Vegetable Stock

Alrighty, here we go with what might be a new phase...soup!  Our oldest son has informed us that he "no longer likes sandwiches for lunch"...and that he "only wants soup."  Eeks.  I know it's just him testing us, but I've also been wanting to make some fresh soups.  Our kids loves "Alphabet Soup" so I have been thinking about how to make our own homemade version.

Enter last week, when my Mother-in-Law came to visit.  She came bearing gifts, specifically a new cookbook for me.  Hello, awesome!  Started to flip through the book, and one of the first recipes I came across was "Vegetable Stock".  Perfect for my quest to make the kids a homemade alphabet soup. Here is the recipe:

Vegetable Stock (Source: My Father's Kitchen)

1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 leek, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and whacked with a knife
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 teaspoons thyme (original recipe called for 4 sprigs fresh thyme, but fresh thyme was hard to find)
1 teaspoon tarragon (original recipe called for 2 sprigs fresh tarragon, but again, hard to find)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon peppercorns (I used a 4 Pepper Blend from Epicure)
12 cups of cold water

Fill the pot with the water.  Add in all of the vegetables and spices.  Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.  Strain and portion into storage containers (in portions).   The stock can be frozen for up to 6 months, or keep in your fridge for no more than 2 weeks.

Stay tuned to see what recipes I use the vegetable stock for!

Thanks for visiting today...I hope you have a great day!