For dishes where vegetables are the star, or when cooking for vegetarians, vegetable stock is a better choice than chicken stock because of its lighter, sweeter flavor. Avoid using onion skins and carrot tops as they’ll make the stock bitter; trimming or peeling other vegetables is optional. Scrub or rinse all vegetables well, especially if they’re not peeled.

YIELDS ABOUT 1 QUART

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter or olive oil
• 2 cups large-diced yellow onion
• 2 cups large-diced outer stalks celery
• 1 cup large-diced leek tops
• 1 cup large-diced fennel tops or bulbs
• 3/4 cup large-diced carrot
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
• 8 stems fresh parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 cups cold water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the butter or oil over medium-low heat in a large stockpot.
2. Add the onion, celery, leeks, fennel, carrot, and garlic.
3. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened and released their juices, about 30 minutes (don’t let them brown).
4. Add enough cold water to just cover the vegetables, about 4 cups.
5. Tie the parsley and thyme in a cheesecloth bundle and add it to the stock.
6. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook without stirring until the stock is flavorful, about 45 minutes (adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer).
7. Strain the stock immediately through a fine sieve, pressing gently on the vegetables.
8. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to 6 months.

ADD FLAVOR WITH A BOUQUET GARNI:

• Bouquets garni(pronounced boo-kay gahr-nee) are little bundles of herbs and spices tied together with twine or wrapped in cheesecloth. These packets can be added to soups, stocks, sauces, braises, or any other dish with a lot of liquid and a long simmer. A bouquet garni keeps all of the herbs together, making them a cinch to remove before serving. Parsley, thyme, and bay leaf are the standard trio—use 4 or 5 parsley stems, a sprig or two of thyme, and a bay leaf. You can tie a bouquet garni with twine, but if you’re using small spices like peppercorns or cloves, or if you’re worried about thyme leaves getting into a clear soup, you should bind everything in cheese cloth.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER 1 CUP:

• 50 CALORIES | 2g PROTEIN | 2g CARB | 4.5g TOTAL FAT | 2.5g SAT FAT | 1g MONO FAT | 0g POLY FAT | 10mg CHOL | 0mg SODIUM | 0g FIBER