No go to veg stock recipes out there?? I know, meat is king. But I am on a quest here.
Maybe I can kick this off with a few options to show what I'm after...
1.
Basic roast veg stock
Example:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/14033/worlds-greatest-vegetable-broth/
This is a roasted veg stock with a classic mpx base, albeit with sweet onion. The mpx is built upon with green bell pepper (capsicum for the Oz peeps), turnip, and tomato. Spiked with clove, bay leaf, black peppercorn, and parsley.
Looks good in principle, but I don't know about the logic of some of it. Why turnip, as opposed to parsnip or rutabaga? Why green bell pepper in particular? I assume there are reasons for these choices?
And why no dried shrooms? Are we relying solely on the roasting for intensification?
Maybe we should look around a bit more...
2.
Veg stock with mushroom and kombu
Example:
https://www.seriouseats.com/hearty-vegetable-stock-vegan-recipe
For something a bit more umami focused, we take a trip to Serious Eats for a veg stock recipe from longtime KKF member Kenji!
Kenji doesn't roast the veg, adding and intensifying flavor instead with dried shroom and kombu. Same mirepoix base, rounded out this time with leek.
Similar spice/herb profile with the bay leaf, parsley, and black peppercorn, but he laces it too with fennel seed and corriander. Will just create some additional notes.
So a quite different philosophy from the roasted stock above. A bit more refined, complex, and delicate, but perhaps missing the rustic comfort factor of the first stock?
Trade offs!
3.
Roasted veg stock with dried shroom
Example:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...w-to-make-the-most-flavorful-vegetable-stock/
Well you don't really have to choose, in the end, because this recipe combines both concepts. But with an interesting twist: instead of pan roasted, the veg are "dry browned" in a dutch oven. I am really intrigued by this one and wonder if it constitutes the best of both worlds?
4.
Tomato paste etc
Example:
https://rouxbe.com/recipes/2332-vegetable-stock
Some recipes use tomato paste to add body. Its listed in this link as "optional," but I chose this one because it looked pretty dependable and professional. Rouxbe is an online cooking school and most of what you see there should be pretty well thought out and more or less by the book.
Curious about the kabocha squash though. Wish I could pick their brain about why that ingredient in particular.
So as you can see there is a dizzying array of approaches. Anyone tried these methods? Thoughts about one versus another?
