealed before storing in a cool, dry location. This stock should be consumed within one year. Yields: Roughly 25 pints of stock This is a pressure canning recipe, not to be substituted with water canning or processing.  If fire cider was a soup. This is the wicked spicy version of Italian penicillin soup (aka pastina) I make when feeling sick. I take the age old pastina soup remedy up several notches by adding extra garlic, fresh ginger, hot chilis, lemon juice, and black pepper. Plus I add reishi mushroom powder to offer the body extra support (it’s an adaptogen). When I get a bowl of this into my system 2-3x a day when sick, nasty bugs head for the hills fast. Unlike traditional pastina where a portion of the soup is blended and then returned to the stockpot as a thickener, there's no blending here. When I'm not feeling 100%, I want a quick one-pot meal with as little prep as possible. Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium white onion, chopped 1 heaping tablespoon garlic, minced crushed red pepper to taste (I use about two teaspoons) 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced 2 large carrots, washed and sliced or diced 4 cups vegetable broth 3 cups water 1/3 cup pastina or orzo salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon dried oregano or parsley 1 teaspoon reishi mushroom powder juice of 1 lemon Directions Add olive oil to a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and ginger, and stir. Allow to cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the sliced carrots and cook one minute more. Pour in the vegetable stock and water. Bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, stir in the orzo or pastina and add the salt, pepper, and parsley or oregano. Stir. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the reishi mushroom powder along with the lemon juice. Serve warm. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and reheated as individual servings. Here's why I've included what I've added to the classic Italian penicillin recipe:
Permaculture Tip: I use homegrown ingredients for this soup and make my own vegetable stock. Crops that are deemed too small or imperfect are great for drying or freezing, and then using in soups and homemade broths later on, all winter long. And, yes, I even grow my own ginger. Homegrown ginger does well in a sunny windowsill for those of us in cold climates. *Panossian, Alexander and Wikman, George (2010) Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress—Protective Activity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 3(1): 188–224.   This butternut squash soup recipe is the only one you'll ever need. You can easily substitute pumpkin or acorn squash for the butternut and the sweet potato adds a little flavor boost. Don't let the fact that this recipe is vegan deter you; it's seriously delicious. Or just swap half and half cream for the coconut milk if you really can't get on board.
Ingredients 2 Tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper 2 Butternut squash, sliced and seeds removed* 1 sweet potato, halved lengthwise 1 white onion, halved 6 cloves garlic, peeled 2 cups coconut milk 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 Tablespoons curry powder 1 teaspoon thyme, dried 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder vegetable stock for thinning the soup of needed Directions Heat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sliced squash, sweet potato and onion on the sheet. Roast for 25 minutes. Open the oven and add the garlic cloves to the sheet. Roast for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Once cool to the touch, scoop the flesh from the squash and sweet potato. Discard the skins and place the flesh into a blender. Add the roasted garlic, onion and coconut milk and purée until smooth. Pour the soup base into a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the maple syrup and seasonings and bring to a simmer. Heat thoroughly for 10 minutes and thin with vegetable stock if desired. Ladle into bowls and serve. *The seeds can be saved and served as a garnish for the soup. Simply remove any pulp, rinse with water and toss to coat with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast while the squash and sweet potato cook for 8-10 minutes.  Already this year we’ve had the flu in our house. And strep. And colds. My go-to strategy for quick healing is a super hot detox bath and a whole lot of Healing Ginger Broth. This recipe is filled with loads of antimicrobials, antibacterials and antioxidants. Use as a base for soup or do what I do and just drink the broth right out of a mug.
Ingredients 8 cups water 2 large carrots sliced 6 cloves garlic, whole 1 medium onion, quartered 1 leek, halved 1-1” chunk of ginger, sliced Salt and pepper Fresh parsley to taste Directions Throw everything in a large stockpot and simmer for 1 hour. Strain out the solids and leave the broth. |
So what do you do with all that food you grow? This blog has some ideas.
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