Vegetable Stock Recipe – a light plant-based base for sauces, soups and vegetarian cuisine
Vegetable Stock Recipe – a light plant-based base for sauces, soups and vegetarian cuisine
Country / Region
Country: France
Region: Used throughout France, especially in vegetarian or light gastronomic cuisine
Official status: None
Recipe inventor: Oral tradition, later codified in culinary schools
Specifications: None
Certification body: None
History
Origin and history:
Vegetable stock is a simple culinary base that has long been used in homes and professional kitchens. Unlike stocks made with bones or meat, it is entirely plant-based. It is often used for soups, light sauces, or vegetarian dishes. It is also a modern alternative to animal-based broths.
Evolution of the recipe:
Recipes have evolved to exclude all animal products, meeting vegetarian and vegan requirements. Some chefs add seaweed, mushrooms, or spices to bring greater aromatic depth.
Signature recipe of three chefs:
-
Alain Passard: Uses exclusively vegetable stocks in his vegetable-focused cuisine at L’Arpège.
-
Anne-Sophie Pic: Creates subtle vegetable stocks with infusions and reductions of rare vegetables.
-
Jean Montagard: A pioneer of French vegetarian gastronomy who popularized vegetable stock in hospitality schools.
Legend or anecdote
In some convent or monastery kitchens, vegetable stock was nicknamed “the broth of silence”, because it accompanied the meat-free meals served during fasting days.
Recipe description
Vegetable stock is a clear, light broth prepared with fresh vegetables, aromatics and water. It enhances soups, sauces and stews without making them heavy, and is suitable for vegetarian or vegan cooking. It can be used clear or reduced depending on the preparation.
Ingredients for about 3 liters
| Ingredient | Quantity | Approximate weight (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Carrots | 3 medium | 150 g |
| Leek (white part) | 1 | 80 g |
| Celery stalks | 2 | 100 g |
| Onions | 2 | 100 g |
| Garlic | 2 cloves | 10 g |
| Tomato (or tomato paste) | 1 tomato or 1 tbsp | 100 g |
| Button mushrooms (optional) | 100 g | 100 g |
| Bouquet garni | 1 | 10 g |
| Cold water | 4 liters | 4000 g |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | 30 g |
| Salt (optional) | 10 g | 10 g |
| Peppercorns | 5 g | 5 g |
Detailed preparation
-
Wash and peel the vegetables. Cut them into large pieces.
-
Sweat the vegetables in a large pot with a little olive oil, without browning.
-
Add the cold water, bouquet garni, salt and pepper.
-
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to low heat.
-
Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, skimming if necessary.
-
Strain the stock through a fine strainer or cheesecloth.
-
Cool quickly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze in portions.
Tips and advice
-
Do not brown the vegetables to keep a delicate flavor and a clear color.
-
Add mushrooms, kombu seaweed, or white miso at the end of cooking to enrich the flavors (umami version).
-
This stock can be reduced to create a more concentrated vegetable base.
-
Variation: use clean vegetable peels (zero-waste cooking) to make an economical and ecological vegetable stock.
-
Never boil too vigorously, otherwise the stock may become cloudy and bitter.
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Vegetable Stock Recipe – a light plant-based base for sauces, soups and vegetarian cuisine
Country / Region
Country: France
Region: Used throughout France, especially in vegetarian or light gastronomic cuisine
Official status: None
Recipe inventor: Oral tradition, later codified in culinary schools
Specifications: None
Certification body: None
History
Origin and history:
Vegetable stock is a simple culinary base that has long been used in homes and professional kitchens. Unlike stocks made with bones or meat, it is entirely plant-based. It is often used for soups, light sauces, or vegetarian dishes. It is also a modern alternative to animal-based broths.
Evolution of the recipe:
Recipes have evolved to exclude all animal products, meeting vegetarian and vegan requirements. Some chefs add seaweed, mushrooms, or spices to bring greater aromatic depth.
Signature recipe of three chefs:
-
Alain Passard: Uses exclusively vegetable stocks in his vegetable-focused cuisine at L’Arpège.
-
Anne-Sophie Pic: Creates subtle vegetable stocks with infusions and reductions of rare vegetables.
-
Jean Montagard: A pioneer of French vegetarian gastronomy who popularized vegetable stock in hospitality schools.
Legend or anecdote
In some convent or monastery kitchens, vegetable stock was nicknamed “the broth of silence”, because it accompanied the meat-free meals served during fasting days.
Recipe description
Vegetable stock is a clear, light broth prepared with fresh vegetables, aromatics and water. It enhances soups, sauces and stews without making them heavy, and is suitable for vegetarian or vegan cooking. It can be used clear or reduced depending on the preparation.
Ingredients for about 3 liters
| Ingredient | Quantity | Approximate weight (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Carrots | 3 medium | 150 g |
| Leek (white part) | 1 | 80 g |
| Celery stalks | 2 | 100 g |
| Onions | 2 | 100 g |
| Garlic | 2 cloves | 10 g |
| Tomato (or tomato paste) | 1 tomato or 1 tbsp | 100 g |
| Button mushrooms (optional) | 100 g | 100 g |
| Bouquet garni | 1 | 10 g |
| Cold water | 4 liters | 4000 g |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | 30 g |
| Salt (optional) | 10 g | 10 g |
| Peppercorns | 5 g | 5 g |
Detailed preparation
-
Wash and peel the vegetables. Cut them into large pieces.
-
Sweat the vegetables in a large pot with a little olive oil, without browning.
-
Add the cold water, bouquet garni, salt and pepper.
-
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to low heat.
-
Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, skimming if necessary.
-
Strain the stock through a fine strainer or cheesecloth.
-
Cool quickly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze in portions.
Tips and advice
-
Do not brown the vegetables to keep a delicate flavor and a clear color.
-
Add mushrooms, kombu seaweed, or white miso at the end of cooking to enrich the flavors (umami version).
-
This stock can be reduced to create a more concentrated vegetable base.
-
Variation: use clean vegetable peels (zero-waste cooking) to make an economical and ecological vegetable stock.
-
Never boil too vigorously, otherwise the stock may become cloudy and bitter.